CMG GardenNotes #234 Organic Fertilizers

Transcription

1 CMG GardenNtes #234 Organic Fertilizers Outline: Terms, page 1 Plant by-prducts, page 2 Alfalfa meal r pellets, page 2 Crn gluten meal, page 3 Cttnseed meal, page 3 Sybean mean, page 3 Animal by-prducts, page 3 Bat guan high N, page 3 Bat guan high P, page 4 Bld meal, page 4 Bne meal, page 4 Feather meal, page 5 Fish emulsin, page 5 Enzymatically digested hydrlyzed liquid fish, page 5 Fish meal, page 5 Fish pwder, page 6 Cmpst, manure and bislids based prducts, page 6 Rck pwders, page 6 Cllidal phsphate, page 6 Seaweed, page 7 Kelp meal, page 7 Kelp pwder, page 7 Liquid kelp, page 7 Terms By legal definitin, the term fertilizer refers t a sil amendment that guarantees the minimum percentages f nutrients (at least the minimum percentage f nitrgen, phsphate, and ptash). An rganic fertilizer refers t a sil amendment derived frm natural surces that guarantees, at least, the minimum percentages f nitrgen, phsphate, and ptash. Examples include plant and animal by-prducts, rck pwders, seaweed, inculants, and cnditiners. These are ften available at garden centers and thrugh hrticultural supply cmpanies. These shuld nt be cnfused with substances apprved fr use with the USDA Natinal Organic Prgram (NOP). The USDA NOP, with its USDA Organic label, allws fr the use f nly certain substances. The Organic Materials Review Institute ( and the Washingtn Department f Agriculture (WSDA) ( review and apprve brand name prducts made with ingredients frm the natinal list fr use in certified rganic prductin. If a 234-1

2 fertilizer is nt OMRI r WSDA apprved, it may still be allwed fr rganic prductin but has nt been reviewed and deemed suitable fr use in certified prductin. T learn mre abut which inputs are allwed and which are prhibited refer t Many f the rganic fertilizers listed here will meet NOP standards (based n the Natinal List). Grwers participating in the NOP shuld cnsult with their certifier t ensure cmpliance fr rganic certificatin. The term sil amendment refers t any material mixed int a sil. Mulch refers t a material placed n the sil surface. In Clrad, sil amendments have n legal claims abut nutrient cntent r ther helpful (r harmful) effects it will have n the sil and plant grwth. In Clrad, the term cmpst is als unregulated, and culd refer t any sil amendment regardless f active micrrganism activity. Many gardeners apply rganic sil amendments, such as cmpst r manure, which mst ften d nt meet the legal requirements as a fertilizer but add small amunts f nutrients. Ntes: Release Time Organic prducts require the activity f sil micrrganisms befre nutrients are available fr plant uptake. Micrrganism activity is generally dependent n sil temperatures greater than 50ºF in the presence f sufficient sil misture. Dry and/r cld sil cnditins will delay the release f nutrients frm these rganic surces. This perid refers t hw lng these prducts are available if applied t the sil. Use this infrmatin t time the applicatin f the prduct. Prducts may be applied in varius ways. Sme may be tilled in (wrked int the sil with a machine r hand tl), thers may be applied as a fliar spray (mixed with a surfactant and sprayed in a fine mist n the leaf surface while temperatures are belw 80ºF), and sme may be injected int a drip r verhead irrigatin system (fertigatin with a siphn mixer). rates in this fact sheet are generalized and based n sme manufacturers recmmendatins. Over- r under-fertilizatin may ccur using these recmmendatins. Plant By-Prducts Alfalfa Meal r Pellets Alfalfa meal r pellets are ften used as animal feed. They are used primarily t increase rganic matter in the sil but d ffer nutrients and a high availability f trace minerals. They cntain triancnatl, a natural fatty-acid grwth stimulant. Alfalfa Meal r Pellets Typical NPK analysis mnths Available at feed stres May cntain seeds Till in 2-5 punds per 100 square feet 234-2

