Espoma Organic Traditions

p_snickers

I think that this company puts out some of the finest amendment mixes available.

Look at the one you're asking about specifically - here's the list of ingredients from the MSDS:

Hydrolyzed Feather Meal - meaning that it's been fermented with lactobacillus bacteria which will negate this product's ability to burn young roots. Outstanding and seldom duplicated in the industry.

Pasteurized Poultry Manure - same as above.

Cocoa Meal - seldom used which is a shame.

Bone Meal

Alfalfa Meal - 'nuff said.

Greensand

Humates

Sulfate of Potash

Sulfate of Potash Magnesia - this is the form of K-Mag that is approved for organic growing/farming. Sulfate of Potash Magnesia is the name that a chemist would use. The layman's term Langbeinite and the wholesale name is K-Mag. It is often sold under the retail name of Sul-Po-Mag. This is one of the finest mineral amendments that you can use.

Add a bit of limestone (Calcium Carbonate) and you'll have a well-rounded amendment mix for a very good price.

"Highly Recommended" is the column that I would put this product under. I would say the same about the other products that I glanced at a couple of weeks ago at one of the farm store co-op operations which has begun to carry this line.

LD

 

Snickers, I'm using the Starter Tone with mycorrhizae and have been very pleased with it. LD gives the good breakdown analysis on their product line above. It's good stuff with quality sources and it smells wonderfully organic-good. Reasonably priced and easily available as well. Nice combo all of the three!

The one thing I will add is, based on my current experience with it (and some other things), you will still need to supplement (boost) availability of other key nuturients in your grow cycle to fully maximize growth potential. Specifically I think the Ca, Mg, P, and K will need to be supplemented. Make sure you read up on LD and Chunkdaddyo's threads about 'the living soil' and 'micro herds', AACT's, etc. You won't be wrong going this route. Follow their advice and you can also save the money you were going to spend on a pH meter and buy something else!

If you are growing organic and you are using a dry fert I don't think you can go wrong with this line of products. Safe, no burn, quality, etc. I'm getting their soft rock phosphate this week.

MHO....Just a thought...or two. Good luck with your grow!

 

Papaya, Squash and Banana Extract

Piece of cake!

LD

 

I can't find a label to read for the Espoma rock phosphate but I think it reads something like, “3% available, 24% total”. What this translates to, in general terms, is the water soluble percent of phosphate is 3%, and the remainder, 21%, is a form of P not immediately available to the plant. For example, raw rock phosphate ore has no significant P nutrient value at all. Raw P is treated either by heat or acid to convert the P into a water soluble form that can be used by the plant.

I'm taking a fairly educated wag that the Espoma Rock Phosphate, like greensand, is more thought of as a ‘soil conditioner' whereas the Espoma Super or Triple Super Phosphate is considered a ‘fertilizer' or nutrient. Arguably, soil conditioners are used in agriculture for the long haul, 1 -3 years perhaps. If your soil will tend to run slightly acidic this will help break the rock phosphate down to the useable form of P if you decide to use it instead of a more soluble form of P like Super or Triple P. Does that make sense? Crushing it or breaking it up will have no effect or impact on its availability to the plant. And, using it as an input to an AACT is above my pay grade to answer. I don't know what, if anything, that would accomplish within the context of what an AACT is really all about. AACT's aren't considered for their nutrient value, only their areobic microbial value.

I purchased the Espoma Triple Phosphate 0-45-0. This form of P is rock phosphate treated with phosphoric acid that chemically alters it into a soluble form that is useable by plants. The ‘45' represents 45% available water soluble P. Compare that to the 3% available P in the rock phosphate and you can see a significant difference. For our indoor uses we are better off using a P source where the label indicates “available” P, meaning it is water soluble and available as needed.

Hope this helps.

 

I know this is a little old, but my plants LOVE this stuff. I took over the care of 30 roses, and all got whacked down to a normal size since they were well over-grown. I fed a test bed out front with systemic fertilizer. No surprise to me, but they are low on bloom and instead focus on long runners that get out of control quickly.

The bed with just espoma and some pelleted dolomite lime look fantastic! The leaves are a rich green, and they're completely full of blossoms. I'm expecting a nice show this week, about a month from the major pruning.

This is carried at Lowe's and Home Depot, as well as stand-alone garden centers in our area. My only recommendation is to try to find a really fresh bag, or get it from a garden center that doesn't leave them out in the heat. For some reason most chain stores place it outside, in full sun. It can get to 116* and averages over 100* in the shade during summer months. That kind of heat can hurt the beneficials over time.

 

Thanks for this info, i kinda get it better now. I will find some of this for bettrer availability.

 

im fairly new to my grow im using the epsoma organic potting mix. all ive been using is water right now since my plant is only 2 weeks into its grow. i have a little bit of drooping but nothin tragic yet. i also picked up some jack classic all purpose 20-20-20. im not goi g to use that til later. but as far as blossom food how did the epsoma foods work out and which one did you use

 

cool thank you . im going to pick up some flowering food ans some veg food this week . then wait to feed when i water afte 5-6 days. also its only one of the 2 that is drooping. i definatly hold back on the water and see how that goes. my temp and humidty is right on. thank you sir for the info

 

i know my local nursey has a line of epsoma. i looked at them really quick since i didnt have much time to look at all of time. im definetly going to get some garden tone for the vegging then plan my next attack for flowering. ive only used my jacks once since i got it. its sitting in a gallon of water right now. not planning on using it unless i really have to again once i get the right feed for my plants then i will be happy.

 

My vote goes to Espoma. I use their bio-tone mixed into my soil and then supplement with tomato tone.

I did the above on my patio plants (dill, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, strawberries, chives, lemon verbena, curry, red lip salvia, catmint, catnip, serrano, habanero, cayenne, cordofolia, spearmint, parsley).

My catmint and salvia grew 2 to 4" after being planted with the bio-tone.

Serranos sprouted three chilis last week after being treated with tomato tone.

 

I hit the girls with a 1/4 dose of tomato tone a week before transplanting into my smart pots (and subsequently mixing in the bio-tone). I can't tell you which one spurted the growth, but just a few days after the treatment, each plant grew a few inches, at least.




I'll keep this subscription and add updates as I progress. Here's a link to my organic grow where I do most of my postings.

http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-grow-journals/693617-barefoot-organics.html

 

You do realize that plant tone lasts 3-4 months right, I use a handfull per plant in my outdoor grows.

 

I have no problem using Epsoma's products in my near-organic garden and with my houseplants