Ammendment

Alfalfa Meal or Pellets

Typical NPK analysis 2-1-2

Release time Pros

Cons

Application

Use

1-4 months

Available at feed stores

Corn Gluten Meal

9-0-0

1-4 months

Very high nitrogen. Preemergent weed control

Cottonseed Meal

6-0.4-1.5

1-4 months

High nitrogen

May contain seeds. Pellets Till in 2-5 Primarily they are used to increase organic may have added salt. pounds per 100 matter in the soil but offers nutrients and a high square feet availability of trace minerals. Contains trianconatol, a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant. Germination inhibitor Till in 20-40 High percentage of nitrogen. Allelopathic pounds per 1000 properties will inhibit the germination of seeds. square feet However, there is no danger to established or transplanted plants. Pesticide residues Till in 10 lbs per Cottonseed meal is a rich source of nitrogen. 100 sq ft Buyers should be aware that many pesticides are applied to cotton crops and residues tend to remain in the seeds. 8 pounds per 100 square ft Till in 510 pounds per 100 square feet Increase nitrogen. Blood meal is one of the highest nonsynthetic sources of nitrogen. If over-applied it can burn plants with excessive ammonia.

Soybean Meal Blood Meal

7-2-1 12-0-0

1-4 months

High nitrogen, available at feed stores 14 months High nitrogen, Arguably, used Can burn. Expensive at as a squirrel, rabbit and deer garden centers deterrent

Bone Meal

3-15-0

Feather Meal Fish Emulsion

14 months Highly plant available form of Cost phosphorus. However, recent CSU research has shown that phosphorus from bone meal is only available to plants in soils that have a pH below 7.0. N 7 12% 4+ months Long term fertilizer Cost versus speed of nitrogen release 5-2-2 14 months Adds needed micronutrients Some have foul smell 14 months More nutrients than emulsions More expensive than emulsions

Till in 10 pounds A well-known source of phosphorus. If per 100 square purchased at feed stores, phosphorus is feet expressed on the label as elemental phosphorus and is 2.3 times higher than numbers shown on garden center labels for phosphate (ie-12% phosphate= 27% phosphorus) Till in 2.5-5 lbs per 100 sq ft Mix 6 Tbls per gal of water Mix 5 tablespoons per gallon of water Feather meal has fairly high nitrogen levels but is slow to release nitrogen

Enzymatically 4-2-2 Digested Hydrolyzed Liquid Fish

Enzymatically digested hydrolyzed liquid fish have used enzymes to digest the nutrients from fish wastes instead of using heat and acids. This retains more of the proteins, enzymes, vitamins and micronutrients than emulsions.

Fish Meal

10-6-2

14 months N and P source

Heat processed

Till in 5-10 pounds per 100 square feet

Ammendment

Typical NPK analysis

Release time Pros

Cons

Application

Use

Soft Rock Phosphate

Rock Phosphate (powders that supply phosphorus) (greensand, feldspar, potassium sulfate, biotite) Seaweed

Generally, plant or animal sources are the best value for phosphorus in the home garden. Potassium Source

This product is made by surrounding clay particles with natural phosphate. Total phosphate is about 20% while available phosphate is about 2-3%. Also adds micronutrients to soil. This is why you can apply large amounts of colloidal phosphate, as it will release slowly over the years (usually more available the second year than the first).

Kelp is the most common form and is valued not for its macronutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) contributions but for micronutrients. negligible 4+ months Adds micronutrients Cost Kelp meal, a product of the ocean, is used primarily as a trace mineral source. It is often combined with fish meal to add nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Insignificant nitrogen, Mix 1-2 Accelerate growth, increase fruiting and phosphorus and potassium tablespoons per flowering, provide resistance to disease, insects gallon of water and frost. Till in 1 pound per 100 square feet

Kelp Meal

Liquid Kelp

Negligible

Immediate Accelerated growth from 1 month growth hormones (auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins) than extracts, Adds micronutrients, helps plant with stress, 70 minerals and trace elements, growth hormones, vitamins, enzymes, and proteins