3 Crn Gluten Meal Crn gluten meal has a high percentage f nitrgen. Prducts carry a warning t allw 1 t 4 mnths f decmpsitin in the sil prir t seeding. Allelpathic prperties will inhibit the germinatin f seeds. Hwever, there is n danger t established r transplanted plants. This prduct is als marketed as a pre-emergent weed cntrl fr annual grasses in bluegrass lawns. Crn Gluten Meal Typical NPK analysis mnths Very high nitrgen Germinatin inhibitr, sme are GMOs Till in punds per 1000 square feet Cttnseed Meal Cttnseed meal is a rich surce f nitrgen. Buyers shuld be aware that many pesticides are applied t cttn crps and residues tend t remain in the seeds. Pesticide-free cttnseed meal is available. Cttnseed Meal Typical NPK analysis mnths High nitrgen Pesticide residues, mst are GMOs Till in 10 punds per 100 square feet Sybean Meal Used primarily as an animal feed prduct. Available bagged at many feed stres. Sybean Meal Typical NPK analysis mnths High nitrgen, available at feed stres Almst half f the cnventinally grwn sy is GMO 8 punds per 100 square feet Animal By-Prducts Bat Guan High N Bat guan (feces) harvested frm caves is pwdered. It can be applied directly t the sil r made int a tea and applied as a fliar spray r injected int an irrigatin system

4 Bat Guan High N Typical NPK analysis mnths Stimulates sil micrbes Cst Till in 5 punds per 100 square feet r as a tea at 3 teaspns per galln f water Bat Guan High P Bat guan (feces) harvested frm caves is pwdered. It can be applied directly t the sil r made int a tea and applied as a fliar spray r injected int an irrigatin system. Difference is that it is prcessed fr high phsphrus cntent. Bat Guan High P Typical NPK analysis mnths Stimulates sil micrbes Cst Till in 5 punds per 100 square feet r as tea at 3 teaspns per galln f water Bld Meal Bld meal, made frm dried slaughterhuse waste, is ne f the highest nnsynthetic surces f nitrgen. If ver-applied it can burn plants with excessive ammnia. Bld Meal Typical NPK analysis mnths Available at feed stres Can burn. Expensive at garden centers Till in 5 10 punds per 100 square feet Bne Meal A well-knwn surce f phsphrus, bne meal is steam prcessed and widely available at feed stres and in garden centers. If purchased at feed stres, phsphrus is expressed n the label as elemental phsphrus and is 2.3 times higher than numbers shwn n garden center labels fr phsphate (i.e. 12% phsphate is the same as 27% phsphrus). Hwever, recent CSU research has shwn that phsphrus frm bne meal is nly available t plants in sils that have a ph belw 7.0. Bne Meal Typical NPK analysis mnths Highly plant available frm f phsphrus Cst Till in 10 punds per 100 square feet 234-4

5 Feather Meal Surced frm pultry slaughter, feather meal has fairly high nitrgen levels but is slw t release the nitrgen. Feather Meal Typical NPK analysis N varies 7 12% n prcess 4+ mnths Lng term fertilizer Cst versus speed f nitrgen release Till in punds per 100 square feet Fish Emulsin Infamus fr its ful smell, emulsins are sluble, liquid fertilizers that have been heat and acid prcessed frm fish waste. Fish Emulsin Typical NPK analysis mnths Adds needed micrnutrients Sme have ful smell Mix 6 tablespns per galln f water Enzymatically Digested Hydrlyzed Liquid Fish Enzymatically digested hydrlyzed liquid fish prducts use enzymes t digest the nutrients frm fish wastes instead f using heat and acids. This retains mre f the prteins, enzymes, vitamins and micrnutrients than emulsins. Enzymatically Digested Hydrlyzed Liquid Fish Typical NPK analysis mnths Mre nutrients than emulsins Mre expensive than emulsins Mix 5 tablespns per galln f water Fish Meal Fish meal is grund and heat dried fish waste. Fish Meal Typical NPK analysis mnths N and P surce Heat prcessed Till in 5-10 punds per 100 square feet 234-5

