General Mineralization Recommendations V2.

0B
Pounds per Acre and ppms
OrganiCalc's entry field is the same as a default Logan Labs soil report. But, it is possible to receive a
Logan report with the results in a different format.
If you get an error message, Calcium !agnesium, "otassium#$ does not match entered C%C and
Calcium !agnesium, "otassium# value found. Chec& for typo , 'ou might need to convert your ppm
parts per million# values for Calcium, !agnesium, "otassium, (odium, and "hosphorus bac& to the
default lbs)ac *+ deep#. ,ust multiply the ppm value by -.
ppm . - / lbs)ac * inches deep#
"hosphorus is a little tric&ier. OrganiCalc, li&e the default Logan report, wants to see phosphorus in
lbs)ac, and as phosphate "
-
O
0
#. 1o ahead and convert ppms to lbs)ac by multiplying by -. 2hen,
convert phosphorus to phosphate by dividing by .33
"hosphate / "hosphorus).33
A word about Nitrogen
If you are an organic grower and are new to using feather meal or seed meals you are in for a pleasant
surprise. If your garden is small and needs to be very productive you will be delighted with the
response. In this photo, you can see how a generous application of nitrogen along with some boron
and gypsum calcium sulfate, for the sulfur## can change a garden4 http4))growabundant.com)fiesta5
broccoli). !ost chemical gardens have too much sudden nitrogen, and as a result, too many bug
problems. !ost organic gardens don't have enough nitrogen to be really productive.
(oil test results do not usually include nitrogen, as soil nitrogen levels can change even before test
results are returned. 6itrogen availability is temperature dependent, and in in the nitrate or nitrite
anion forms#, sub7ect to leaching. (o, nitrogen re8uirements are best 7udged by gardeners and
farmers, not soil tests. (hades of green and growth rates are important clues, revealing if sufficient
nitrogen is available. (low growth or a yellowish5green color indicates a nitrogen deficiency. (ulfur
deficiency in particular loo&s li&e a lac& of nitrogen, but OrganiCalc always adds sufficient sulfur for the
season.
6itrogen applications are very powerful. 2hey are li&e stepping on a garden growth accelerator. 'ou
want to be sure everything is in tune, and all the other minerals are present and available before
ramping up nitrogen applications. In an ecosystem, it is the scarcest resource that limits growth. If
your plants lac& water, or other minerals, don't apply lots of nitrogen.
6itrogen applications are not without their downside. 6itrogen stimulates soil microbes, and they
need carbon to really grow. If you are going to apply nitrogen for growth, you need to supply carbon
as well. Organic nitrogen sources come with their own carbon, which helps some. (oybean meal has a
C46 ratio of 049. :eather meal;s ratio is 349. 2he lower the ratio, the more effective the nitrogen
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source, but the more carbon will be pulled from the soil to run the microbe machine. If you are going
to add concentrated nitrogen, you also need to add carbon as mulch or compost.
2he microbes eat the nitrogen first, and when they die, they release the nitrogen to the plants. 2he
carbon in the microbe bodies can be lost to the atmosphere. Less will be lost if the soil is covered by
plants or mulch.
In my own garden I want to grow the best 8uality nutrient dense# food I can. !y secondary goal is
the production of fresh and preserved vegetables, year5round. (o, my gardening is s&ewed toward
8uality and efficiency, without too many other constraints. !y limitation is labor 5 I do all the
vegetable gardening myself. :or me, it ma&es sense to run the garden with the accelerator pretty
much open. By adding nitrogen, I can plant closer together and get a larger harvest from a smaller
area. 2his ma&es mulching and weeding easier. =onestly, I li&e harvesting 8uantities of large, great
tasting vegetables. But, this strategy is not for all circumstances. If you space your plants further apart
you will get fewer but larger vegetables. 'ou won't need as much nitrogen. 'our plants will be more
drought tolerant. 'our plants can maybe live on less applied water, as they will be drawing moisture
from a larger area. >etermining nitrogen application rates re8uires understanding your garden;s limits
to growth, and some real thought about what you are trying to accomplish in your garden.
