Fertilizer help

[sara213]

Hi,

Just looking to decide what kind of fertilizer I want to use on my garden. But, there is so may different kinds out there...

I've been using Miracle-gro but i was wondering about using bone meal or blood meal as well or alternate. I was at Canadian tire yesterday looking at all the types but I wasn unable to choose. They had a bone meal, blood meal, a bone and blood meal, mircale grow has the shaker that slow release nutrients up to 4 months and they had an all purpose one. So, it was kind of overwhelming with the varitey. They also had different numbers like the blood meal was 7- 0 - 0 ( i believe) and the bone and blood meal had 12-7 0 or something along those sorts. I can't remember the exact numbers.


Info:

for vegetable garden and a flower garden.


thanks!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Are you using composted chicken poop?

 

[chocbantamorps]

If you want to try organic instead of all the chemical fertilizers sold in stores then use lawn clippings from your lawn. The clippings keep many weeds from sprouting, reduce the moisture evaporating from the soil so you don't have to water it as often, the nutrients go down into the soil and enrich it, and the worms eat it and deposit their castings which are rich in more nutrients. See the following blog titled "my lawn is my garden's best friend" (URL is http://squarefootabundance.com/my-lawn-is-my-gardens-best-friend/) which goes into more details on how to spread the grass clippings. Have fun gardening.

 

[Percheron chick]

The numbers on the package are important because the blend of nutrients will determine what plants and stage of growth they work best on. The #s represent the percentage of product in the order of N-P-K. All plants need nitrogen but too much can lead to too much growth and leaf with little or no fruit. Common with tomatoes that don't set fruit. Flowers need extra P for big continuous blooms. Without knowing what your individual soil composition is, I'd just stick with something like the Miracle Grow that is a good all purpose feed. Start composting the chicken manure and spread it going into winter so it can breakdown and mellow releasing the nutrients into the soil. I would never use fresh chicken manure because of the high nitrogen content that can be too much for most tender plants plus the potential pathogens.

 

[sara213]

No, I haven't had my chickens long enough to have composted chicken poop fertilizer. that sounds like a good idea though...not sure where I would be able to store that though.

That grass clipping is a good idea! I shall use that for sure!

I bought a soil kit to test what levels are in the soil because I really am not sure. I can post the results here though.


thanks!

 

[Kernel Cluck]

If you dont have compost yet, Miracle grow works for me. Just avoid those gimmick pre-loaded cartridges. I stick with the packets with a generic hose end sprayer. Also, I don't know if you access to this product but here in Wisconsin we can a product called Milorganite... It is pelletized manure. Nothing else. It is great. Super safe to use, all natural and you can use it all gardens and grass and trees. If you can find it, snap it up. Worth the money.

 

[Kernel Cluck]

Sorry for all the errors. I guess I have lost the ability to use the English language.

 

[sara213]

If you dont have compost yet, Miracle grow works for me. Just avoid those gimmick pre-loaded cartridges. I stick with the packets with a generic hose end sprayer. Also, I don't know if you access to this product but here in Wisconsin we can a product called Milorganite... It is pelletized manure. Nothing else. It is great. Super safe to use, all natural and you can use it all gardens and grass and trees. If you can find it, snap it up. Worth the money.

I will have to check out at the garden centre's to see if they have such a product available. thanks!

Sorry for all the errors. I guess I have lost the ability to use the English language.

Not to worry I understood what you were trying to say!

 

[chocbantamorps]

You need to determine what minerals your soil has and what is needed for your vegetables and flowers before you can decide on a fertilizer. You can pick up a soil testing kit along with the instructions for it from your local cooperative extension agent. Get a soil sample from your garden area and return it along with $10 and they will tell you what you need. The following website will help you find your closest cooperative extension agent: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/