Organic Higher Learning Resources

subd.

 

Great info but... wheres the proof that organic nitrogen is healthier than synthisized nitrogen?... last time i checked if an element was different it was given a different name... all of the chemicals found in synthesized ferts ARE in organics... why should i pay more for extra crap(literally crap)... when synthesized gives me exactly what i need with out the free radicals and unknowns???

 

This is my new favorite thread! I dont need no stinkin books, i can read this all day! This shyt it like McDonalds, "i'm lovin it"

 

In organics much less nitrogen is needed, hence less gets to ground water supplies. That alone makes organics healthier.

 

I like smoking organic weed better

 

Another aspect of organics that you are missing Ill Eagle (nice bit of irony there, considering what DDT was doing to eagle eggs), is that using chemical/salt fertilizers kills off microherds and other soil critters. Without which, plants struggle mightily to stay healthy, often failing.

Unless of course you add more petro-chemical based poisons to your environment.

So can you see the pattern of ill health now?

 

This link may help.

Essentially some plants/microbes prefer their nitrogen in the form of nitrate and some in the form of ammonium, or some balance of the two. This will determine the microbial dominance (fungi or bacteria) in the soil and is controlled by the plant (released as the plant needs it so it doesn't burn or have other issues as a general rule you can still burn or over-apply organic nutes but it's harder to do). It's converted by the microbes in the soil based on the exudates released by the plant. When you topdress or mix in some alfalfa for example, there is nitrogen in the alfalfa, but it's not in an ionic form (directly available to the plant). Very different than applying synthetic nitrogen, typically nitrates, where anything that comes in contact with the plant roots will provide nitrogen and the rest will leach through the soil and into the water table. In addition, salt content in some manufactured synthetic nutrients can have a detrimental effect on beneficial soil microbes, as evidenced by the issues facing conventional farming.

Here's another link that may be helpful that I just found quickly and scanned on google.

 

OK I got I question. I have been trying to find Crab shell meal or Crustacean meal but the shipping is absolutely ridiculous. Not to mention I can only find a few places who sell it so not like I have much of a choice. I do however see plenty of places with oyster shell. Does Oyster shell contain any chitin or is it just the crab?

 

You need crab or some other crustacean. It's the chitlin in their shells that you want to help out the fungal growth. Insect bodies have this so manure from animals that eat a lot of insects (free range chickens) will have this in their manure.

If you have a garden center or grow shop near you, they can usually get something (depends who their distributers are) special like crab meal for you with no shipping charge added. Any local place that sells oyster shell will probably be tied into a distributer that can supply crab meal as well.

 

Hi Downgirl - I had the same problems locally, couldn't find anything chitin based (even a little box!) to save my life. After hunting around online though I did find this, 50# of Shrimp Meal for $40. Still quite expensive but it'll definitely last a good while.

 

my mind>>>blown
thanks for the puttin this info up...
going to read this article on humic/fulvic and go take a nap...this thread just kicked my butt.

 

patrio,

thank you for consolidating all of this wonderful info into a managable read. my ladies thank you as well.

 

So are oyster shells beneficial to a compost cuz I was hiking in the woods behind my house on the puget sound and came across a huge pile of oyster shells that look to have been there for ages. I've lived where I live for about 10 years and haven't seen or herd any activity from trucks dumping and there's roots from trees and shrubs growin on the piles. I gathered a wheelbarrow full and am going to crush them to add to my compost or soil mix next year.

I'm just making sure this is a good idea to do, and if it is a good source of minerals besides calcium how much should I mix and what should I look out for?
Thanks for any info I'll keep reading up an look for amounts and benefits.

 

Lucky you! Yes, do crush them up (as fine as possible). Add about a cup per cf of soil medium. If you have other mineral supplements (rock dust, etc) your total for all of the mineral additives should be a cup per cf.

And I think I have that right. It seems to be what I read here from the experts. Hopefully if I have that wrong, someone will correct me and we can both learn.

 

Nice thank you. I was thinking of adding the hole wheelbarrow full to the batch but I guess I won't. Could you over do oyster shell, or would it just add drainage and break down over time?

I was also wondering if I should rinse them or if sitting over time the rain rinsed most of the salt. There was some black leaf mold from decaying debris that have fallen thru the years so I don want to wash out any good stuff but don't want to keep any bad at the same time.

Thanks again!

 

I wouldn't worry about rinsing them. As far as over doing oyster shell, I'm not sure. Most likely it would throw the ph out of whack, which might take some time to settle down. Just a guess though.

I think it would be hard to over do the oyster shell, but it might be a waste. Unless I know better, I tend to go with what the people who have demonstrated their expertise in these areas recommend. However, if you have enough to play with, you can try experimenting with different amounts of oyster shell to see if there are any gains to be had by adding more than a cup per cf.

It sounds like you have a great thing going on there. The fact that there are roots growing into the pile as well as leaf mold speaks volumes as to what these materials bring to the mix.

 

Id imagine that the minerals in the shell itself are the beneficial part... in that case maybe alot of calcium..among many others.. id say there would be a point where it could be too much.

 

Hello LD2 and folks, I've had my crushed and slightly roasted egg shells in my jar of apple cider vinegar since the 8th of this month, how much longer should I let this sit before it is useable? And what out of this is to go into the soil? The remaining shells? Just the liquid? Can I add it to a AACT to apply to all my plants? One more question...If I put it in AACT should I apply it with a non fungal mix? i.e. will the vinegar fuck with my micro herd??? Hope everyone has a good Sunday, Thanks