[~*max*~]

Hello gardening mamas. We just put in a small vegetable garden, which we mulched w/newspaper & straw. We also worked in a good layer of compost before planting. In years past I was a Miracle Grower, but now that I am trying to be chemical free I am wondering what else I can use to fertilize? What do you all do?

TIA.
max

 

[farmer mama]

There are lots of choices. I pretty much use compost with aged chicken and rabbit manure (because this is what we have on hand) and compost, manure or comfrey tea. The tea is made by putting compost or manure in a pillowcase or other fabric bag and putting it in a bucket of water for many weeks and then diluting it and giving a "shot" to the plants. I do the same with chopped up comfrey or nettle. This provides all that my plants need. You could also get fish emulsion (sp?), kelp, blood or bone meal, but I find compost and manure provides what my plants need.

 

[Mama Lori]

Here we use liquid fish emulsion/kelp. (Neptune's Harvest) For our flowers we also use E.B. Stone Organic Fertilizer for roses and flowers; for Citrus we use the same brand fertilizer for citrus. We will use compost when our compost is ready.

 

[~*max*~]

Thank you for the input. I could make a "tea" w/horse manure, as I have easy access to that. I know for compost the maure has to be old, how about for the tea? And how often do you use such a fertilizer? Also, where do you buy the fish emulsion? I live near the ocean & could easily gather seaweed - would this be useful?

Thanks for putting up w/my novice questions!

 

[Mama Lori]

I buy my fish/kelp at our local nursery, Armstrong or Sloat. Neptunes Harvest is the brand and you can also buy it online www.neptunesharvest.com. About harvesting your own seaweed, yes! you can do that. I have read about that somewhere...I forget where offhand but it was about Elliot Coleman saying when the growing season is over he will cover his vegetable beds with fresh seaweed. By the time it's growing season again the seaweed will have dried and he turns it into the soil. You could probably use it during the growing season too...not sure exactly what the process is but someone else here probably knows

 

[NatureMama3]

Planting bush beans then tilling/shoveling them under can really help, they're GREAT for the soil. If it's too late for those (as it is for me this year) you can use Hummus and compost to mix in with the topsoil.

A great commercial plant food is Midnight Sun. No animal products (yeast-based) and organic!!