Soil is Better Than I Thought - Needs Nitrogen

Ozark · February 26, 2016

My vegetable garden mostly failed last year. When I planted in the spring, I covered my paths between rows with partly-composted oak chips 2 to 3 inches deep. I kept the oak chips away from plants, and since I water with soaker hoses this shouldn't have been a problem. Then we got weeks of torrential rains in May, June, and July.

The garden flooded repeatedly, the oak chips washed around everywhere, and there were standing puddles of brown, possibly acidic, oak-water. Plants were stunted, production was very poor, and I figured a whole bunch of tannic acid from the oak had leached into my soil.

But no. Either the oak didn't acidify my soil, or if it did the pH is back to normal now. Maybe last year's garden failure was entirely from too much water. I just got back the results of a current soil test and it seems pretty good:

pH 6.5; Phosphorus (P) 271 lbs/a (very high); Potassium (K) 416 lbs/a (very high); Calcium (Ca) 4610 lbs/a (medium); Magnesium (Mg) 309 lbs/a (medium); Organic Matter 2.7%; Neutr. Acidity 0.5 meq; CEC 13.8 meq.

Fertilizer and Lime Recommendations: None, except add 0.5 lbs. Nitrogen per 1000 square feet. My garden is 35' x 50' = 1750 square feet.

My plan is to scrape off what's left of those oak chips with a tractor blade and put them back into a compost pile. Then I'll add the nitrogen and plow or till it in before planting anything. I have a turning plow blade for the tractor that will go about a foot deep, or my garden tiller will go about 3" deep.

Question: In what form, how much, and exactly how would you add that nitrogen? How deep to work it in? Thanks!

pondgardener · February 26, 2016

You might consider alfalfa pellets. I've tried these last year and good results.

http://botanic.org/alfalfa-as-fertilizer/

George

Cole_Robbie · February 26, 2016

50-pound bags of urea from the farm store are the cheapest nitrogen I know of. It's 50-0-0. Two pounds of it would make your one pound of nitrogen you need. The bag would last you 25 years.

Since you need so little, you can probably get whatever you want. Price isn't really an object when you only need one pound. I'd probably use seabird guano for the micronutrient boost. But there are all kinds of N that would work.

The more compost and humate material you add to the soil, the less NPK you need. That is another route to pursue.

Ozark · March 1, 2016

pondgardener, when our daughter was a teenager we had a horse, so I'm familiar with alfalfa pellets in 50 pound bags and really wanted to till in two of those to add N and organic material to my garden. Then I called our farm supply store and found alfalfa pellets sell for $15.99 a bag here! I'm glad we're no longer feeding a horse, and I guess it's not practical to fertilize my garden like that. Maybe alfalfa is cheaper in other areas, I've never seen any growing around here.

Cole_Robbie, I'll find out about urea next or just go with some 10-0-0 granulated fertilizer for the small amount of N that's needed. Thanks.

Worth1 · March 1, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozark

pondgardener, when our daughter was a teenager we had a horse, so I'm familiar with alfalfa pellets in 50 pound bags and really wanted to till in two of those to add N and organic material to my garden. Then I called our farm supply store and found alfalfa pellets sell for $15.99 a bag here! I'm glad we're no longer feeding a horse, and I guess it's not practical to fertilize my garden like that. Maybe alfalfa is cheaper in other areas, I've never seen any growing around here.

Cole_Robbie, I'll find out about urea next or just go with some 10-0-0 granulated fertilizer for the small amount of N that's needed. Thanks.

I used to live right east of you outside of Mountain Grove they grew alfalfa there.

The stuff is just expensive.

Worth

pondgardener · March 2, 2016

Its getting about that time of year to go to the feed supply store to pick up koi pellets as well as a bag of alfalfa pellets. Pellets are $12.99 for 50# at one of the big feed supply stores. It may seem more cost efficient to buy a some alfalfa in bales and buildup your compost with it. I may try that this year...let me know what you find out about the urea unless Cole_Robbie has a number.

