N-P-K
The 3 most important Nutrients
N- NITROGEN- promotes healthy leaf and plant growth.
Nitrogen Sources- animal manure ( I prefer GOAT), green cover crops, compost, cotton seed meal, hoof and horn meal, dried blood, feathers, fish meal
Nitrogen Deficiency- yellowish leaves, small leaves, weak tissues and stems, more susceptible to frost and wind damage, too much nitrogen promotes leaf growth without fruiting
P-PHOSPHOROUS- promotes root growth, blooming, and fruit production
Phosphorous Sources- compost, rock phosphate, cotton seed meal, dried poultry and goat manure, fish meal, wool waste, bone meal
Phosphorous Deficiency- a red/purple discoloration of the stems, leaf veins, and leaves
K-POTASSIUM-(potash) helps plants resist disease and promotes an over-all healthy plant
Potassium Sources- wood ashes, granite dust, fresh grass clippings, kelp meal, dried goat and sheep manure, alfalfa, wool waste
Potassium Deficiency- poor yield, yellow streaks or spots in leaves, leaf edges become dry and scorched, poorly developed root system
N- for leaf and plant growth, P- blossom, fruit, and root growth, K- for overall general health of your plant.
N- for leaf and plant growth, P- blossom, fruit, and root growth, K- for overall general health of your plant.
LEGUMES are nitrogen fixers. Small nodules on the roots capture and hold nitrogen, releasing it slowly into the soil. Till your spent peas and bean plants into the soil to add a rich source of nitrogen. Plant legumes after a heavy feeder crop to add important nutrients back into the soil. I rotate my old 25 pound bags of beans out of my food storage and plant them in large squares as a green cover crop. When they are 8 to 10 inches tall they are tilled into the soil and followed by a heavy feeder crop.
Crimson Clover is an annual legume. It converts nitrogen from the air into the form plants use. Chop the clover and turn it under before it blooms to add nitrogen to your soil.
"A MANURE PILE IS LIKE MONEY IN THE BANK"
says Vick's Illustrated Catalogue and Floral Guide, in 1872
I agree! A layer several inches thick of composted goat manure placed in the gardens does wonders for your plants. It is priceless when it comes to improving soil and adds all important mineral elements needed for growth. Now go out and offer to clean out your neighbor's pens.......that is if they will let you. A man with a big pile of manure is a RICH MAN INDEED!
Crimson Clover is an annual legume. It converts nitrogen from the air into the form plants use. Chop the clover and turn it under before it blooms to add nitrogen to your soil.
"A MANURE PILE IS LIKE MONEY IN THE BANK"
says Vick's Illustrated Catalogue and Floral Guide, in 1872
I agree! A layer several inches thick of composted goat manure placed in the gardens does wonders for your plants. It is priceless when it comes to improving soil and adds all important mineral elements needed for growth. Now go out and offer to clean out your neighbor's pens.......that is if they will let you. A man with a big pile of manure is a RICH MAN INDEED!
Unfortunately that also is the view of big agriculture and about all they intentionally round up from the chemical manufactures to keep crop production at a highly profitable level. There are some would say 83 or so nutrients in grown foods that are necessary to properly nourish the human body. Because NPK rules and the other soil nutrients are badly depleted our food is remarkably lacking in proper nourishment. An example I read a few days ago was about apples in 1950 having 4.7mg of iron in them where today they have only 0.18 mg consequently you have to now eat 26 apples just to get the iron present in one 1950 apple. Apply compost you say well the animal whose manure you so proudly round up for that compost pile is just as badly fed an under nourishing diet as we get. You see it is fed from the same worn out soil we are. Sad isn’t it that only about 5 percent of the minerals we need for a healthy body are being placed back in the soil and mostly they are chemically manufactured. Not very many modern organic producers correctly restore what the creator entrusted us to do. Good for profit bad for mankind seems all to prevalent, commonplace and accepted out of intentionally misguided ignorance. Much of Europe does not accept this why should we. Wake up America.
ReplyDeleteWell said Larry, I agree. The decline in the nutritional value of our present day food is an epic concern. That is why it's so important that we grow our own, feeding and replenishing the soil with organic and natural nutrients. Applying compost and animal manures may not solve the whole problem, but it is better than using the chemical counterpart.
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