Thoughts on fertilizer -- 2023

[PaulF]

A bunch of years ago there was a friend who supplied fresh chicken manure for the taking. After a few months of breaking down into chicken manure compost it got applied to a section the the garden. Lesson to be learned; chicken manure needs to be COMPLETELY composted before using as fertilizer. That stuff was still so hot even after a couple of months it burned that section of the garden. The next year everything grew just fine but no more chicken manure for this garden.

[VirginiaClay]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Did you mean Black Kow? Big box stores like HD sell it.

If so, I bought it once, it looked impressive but I left it in a wheel barrow overnight and the next day it was light like sand. I tossed the bag into the bushes and over a year later when I picked up a disintergrating bag, it was a pile of sand.

I had the exact same experience with Black Kow, and I too threw the bag away because I didn't want to add sand to my soil. Now when I want cow manure I buy a product labeled "dehydrated manure" from our local garden center, a branded product from Pennsylvania Dutch country. The garden center also sells regular composted cow manure under their own label, and it's not a bad product, but the dehydrated manure seems to be more manure and less filler. Of course, it's also more expensive, so it probably evens out.

[Ocalagal]

Has anyone tried to order lately from Urban Farm (Texas Tomato food). It seems their website is either down, or hacked, or they are out of business.

[Ocalagal]

Looks like they were indeed hacked, and are working on it. I emailed them to find out if they were still in business, and they said they were hacked. Told them I was worried about them being out of business, and I love their products! They said its just the opposite, as they are overwhelmed with the orders and trying to control the growth. Good to see small businesses thriving.

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Originally Posted by Ocalagal

Has anyone tried to order lately from Urban Farm (Texas Tomato food). It seems their website is either down, or hacked, or they are out of business.

I ordered an assorted 4 gallon pack on 03/17 and received here in CT on 03/25.

[kenny_j]

Adding my 2 cents. Last year was the 1st time I ever went 100 % organic. Used Tomato tone, and jobes all purpose. And refertilzed on a 2 week basis according to directions. My tomatoes held their great flavor the entire season, instead of just the first wave. My cukes out produced and out lived compared to prior years by a 4 to 1 factor. Cant say enuff. For all the work involved, proper ferts at any cost, are well worth it.

[b54red]

I got my assorted 4 gallons of Urban Farms fertilizer two weeks ago and it was a bit more expensive but still nothing else I have tried is even close when it comes to growing tomatoes. I used a good bit of MG during the very early spring until my TTF could get here and it worked fine for my broccoli, lettuce, spinach, peas, and early bell peppers.
I have just started side dressing my plants with TTF and will know soon how well it is working as the temps are getting much hotter now.

I am adding extra magnesium sulfate every time I feed my bell peppers as I have done the last few years and it has resulted in far more and larger fruits and plants. My soil sample says I don't need it but so far I haven't seen any negative results from the Epsom salt used on the peppers.

With the prices in the stores continuing to rise I see no other option than to spend the added money on fertilizer because without it why garden. I am spoiled from my fresh produce straight from the garden and just can't get excited about paying the outrageous prices for most things that I can grow myself at much lower costs. Even if I didn't save a dime I would still grow my own because the quality is so much better and the taste is in another league entirely.

Bill

[PaulF]

Bill: My soil tests no longer give a recommendation for Nitrogen. pH is the result I pay most attention to since my soil is notorious for high pH and I add sulphur every year to reduce to around 7.5 from 8.5. I do not need Mg but the sulphur content aids most of the vegetables I grow.

Rather than the very high priced TTF, whose formula is still higher in N than I want for tomatoes, I have gone to powdered "Bloom Booster" style fertilizer that mixes with water. That formula is in the 4-12-12 range depending on the brand. Early in the year this year we found 5lb boxes at a big box store for $15. We bought five boxes anticipating shortages and high prices later.

We also bought several bags of 12-12-12 fertilizer (or was it 10-10-10?) for use on everything except tomatoes. High N content applied to my tomatoes diminishes yield by a whole bunch, therefore the use of lower N bloom booster only applied if the plants need assistance early in the growing season.

I have never before advocated adding Epsom Salts, but if it works, why not. Maybe the added Sulphur would give my peppers a kick in the rear and help them to produce more and quicker so they would ripen earlier. I get lots of green peppers but the season here is too short for ripe peppers even though I grow all short and mid season varieties.

Maybe I rely on the soil test too much and not enough on my gut. I t will be hard to change habits of 50 years.