2he nitrogen application rates recommended in the OrganiCalc notes are appro?imate. <pplication
recommendations are calculated at a 9@@ lb)acre 6itrogen rate, which in the case of 9-$ 6 feather
meal, is A@@ lbs)acre. 2his is a good level of nitrogen for tomatoes and root crops, which don't need
lots of nitrogen. I wouldn't e?ceed 9@@ lbs)acre the OrganiCalc rate# for these plants. In a mi?ed
vegetable area, the usual strategy is to apply 9@@ lbs)acre nitrogen to the whole area, then more to
those plants that need more.
(8uash, all brassicas, corn, lettuce, and other nitrogen lovers can use -@@ lbs)acre - times the
OrganiCalc rate#, if the other minerals are present. <nd if you want huge plants, you can add even
more. But, I wouldn't go above B@@ lbs)acre B times the OrganiCalc rate# slow release organic 6 under
any circumstance. %stablish a bac&ground, slow release nitrogen level, and supplement with foliar or
li8uid or solid 8uic& release nitrogen as needed. If you get aphids, you have used too much nitrogen.
(pray them off with water, and use less nitrogen ne?t time.
<pplication rates for chemical nitrogen are well understood, with corn re8uiring up to -@@ lbs)ac. But,
there are problems with using chemical nitrogen. =igh chemical nitrogen levels can cause lower
nutrition and funny proteins+. 2his doesn't happen with organic sources of nitrogen. Organic
nitrogen sources do not act at all li&e chemical nitrogen C compare the intense green and growth
response of -@@ lbs)ac soluble nitrogen to an e8uivalent 9*@@ lbs)ac# feather meal. 2he chemical
nitrogen is much faster5acting than the feather meal. 2he feather meal is very, very slow release, and
can sustain your plants throughout your growing season, unless you are in a very hot climate.
%?cess nitrogen on lots of acres is a pollution problem. 2his is unli&ely to occur on organically farmed
land, because of cost constraints if nothing else. In a small bac&yard vegetable garden, the cost of
organic nitrogen is not so much a concern, and the environmental impact of unused nitrogen from
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such a small area is minimal. But, you may have enough residual nitrogen left after the vegetable
garden to grow a very nice cover crop.
'ou have lots of choices for organic nitrogen. 2here are 8uic& release sources for cold soil, both li8uid
and solid. I li&e to mi? a tablespoon of 8uic& release bat guano into the soil below transplants. Other
8uic& release options are fish meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, or fish fertiliDer. 2here are slower
release sources li&e seed meal. Cottonseed meal is a nice addition to al&aline soil since it is an acidifier.
(oybean meal has a more neutral p=. 2hen, there is the slowest of all, feather meal. :eather meal is
my preferred source for nitrogen. I special order it in 0@ lb sac&s from our pet supply store or farm
feed store. 2he seed meals are often available from the same sources, sold as animal feeds.
:eather meal, being sold as a feed does not have a nitrogen figure on the label. Instead, it is labeled as
up to# AA$ protein. 2he protein in seed meals corresponds to the nitrogen in feeds in this way4 9@@
lbs of nitrogen / *-0 lbs of protein. :eather meal AA$ protein)*.-0 / 93$ 6itrogen.
2here is another source of organic nitrogen, which you may already have. 2he organic matter in your
soil will slowly release nitrogen to your plants. =ere is how to calculate your estimated nitrogen
release %6E#4 2a&e your organic matter percent O!$# and assume 90 to -0 lbs per acre of nitrogen
will be released for each percent. (o, if you have 0$ organic matter, as recommended by lots of
garden writers, something li&e 9@@ lbs)ac of nitrogen will be released during the growing season C
enough to grow low demand vegetables. !ore will be released in hot climates, less in cooler climates.
2his is all very appro?imate C O!$ test results can vary widely, li&e -F, when we send the same soil
sample to the same lab. !y loamy sand has about -$ organic matter, so I don't even count the
organic matter nitrogen contribution.
