FERTILIZER RECOMMENDATIONS
Using the soil analysis to achieve the grower’s aims, specific fertilizer recommendations based on the needs of each particular soil should be tailored to the growers expressed short or long term goals. These goals should take into account the previous history of the area and fertilizers used at the location (if known), growing conditions in the area, and the type of planned operation -- for instance certified organic, natural, bio-dynamic, etc.
As selecting the proper method of taking soil samples for testing is an important consideration that differs from one soil lab to another, rather than utilize space to explain what we specifically need as a part of this essay, those needing such information are referred to my book, Hands-On Agronomy, and/or our company website: http://www.kinseyag.com.
Let’s now consider the various types of fertilizer and the main functions each performs in helping to grow plants that provide proper nutritional balance and meet the needs for healthy food.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is likely the most sought after nutrient by organic growers to increase fertility and production. This should be the case, as nitrogen is a part of every living cell. Furthermore, because nitrogen is so volatile in the form plants can best utilize, it is necessary and worthwhile to ensure that it is supplied as a nutrient for seasonal growth in crop production. For many who wish to grow organically, if there is an insufficient supply of compost to supply the nitrogen requirements, growing plants will suffer accordingly. But this is a costly and unnecessary mistake as there are other ways to supply the nitrogen necessary for the best growth and quality of vegetables, fruits or nuts.
For those with too little or no compost at all, the use of sufficient amounts of protein meal will help supply a slow release source of nitrogen. This includes such products as feather meal, blood meal, soybean, cottonseed, or linseed meal. Any product that contains protein will supply nitrogen for plants. Just divide the protein content by 6.24 to determine how many pounds of nitrogen will be supplied by 100 pounds of material.
Liquid biological stimulants provide another alternative for supplying nitrogen to the soil for plants, but these are far less utilized and often misused or misunderstood. They are not especially popular with those who sell bulk fertilizers and are often ridiculed. This may be due to a lack of understanding as to how they work or an effort to downgrade the use of such products as a threat to the sales of the materials a supplier may be selling.
There are several products marketed as biological stimulants, and not all of them work the same way. However, whether any specific product can supply the nitrogen required need not be based on an assumption. Most private soil testing laboratories can perform a nitrate and ammonia test on soils. To prove the worth of any one of the products in terms of its value as a nitrogen supplier, just split an area that grows evenly. Treat half according to the directions (generally applications are in ounces per acre mixed with sufficient water) and use the other half as the control. Allow a few weeks, preferably one to five months, then sample the areas separately. Take several probes of soil 7-8 inches deep from the untreated area. Do the same in the treated area and have a soil lab analyze both samples for the content of nitrate and ammonia.