Seed Meal?

[sic transit gloria]

I've been reading this book by Steve Solomon ("Gardening When it Counts") and he has this concoction he calls "complete organic fertilizer." A large part of this is made up of something he calls "seed meal." There's a feedstore near me (I live in a small, semi-rural town) and they don't have anything labeled as "seed meal." There are plenty of types of feed for all manner of livestock. When I read the constituents of each feed, I have a feeling that some of the feeds are probably what he's talking about, but I thought I'd run it by the folks here.

Solomon mentions that you should basically buy the highest protein content for the money you spend. Many of the feeds (not grains) list 12% protein, and there are 50 lb. sacks for $10.

Thanks for your help.

[mvan]

I just bought a bag of cottonseed meal (feed) to put around my blueberries and azaleas (acid loving plants). I haven't used it before, but I hear it works great.

Matt

[mresseguie]

This probably isn't a complete list, but:

Cotton seed meal
Linseed meal
Soy bean meal
~~~~~~~~~~~
There's also:

Alfalfa meal

All four have slightly different N-P-K values in the ballpark of 6-3-2, 5-2-4, etc. I'm pretty sure that soy bean meal has the most Nitrogen of the group, but it costs a few bucks more per 30 or 40 lb bag.

I have been told to avoid feed which has had medication added to it, so I suggest making sure you're getting unprocessed stuff.

The big bags are definitely the way to go......the most bang for your buck.

[dice]

Flax seed meal is another one, usually reasonably
priced.

[Woodchuck]

Defatted 48% soy is the highest in N of the commonly available meals.

<Woodchuck>

[velikipop]

I use Solomon's recipe with success. Kelp meal is also an important ingredient. This year I switched to soy meal because a 40lb bag of cottonseed meal has gone from 18 dollars to 32. Another highly recommended meal is feathermeal. It is feathers from poultry that have been steamed. It is very difficult to find.

[sic transit gloria]

This farm feed store doesn't have any of these "seed meals," or are not labeled as such. I'll go by there tomorrow and write down some of the names and constituents.

[mresseguie]

Originally Posted by velikipop

I use Solomon's recipe with success. Kelp meal is also an important ingredient. This year I switched to soy meal because a 40lb bag of cottonseed meal has gone from 18 dollars to 32. Another highly recommended meal is feathermeal. It is feathers from poultry that have been steamed. It is very difficult to find.

Velikipop,

Most of the garden stores and nurseries in my area sell feather meal. They all sell the same one (or is it two?) brand(s). The brand the sticks in my mind is Down to Earth. It is based in Eugene, Oregon, which, by the way, is only 40 miles away from me.

Perhaps feather meal is prohibited from crossing borders?? For fear of bird-borne diseases??

Michael

[velikipop]

Michael,

I think I'll make a few more inquiries.

Thanks

Alex

[creister]

Beware of cottonseed meal. In and of itself there are no problems, but growing of cotton requires the use of many pesticide/herbicides which will add toxins. I know some cotton producers are organic.

Alfalfa meal has an npk of about 3-1-2. It also contains tricantonal, a type of growth hormone.

[creister]

I was also going to ask about Steve Solomon's fertilizer. We have high calcium soils, and he has gypsum, agricultural lime, and dolomite in this mix. I believe it was 1/4 part for both ag. lime and gypsum, and 1/2 part for the dolomite. I wonder if this would be adding too much calcium into my high calcium soil? Any opinions?

[dice]

[high calcium soil]

You could probably skip the lime, gypsum, and dolomite, and
use some epsom salt to get the magnesium that would have
come from the dolomite and the sulfur that would have come
from the gypsum. Not very much (magnesium sulfate is reported
to be a slight alkalizer, raising pH a little, and your soil pH is
probably already a bit alkaline).