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Re: tomatoes & manure

Loren,

5-10-5 is a good NPK ratio for most vegetables.  You might want to
consider using a slow-release type fertilizer, however, as opposed to
the water soluble kind.  The water-soluble is ok if you want to apply
small amounts several times, but even then it can have negative
side-effects such as salt build-up and reduced microbial activity in the
soil.

My slow-release fertilizer is four parts, by volume, of seed meal (this
is the source of nitrogen in the fertilizer mix), two parts of steamed
bone meal (P source), two parts of kelp meal (K source), and one part of
agricultural lime (Ca source).  If your soil is low in magnesium use
dolomite instead of agricultual lime.  If you don't want to use steamed
bone meal, then use four to ten parts of rock phosphate or 1 part of
super-phosphate.  The seed meal can be cotton or soy or whatever's
cheapest in your area.

These ingredients can be obtained at some animal feed stores and/or
"organic" garden suppliers. 

My soil is rich with several year's addition of manures and compost and
I cover crop faithfully, so I'm already working with a fairly rich and
evenly balanced soil.  If your soil is deficient in any of the nutrients
then the ratios can be adjusted accordingly. 

I "balance" this basic mixture depending on the time of year and the
plant to which it is to be applied.  For instance, legumes get one part
seedmeal, root crops get two parts seedmeal, as do brassicas (Brussel's
sprouts, cabbage and broccoli) intended for winter harvest.

Unlike water-solubles, these fertilizers must be mixed with the soil to
work effectively.  They are best dug in under the furrow or transpant
hole, but you can scratch them into the surface of soil around
already-in-place plants.

The benefits of slow-release fetilizers are many: They feed the plants
slowly and evenly over the season, preventing a "start-and-stop"
condition which can seriously check a plant's yield.  They encourage,
rather than discourage, microbial activity.  They contain micronutrients
and growth regulator hormones (in the kelp meal) not usually found in
water-solubles.  They are more work to apply initially, but repeated
applications are not necessary.

If anybody cares, I could go on about how much to use for various kinds
of plants, and more about different mixes for different seasons and
plants (in a general way).

Steve  (Maritime...)

nonayobusiness wrote:
> 
> -- [ From: nonayobusiness * EMC.Ver #2.3 ] --
> 
> Dear Jess, When fertilizing tomatoes and other stuff that you are growing
> for fruits, be careful not to use too MUCH manure, because it's high in
> nitrogen.  If you use an unbalanced amount of it, you'll end up with lots
> of gorgeous foliage and not many flowers ->fruit.  By unbalanced, I mean in
> ratio with how much potassium and phosphorus is being added.  I think that
> one of the more esoteric individuals on this list could talk about this
> with more authority than I.  I make compost that has manure in it, but
> along with all kinds of leaves grass, and kitchen stuff.  Along with this,
> I use 5-10-5 fertilizer, so I know that I'm not going to make the plants OD
> on one nutrient only.  Lauren B.
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