Cotton Seed Meal

AZbonsai

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I try to introduce my students to a wide variety of agriculture related information in my classroom. Doing some research on cotton. I never knew cotton seed meal was used as a fertilizer and is especially beneficial to acid loving plants. Organic slow release with micronutrients (according to one article) I thought it might be a good mix in with bonsai cakes. Anyone ever use this and can provide any pro or cons? Thanks.

Cotton Seed Meal
 

fredman

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With my research I discovered the same thing BUT, I'm still trying to source some cotton seed meal here in NZ. I settled on rape seed meal for my cakes...that's what is used in Japan for azalea and other acid loving plants. The trees seem to like it so i'm happy.
 

Pitoon

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With my research I discovered the same thing BUT, I'm still trying to source some cotton seed meal here in NZ. I settled on rape seed meal for my cakes...that's what is used in Japan for azalea and other acid loving plants. The trees seem to like it so i'm happy.
How's the batch you made coming along?
 
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Randy,
I used to make balls with cottonseed meal, blood meal, bone meal, seaweed, fish emulsion and water.
They worked well but are pretty stinky, squirrels and dogs love them.
Later I got tired of forming and drying the balls/cakes and started just mixing as much as needed and spooned the wet muck in piles right onto the soil
 

Pitoon

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Randy,
I used to make balls with cottonseed meal, blood meal, bone meal, seaweed, fish emulsion and water.
They worked well but are pretty stinky, squirrels and dogs love them.
Later I got tired of forming and drying the balls/cakes and started just mixing as much as needed and spooned the wet muck in piles right onto the soil
What was you ratio?
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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If you live in an area where cotton seed meal is "local", easy to get without paying a crap load on shipping, it is great stuff. Any discard "meal" from processing agricultural crops has good potential as an organic fertilizer in terms of being a non-chemical fertilizer. Whether it is "Organic" as in OMRI listed, will depend on the supply chain for the source. Most of us who use natural materials as fertilizers don't worry about OMRI listing.

Cottonseed meal, rapeseed meal, & sugar cane bagasse, all can work well. There are many other similar products out there, but I am drawing a blank in my mind right now.
 
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What was you ratio?
It's been a long time, and much brain cell pruning, but..........
75% Cottonseed meal
10% Blood meal
10% Bone meal
5% Dry Seaweed

Never really measured, used a 1 gallon plastic bucket stirred dry ingredients together, added 2 cups or so fish emulsion then enough water to achieve a peanut butter consistency.
 

fredman

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How's the batch you made coming along?
Hey mate.
All worked as planned. The cakes turned out beautiful...but the rodents love them.
I found a way around that though. I don't place it on top anymore. I bought a bag of organic neem pallets. I then crush the cakes and mix about 20% neem with the crushed cakes. I then work that mixture into the top layer of the soil. Works a treat...nothing touches it now 👍
My trees loves it to. It's been on for about 2 months now so the fertilizer has broken down well. The trees really is looking better than i've ever seen them this time of year.
 

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Hey mate.
All worked as planned. The cakes turned out beautiful...but the rodents love them.
I found a way around that though. I don't place it on top anymore. I bought a bag of organic neem pallets. I then crush the cakes and mix about 20% neem with the crushed cakes. I then work that mixture into the top layer of the soil. Works a treat...nothing touches it now 👍
My trees loves it to. It's been on for about 2 months now so the fertilizer has broken down well. The trees really is looking better than i've ever seen them this time of year.
Thats good to here, I saw the pics of the holes the rats made. Did the mold die off?
 

fredman

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Thats good to here, I saw the pics of the holes the rats made. Did the mold die off?
Yeah the mold died as it dried. I made it at the end of winter when we still get rain all the time, so the humidity basically stays high. It never really bothered me...just not a good look. I'll make another batch in mid summer. I'm going to make that much thinner as it crusher easier. I'll be mixing the neem in then.
Neem is not only a very good repellent/insecticide. It's also a excellent natural fertilizer....bit high in N though, but i'm mostly growing on so it suits me for now.
I have to thank @River's Edge ....again for that.
 

Pitoon

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Yeah the mold died as it dried. I made it at the end of winter when we still get rain all the time, so the humidity basically stays high. It never really bothered me...just not a good look. I'll make another batch in mid summer. I'm going to make that much thinner as it crusher easier. I'll be mixing the neem in then.
Neem is not only a very good repellent/insecticide. It's also a excellent natural fertilizer....bit high in N though, but i'm mostly growing on so it suits me for now.
I'm thinking I might give it ago next year making some DIY fert cakes myself.
 

fredman

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I'm thinking I might give it ago next year making some DIY fert cakes myself.
Ah mate, i've been thinking of doing that for many years. I'm soooo glad I finally did. Its so easy and the trees seems to love it...so far at least.
I work it in late winter/early spring and forget about fertilizer for the season....other than the fish/humate. Come to think about it, I don't know if the fish really adds more as I have fish and seaweed meal in the cake mix...🧐
I'm trying to send you a photo of the soil, but the damn pic won't load 🥴
 

PeaceLoveBonsai

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In one of the Bonsai Empire courses, Bjorn discusses fertilizers. He suggested using high end stuff if you can, but if not, a combination of cottonseed meal and kelp can be used in tea bags. I think it’s like 9:1 ratio of cottonseed to Kelp.

I’ve been using that over the last few years with good success. Just sucks to make all the bags. But the results are good, IMHO.

I purchase both from Amazon. The “Down to Earth” brand.
 
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