Re: [CH] Chemical fertilzers
Nels Peterson (npkp4jp@polarcomm.com)
Sun, 13 Dec 1998 07:21:21 -0600
Your response on using paper for pots surprises me. Last spring in our
greenhouse we used some trays with drainage holes and lined another tray
with newspaper and put below them to prevent all the leakage. Out of 40
trays of peppers, the 8 with newspaper (all black and white) were a total
disaster. Nothing we could use out of them.. Over 800 pepper plants thrown
out. never got past the two to four true leaf stage. What do you use to
neutralize the acids in the paper?
At 11:26 PM 12/12/98 -0500, you wrote:
>In response to Tom Bryant.
>
>I am not against chemical fertilizers, it just the percentages.
>
>A plant absorbs, for example, nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrate,
>It doesn't mater where it comes from, You can give it 1 tbsp of ammonia
>in a gal of water, Ammonium Nitrate from the bag, or it can absord urea
>from animal manure It is exactly the same chemical. I prefer manure
>over chemicals for several reasons, As manure is rotting down, it provides
>a lot of organic material to the soil, It helps aireate the soil, holds
>moisture
>longer, just to name a few.
>
>The problem is that Mirical Grow and the others are too high in
>percentages.
>The plant grows too fast, without the stem/stalks growing with it. The
>plants
>then become weak and can't handle the fruit load. The roots don't seem
>to be able to keep up either. Esp. if you are feeding them a 100% strength
>weekly. I also don't like the purple color that veggie plants get from
>Mirical Grow.
>This is a sign of excess phosphorous.
>
>I start all my own plants from seeds, between the 1st true leaf and the 6th
>true leaf, I feed them a 10% solution of 5-10-5, (12 drops per qt) The
>plants
>are not as tall, but the stalks are bigger, and withstand our spring winds
>better. The roots will outgrow a 4in dia by 6 in deep pot. I make my own
>pots out of Black & white newspaper, using a 1 lb coffee an as a form.
>
>5-10-5 can be found as a liquid, Hy-trous brand is the only one I can find
>locally. This is the closest I can get to my desired 5-10-10 or 5-20-20 in
>a liquid.
>
>Keep a Green Thumb up
>Byron
>
>
>