Compost is another source of nitrogenG if it contains chic&en manure it can be 8uite powerful. But,
most compost+ is more of a proto5compost C the components are still identifiable, and it is best used
as mulch. If unfinished compost+ is dug into the garden it can tie up nitrogen until it finishes. 2his is
e?actly what we do not want when adding nitrogen fertiliDer. I &eep my proto5compost on the surface,
under a thin layer of straw, which &eeps it moist. 2he plants seem to love it, maybe because of its
contribution to the biology. By the end of the growing season, it has turned into a thin layer of
humus, ready to contribute to ne?t year's crop.
Copper
Copper deserve special consideration. Copper is a necessary element, but in most forms it is also a
powerful fungicide, and dangerous to handle C it can penetrate your s&in. (o, OrganiCalc;s default
recommendation is for a more benign, chelated copper formulation. It is not a fungicide, and is safer
to handle. It is O!EI approved. It is also more available to plants than the copper sulfate alternative,
so you can use less.
2he OrganiCalc amounts are given in lbs)oD)&g of Biomin copper. 2he Biomin copper is sold by volume,
not weight. One pint weighs 9.- lbs. One gallon weighs H.* lbs.
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Pints are available here: http4))leafte&.com)store)cart.phpI
m/productJlistKpage6umber/Kc/99Kv/Kid/KsortBy/Ksearch/KshopBy"rice/Kview<ll/9KcustomLi
stIds /
1allons are available here4 http4))rosecare9.stores.yahoo.net)biomincopper.html
The chelated Biomin copper has a wide range of application rates. OrganiCalcs reslts establish ! ppm
soil reserves of elemental copper. Or" #o can appl# less chelated copper more fre$entl# as a foliar or
to the soil. %oliar applications are at 3&' tsp(gal of water ever# 2&3 months. The label sggests )'&*
tsp(1+++ s$ ft ever# '&* wee,s as needed- for soil applications.
.o can se copper slfate instead of chelated copper" if #o don/t mind its effect on #or soil life"
particlarl# #or fngi. 0t does cost lots less. To convert the Biomin Copper recommendation to copper
slfate: mltipl# the Biomin copper recommendation b# +.1*. 1hen 0 sed to se it" 0 mi2ed it with the
re$ired boron in a spra# container" and was $ite carefl while 0 applied it.
0t is alwa#s better to get a tisse test before appl#ing copper 3 particlarl# if #o are dealing with a
large area. 0f #o are going to be appl#ing copper fngicides 4especiall# as in an orchard5" dont add
an# additional copper to #or soil.
Application:
!any farmers prefer to lime in the fall, and add the other minerals in the spring, but if this is
not possible, all minerals can be mi?ed together and applied at the same time.
Blend all minerals with compost or humates before applying, if possible. Le especially
recommend mi?ing phosphorus sources roc& phosphate and bone meal# and manganese with
well5made active compost, and humates such as 6ew !e?ico leonardite#, and biochar before
applying.
"hosphorus especially re8uires a highly bio5active soil to be available.
Composted manure is a good source of phosphorus and potash and may be used to supply
these minerals instead of OrganiCalc;s recommended phosphorus sources roc& phosphate and
bone meal# and potassium sources potassium sulfate#. =owever, it should not be used if there
is already too much potassium.
Eoc& phosphate and bonemeal are especially unavailable to the plants at a p= over M.0.
Instead, use composted manure, or mi? roc& phosphate or bonemeal into an active compost
pile, then dig in the finished compost. =ere is a high " fish fertiliDer you may want to try if you
have a high p= soil4 http4))www.groworganic.com)pvfs5li8uid5fish5-535@5-5gallon.html..
!anganese re8uires a highly bio5active soil to be available.
<pply 9@ lbs)9@@@ s8 ft or more# <Domite or Nelp for trace minerals. Ouantities can be reduced
in subse8uent years. :oliar feed with &elp, when leaf stomata are open, about every - wee&s.
