Hi everyone and good morning!
I have decided to go the organic way this year and need your help! Yesterday evening my DH took me to
the local feed & seed store and bought me the following....lol
1.cow manure
2.worm castings
3.agricultural lime stone
4.and last but not least mushroom compost
I thought I was concoct a recipe from these things I've bought but I am clueless on how
and which ones.
Can anyone help me with some recipes? Which one's can I mix together with plain potting soil? Any help
is appreciated from you organic experts :)
Julie/ BaBs
Calling on Organic Experts! HELP?
I was reading something the other day that you should not use mushroom compost on. I thing it might have been Japanese iris. I am no expert but I have played around with going organic over the last few years. Occasionally I still use some fertilizers like Miracle Grow, it is very convienent and I don't have the ingredients for something else. Pretty much I don't use pesticides except when the wasps were drive bombing me and beaned me right between the eyes and for termites, which I leave to the pros. But I would consider using pesticides if the other methods did not work and it came down to my garden or the bugs.
Other than that you might just have to experiment. Growing brugs organically has never gotten much response and I have posted on several brug sites wanting to discuss it. There is this one fellow in Canada that uses bone meal, blood meal and composted manure. He told me you just have to use your intuition. Remember it is easier to add more than to try to adjust the soil when yoo use too much. Especially with brugs, they let you know pretty quick if they like what your feeding them.
His brugs looked really healthy in the pictures.
You might want to post on the organic forum. You surely cannot go wrong amending the soil in your beds. Now in pots I would think a tea would be the easiest and the nutrients would be more readily available. That is about the extent of my knowledge, which ain't much.
Loretta
I agree with you about adding to it to adjust. I'll let you know. I realized I posted this in the wrong forum and quickly went over to the correct one in hopes someone will reply. Since this is mainly for my brugs and for some veggies, I'll use sparingly. :)
Thanks Loretta!
Julie/ BaBs
Julie -- I know that where you are, the soil is much more acidic than here. The FIRST thing you should do is have take a soil sample to your Ag extension office (or wherever you can get it done) and have it analyzed. That's the ONLY way you'll know how to properly amend your soil.
The cow manure you purchase is already composted, yes? If so, just work it into the ground around your brugs. What you're doing is feeding the microorganisms in the soil. They break it down and their waste becomes fertilizer.
Mushroom compost and worm castings --- same thing, work them into the soil.
the limestone will help neutralize the acidity of your soil pH. Be careful where you use it. Some plants in your area like azaleas, magnolias, rhododendrons, etc. love acid soil.
Organic gardening is a long term commitment to improving the quality and fertility of your soil. I applaud you for beginning the process!
Gretchen
Kaufman's response got me to thinking, which could be dangerous. Calcium carbonate is not the same as calcium nitrate, which is a fertilizer as well as some other things. . So do take Kaufman's advice and take a soil sample to your extension agent. I have Tennessee clay soil so it is needed for my beds. I do not know about Georgia red clay, it might have different needs. Kell said something once about amended her clay soil with it.
Just wanted to clarify that for you so you don't mess up. I suppose using 15-15-15 Cal-Mag would not be organic. I am not making a judgement on whether it works or if one is better than the other or if they are even used for the same reasons. I don't know, that is a personal preference.
Organic is all about improving your soil, which takes time but I think it is worth it in the long run.
Wooo hooooooo thank you so much Gretchen, I will use your advice wisely and this is so much fun too btw! It stinks I kid you not, but none the less, fun to experiment. I'll go to extension tomorrow :) Great advice! :-))))
Cool, Julie! I'm so proud of you!!!
I'm wondering about the "stinking" part of it, though. Usually compost has a wonderful, rich, earthy aroma. It really shouldn't have a bad smell. Please be sure that it has been composted and isn't "green" as that will burn your plants!!!!
Many blessings with this!
Gretchen
Julie, I just had 100 bags of Mushroom Compost, 100 bags of Black Cow and 100 bags of bark, soil conditioner delivered. Cost a pretty penny also. LOL
Ada, you got my address wrong, didn't you. Nothing was delivered here today. LOL! Shoot, we can't even get mushroom compost here unless it is in Des Moines someplace and I've never seen it.
Shirely, I don't think you'd want to pay shipping on these. LOL We could drive it cheaper. Well with the price of gas, I don't know.
LOL! My husband would have had a fit when that delivery was made. I'll bet you lost a lot of soil last year with the rains, didn't you?
Shirley, my neighbors below me got a lot of my soil and about all of my mulch. I told them I was going to start charging them for it. LOL They even got the railroad timbers from my back acre.
Well, let's hope no one has to go through all of that again this year.