Market Farming

["Elizabeth Pike" <pike AT always-online.com>]

From: five springs farm <fsfarm AT mufn.org>

>Yes, your phosphate can be 0-46-0

Okay, I won't ask again (received a disturbing email about it this
morning, got me all worked up again, ugh.)

> We mix our own fertilizer from the alfalfa, greensand, kelp, and
rock
> phosphate (sometimes a little wood ash) from proportions we
calculated from
> John Jeavons "How to Grow More Vegetables..."  We are very satisfied
with
> the results.

I do this too, but must vary the recipe due to the inability, without
a lot of effort, to get  greensand or kelp.  I dislike shipping &
prefer to keep $ local as much as possible.  Last year, in early
summer, I observed how the grass took off when my daughters threw
their buckets full of algae off to the side of our dock.  I harvested
some from the far side of the lake--very carefully--surprised a couple
of river snakes (& they surprised me-first time I fell
overboard-LOL-what will we not do for the sake of our profession??!!)
& dried it to mix in with my next batch of fertilizer.  I experimented
with 2 fall beds of broccoli, using algae -based fertilier on one &
fertilizer w/o algae on the other.  There was a visible difference in
the two plantings.  The algae-based plants were greener, grew a bit
quicker & had stronger stalks.  Unfortunately, along came our
hurricanes, and the experiment was destroyed.  I so looked forward to
continuing this experiment this year, but alas, the logging must be
done.

I have Jeavon's & Coleman's books.  Here is something I do not
understand.  Jeavons recommends rock/soft phosphate in his fertilizer
mixtures.  Coleman advises them for long term fertilization on a 2, 6,
10+year regimen.  If rp is slow release, why put it in as Jeavons'
recommends??  Do the phosphates break down quicker in intensive
planting as opposed to row crops?  Coleman plants in beds, too.  This
appears contradictory.

Liz
Morningstar Gardens
Pollocksville NC