Curious why the preference for meal's based fertility? Meals very exspensive compared to Manures. when it comes to feeding microbe's, dont believe they are that diet specific. JIMMY CRACKED CORN, AND I DONT CARE ! Sorry couldnt help myself.
Do you have any suggestions for a homeowner hoping to start a organic-only fertilizing program? Thanks for the reply.
First of all, when I see manure I am thinking of a fresh product. Fresh manure is relatively dangerous and has no place in gardening. Manure must be composted before using anywhere. Ground seed, bean, and nut meals have proteins in them that the manures don't. Proteins have nitrogen in them as part of their elemental make up. That nitrogen becomes fertilizer after several thousands of microbes digest it. So that's the reason for liking ground meals over manures (or composts). Composts definitely have their place in the garden. They go in when a soil loses its microbial life. That could come from using herbicide, fungicide, or insecticide on it. Or it could come from over use of regular commercial fertilizer. Or it could come from a flood that smothered the beneficials. Compost restores the microbes to the soil as an inoculant.
CTJohn, At the top of this forum are some FAQs that should answer your question at great length. If you have any questions after that, please write back.
Composted, granular poultry manure is the best simple starter organic program. High in nitrogen 4-3-3, easy to spread, cheap to buy, melts thatch, good iron source. It is full of beneficial microbes, bacteria, enzymes, fungi, and trace minerals. Nobody here or on gardenweb ever talks about it. 20#/1000 sq ft, 4 times per year. Sustane, cheap-cheap, agway natures way, espoma garden manure and many others. In connecticut, look up north country organics on the web. About 4 to 8 bucks per hundred lbs.
I concur with wpines assesment of poultry manures. another source is Nutrients plus www.nutrientsplus.com, they have an all natural composted poultry manure " Nature Pure" with some solid research from ohio state. In addition to fortified products. Again i state microbes are not diet specific, If you use meals do so for bio-diversity, not for specific protiens. I prefer composted poultry for the Many benificial characteristics aside from nutrient value, such as surpression of patch disease's. Jimmy cracked corn and i dont care......