George

Worth1 · March 2, 2016

One thing I think I have read about urea nitrate is it takes microorganisms to break it down in to usable nitrogen for the plants.

To me this would mean dead soil = no real benefit.
I have seen this happen in my neighbors yard.
Worth

February 26, 2016	#1
Ozark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ozark, Mo. Posts: 201	Soil is Better Than I Thought - Needs Nitrogen My vegetable garden mostly failed last year. When I planted in the spring, I covered my paths between rows with partly-composted oak chips 2 to 3 inches deep. I kept the oak chips away from plants, and since I water with soaker hoses this shouldn't have been a problem. Then we got weeks of torrential rains in May, June, and July. The garden flooded repeatedly, the oak chips washed around everywhere, and there were standing puddles of brown, possibly acidic, oak-water. Plants were stunted, production was very poor, and I figured a whole bunch of tannic acid from the oak had leached into my soil. But no. Either the oak didn't acidify my soil, or if it did the pH is back to normal now. Maybe last year's garden failure was entirely from too much water. I just got back the results of a current soil test and it seems pretty good: pH 6.5; Phosphorus (P) 271 lbs/a (very high); Potassium (K) 416 lbs/a (very high); Calcium (Ca) 4610 lbs/a (medium); Magnesium (Mg) 309 lbs/a (medium); Organic Matter 2.7%; Neutr. Acidity 0.5 meq; CEC 13.8 meq. Fertilizer and Lime Recommendations: None, except add 0.5 lbs. Nitrogen per 1000 square feet. My garden is 35' x 50' = 1750 square feet. My plan is to scrape off what's left of those oak chips with a tractor blade and put them back into a compost pile. Then I'll add the nitrogen and plow or till it in before planting anything. I have a turning plow blade for the tractor that will go about a foot deep, or my garden tiller will go about 3" deep. Question: In what form, how much, and exactly how would you add that nitrogen? How deep to work it in? Thanks!

February 26, 2016	#2
pondgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 361	You might consider alfalfa pellets. I've tried these last year and good results. http://botanic.org/alfalfa-as-fertilizer/ George __________________ “Live as if you'll die tomorrow, but farm as if you'll live forever.” Old Proverb

March 2, 2016	#6
pondgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 361	Its getting about that time of year to go to the feed supply store to pick up koi pellets as well as a bag of alfalfa pellets. Pellets are $12.99 for 50# at one of the big feed supply stores. It may seem more cost efficient to buy a some alfalfa in bales and buildup your compost with it. I may try that this year...let me know what you find out about the urea unless Cole_Robbie has a number. George __________________ “Live as if you'll die tomorrow, but farm as if you'll live forever.” Old Proverb

February 26, 2016	#3
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	50-pound bags of urea from the farm store are the cheapest nitrogen I know of. It's 50-0-0. Two pounds of it would make your one pound of nitrogen you need. The bag would last you 25 years. Since you need so little, you can probably get whatever you want. Price isn't really an object when you only need one pound. I'd probably use seabird guano for the micronutrient boost. But there are all kinds of N that would work. The more compost and humate material you add to the soil, the less NPK you need. That is another route to pursue.

March 1, 2016	#4
Ozark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ozark, Mo. Posts: 201	pondgardener, when our daughter was a teenager we had a horse, so I'm familiar with alfalfa pellets in 50 pound bags and really wanted to till in two of those to add N and organic material to my garden. Then I called our farm supply store and found alfalfa pellets sell for $15.99 a bag here! I'm glad we're no longer feeding a horse, and I guess it's not practical to fertilize my garden like that. Maybe alfalfa is cheaper in other areas, I've never seen any growing around here. Cole_Robbie, I'll find out about urea next or just go with some 10-0-0 granulated fertilizer for the small amount of N that's needed. Thanks.

March 2, 2016	#7
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	One thing I think I have read about urea nitrate is it takes microorganisms to break it down in to usable nitrogen for the plants. To me this would mean dead soil = no real benefit. I have seen this happen in my neighbors yard. Worth