Poo balls for breakfast- my fertilizing regime

Sekibonsai

Shohin
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Location
Santa Fe, TX
USDA Zone
8
Up at dawn to fertilize the trees. Whenever asked what to fertilize with I tend to answer it is less important what you use than having a solid routine. My collection includes hundreds of pieces from natives, deciduous, to tropicals all in various stages and various soil mixes so I definitely have to KISS yet meet he individual needs of the trees. I am not above slinging the blue stuff, especially when I want strong growth... and the weather is cooler- the soil biome really doesn't start hopping until the temps are in the 70s. I don't play with weak mixtures- label directions for me- we are slinging a lot of water and to the best of my knowledge I have never burned roots.

While convenient, I don't always want rampant growth. And the blue stuff really only stays in the soil matrix for a few days. I prefer it for trees still in field soil or grow mixes where it won't just run out the drain holes at the next watering.

For trees in their final stages we want the controlled steady growth that organics give us. Did I ever mention I'm a goat farmer? I have fertilizer factories at my beck and call. So I am an old school user of poo balls- no overpriced pellets and I ain't no "Tea bagger". I don't even dry them out... roll and go...

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NPK values vary on the reference but are roughly 3-1-2 which I will pop up the nitrogen and phosphorous with some blood and bone meal and a dash of minerals (azomax) and iron for good measure. Also varying answers are whether it is "hot"... I have access to composted any way so it is a non issue. This concoction is then wet down with liquid kelp and fulvic/humic acids and rolled into balls at the time of placement. Goat manure does not break down as fast as chicken so I am getting slow steady release every time I water. Balls are added bi-weekly on payday... I've also begun spraying foliage with organic fertilizers/amendments on the off-weeks. I will also water with compost teas (aka it rained in my poo bucket before I used it all) Keeping to a routine has definitely shown results. And failing in that routine has also shown less than desirable results. I have actually seen roots growing up through the top of the soil into the manure balls. Not much cooler than that!

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