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>ig all minerals into the top to *+. "hosphorus and Pinc are especially immobile in the soil, so
be sure to dig these into the soil.
After applying the amendments
It is best to wait - wee&s to allow the minerals to settle in+ before planting seeds. But, if seed
is plentiful, and time is short, you can try seeding immediately. 2ransplanting can begin right
away.
Lhen transplanting, it's nice to mi? a tablespoon of bat guano into the soil immediately
around the plant. <pply O!EI organic fish emulsion %.B. (tone or e8uivalent# to young or
leafy crops as needed about every - wee&s, especially when soil is cold.
If a second crop is planted, side5dress or dig5in feathermeal at -@ lbs)9@@@ s8 ft or seedmeal at
B@ lbs)9@@@ s8 ft. (ulfur and nitrogen wor& together, so blend up to 9@ lbs)9@@@ s8 ft of
gypsum with the nitrogen.
2he benefits of adding good compost C46 ratio of 9-49 or less# are legion. =owever, if the
leaves or stems are still discernible, it is better used as mulch than dug in. 1ood compost
improves tilth, adds air to the soil, holds water, and fosters life in the soil. !ineral balancing
only provides a great foundation for biology.
The following comments apply to the case where the amendments cannot be dug in:
(ample below the surface organic matter, to a depth of B+. <pply a mulch to cover the
minerals, and let the roots grow into the mulch.
If you have a *+ Logan report, apply the minerals at half the OrganiCalc rate.
If you specified a B+ soil sample when you sent your soil to Logan, your soil report format will
be different from OrganiCalc's entry fields. ", Ca, !g, N , and 6a will all be reported in ppms,
not lbs)ac. 2his wor&s out fine, the conversion from ppms to lbs)ac for a *+ furrow slice is
ppm.-. (ince we have a B+ furrow slice the conversion is ppm.-)-, so 7ust enter the numbers
on the report. %?cept "hosphorus. "hosphorus on a *+ Logan report is reported as "hosphate.
"hosphorus on a B+ Logan report is reported at "hosphorus. 'ou need to divide
"hosphorus).33, and enter "hosphate into OrganiCalc, if you have a B+ Logan report.
In subse8uent years gypsum will help carry the minerals downward to a certain e?tent, so it is
best to plan on applying part of any calcium re8uirement the second or third year, as gypsum.
(tratification may be an issue, especially if water is limited. If stratification is suspected
subse8uent soil tests should be at different depths, from 9+ to *+.
If you are going to use a pasture immediately after applying minerals to the surface, the
application limits are lots lower 5 herbivores can taste the newly applied minerals, so best to go
slower, with more applications, and &eep them happy.
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Calculating Fertilizer Values:
It is possible to calculate what 65"5N you would li&e to see on purchased compost or fertiliDer.
2he second number available phosphate# can be found in OrganiCalc, where the row labeled
"-O0+ intersects the column Lor&sheet Eesult lbs)ac#+. 2he third number available potash#
can also be found in OrganiCalc, where the row labeled N-O+ intersects the column
Lor&sheet Eesult lbs)ac#+.

6ppose #o need 1!+ lbs(ac P2O!

6ppose #o need 1++ lbs(ac 72O
6ppose #o want to se 2++ lbs(ac 8
The 8&P&7 vale #o are loo,ing for is
2++&1!+&1++" or
2+&1!&1+" or"
1+&9.!&!" or
!&3.!&2.! " or an# other mltiple
6ppose what #o can get is !&'&2
B# for the 7.
The 8 is going to change to an anion" and go awa#.
The P is an anion" and won/t interfere mch with the other cations
%igre 7 this wa#:
.o need 1++ lbs(ac
:ach hndred lbs of !&'&2 contains 2 lbs 72O
B# 1++(2; !+ hndred lbs 4!+++ lbs5 of !&'&2 to get 1++ lbs of 72O
B# less if #o are going to add compost 3 most compost has $ite a bit of 7 in it.
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