6 Fish Pwder Fish pwer is dried with heat and turned int water-sluble pwder. It is a high surce f nitrgen. Many can be mixed int slutin and injected int an irrigatin system. Fish Pwder Typical NPK analysis Immediate t 1 mnth Adds micr-nutrients Heat prcessed Till in 1-2 unces per 100 square feet OR mix at 1 tablespn per galln f water Cmpst, Manure, and Bislid Based Prducts Fr infrmatin n bislids, wrm castings, manure and cmpst, refer t the fllwing CMG GardenNtes: #241, Sil Amendments #242, Using Manure in the Hme Garden #243, Using Cmpst in the Hme Garden Rck Pwders Rck pwders relevant fr use in Clrad sils are thse that supply phsphrus. Thse that serve as a ptassium surce (greensand, feldspar, ptassium sulfate, bitite, etc.) are nt necessary as Clrad sils are naturally high in ptassium. Similarly, it is nt necessary t add calcium (gypsum, lime, etc.) due t naturally high calcium levels in Clrad sils and arid cnditins. If yu are making annual applicatins f manure and/r cmpst t yur garden t add nitrgen, yu shuld have sufficient levels f phsphrus in yur sil. Generally, plant r animal surces are the best value fr phsphrus in the hme garden. Recent CSU research results cncluded that n rck P (regardless f mesh size) is available fr plant use unless the sil ph is belw 7.0. Cllidal Phsphate a.k.a. Sft Rck Phsphate This prduct is made by surrunding clay particles with natural phsphate. Ttal phsphate is abut 20% while available phsphate is abut 2-3%. Yu can apply large amunts f cllidal phsphate, as it will release slwly ver the years (usually mre available the secnd year than the first). Fr hme gardeners the cst/return is adequate t apply cllidal phsphate at rates t supply phsphrus fr this seasn s crps. This prduct als adds micrnutrients t sil. Micrnized (passing thrugh 1000 mesh screen [1000 wires per square inch]) surces may be mre available than regular sft rck grinds in sils with a ph belw

7 Seaweed Kelp is the mst cmmn frm and is valued nt fr its macrnutrient (nitrgen, phsphrus and ptassium) cntributins but fr micrnutrients. Kelp is ften mixed with fish prducts t enhance grwth. Three prcesses are available: extracts (as kelp meal r pwder), cld-prcessed (usually liquid) and enzymatically digested (liquid). Ranked in quality f cntent and plant availability they are (highest t lwest) 1) enzymatically digested, 2) cld-prcessed and 3) extracts. Kelp Meal Kelp meal, a prduct f the cean, is used primarily as a trace mineral surce. It is ften cmbined with fish meal t add nitrgen, phsphrus and ptassium. Kelp Meal Typical NPK analysis negligible 4+ mnths Adds micrnutrients Insignificant nitrgen, phsphrus and ptassium Till in 1 pund per 100 square feet Kelp Pwder Kelp pwder is similar t kelp meal but grund fine enugh t put int slutin and applied as a fliar spray r injected int an irrigatin system. Kelp Pwder Typical NPK analysis Immediate 1 mnth Adds micrnutrients Insignificant nitrgen, phsphrus and ptassium Mix ¼ t ½ teaspn/galln f water Liquid Kelp Usually cld prcessed, liquid kelp will have higher levels f grwth hrmnes than extracts. Sme may als be enzymatically digested, making the grwth hrmnes even mre available t the plants. Liquid Kelp Typical NPK analysis Negligible Immediate 1 mnth Adds micrnutrients plus helps plant with stress Insignificant nitrgen, phsphrus and ptassium Mix 1-2 tablespns per galln f water 234-7

8 Additinal Infrmatin CMG GardenNtes n Sils, Fertilizers and Sil Amendments: #211 Intrductin t Sils #232 Understanding Fertilizers #212 The Living Sil #233 Calculating Fertilizer Rates #213 Managing Sil Tilth #234 Organic Fertilizers #214 Estimating Sil Texture #241 Sil Amendments #215 Sil Cmpactin #242 Using Manure #218 Earthwrms # 243 Using Cmpst #219 Sil Drainage #244 Cver Crps and Green Manure Crps #221 Sil Test #245 Mulching with Wd/Bark Chips, Grass #222 Sil ph Clippings and Rck #223 Irn Chlrsis #246 Making Cmpst #224 Saline Sils #251 Asking Effective Questins Abut Sils #231 Plant Nutritin Authrs: Adrian Card (CSU Extensin), with David Whiting (CSU Extensin, retired), Carl Wilsn (CSU Extensin, retired), and Jean Reeder, Ph.D., (USDA-ARS, retired) Revised Dan Gldhamer (CSU Extensin) Clrad Master Gardener GardenNtes are available nline at Clrad Master Gardener training is made pssible, in part, by a grant frm the Clrad Garden Shw, Inc. Clrad State University, U.S. Department f Agriculture and Clrad cunties cperating. Extensin prgrams are available t all withut discriminatin. N endrsement f prducts mentined is intended nr is criticism implied f prducts nt mentined. Cpyright Clrad State University Extensin. All Rights Reserved. CMG GardenNtes may be reprduced, withut change r additins, fr nnprfit educatinal use. Revised Octber 2014, Revised Octber