Grow Your Own, Nevada! Spring 2013: Nutrients & Fertilizers for your Vegetables
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This document discusses plant nutrition and organic fertilization. It begins by outlining the essential mineral elements and macronutrients and micronutrients required by plants. It then discusses various nutrient deficiencies plants may exhibit. The rest of the document details organic fertilizer sources including manures, composts, and cover crops. It provides information on using cover crops to build soil health through nitrogen fixation and reducing erosion. Overall, the document is a guide to organic fertilization and maintaining soil fertility through nutrient cycling.
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Grow Your Own, Nevada! Spring 2013: Nutrients & Fertilizers for your Vegetables
- 1. Heidi Kratsch, State Horticulture Specialist
- 2. Mineral elements involved in the metabolism of the plant or necessary for it to complete its life cycle Example: K+ NO3 -
- 3. Carbon Oxygen Hydrogen Available from the air or water (Carbon from CO2 made available by photosynthesis)
- 4. Macronutrients: Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Potassium (K) Sulfur (S) Calcium (Ca) Magnesium (Mg) Micronutrients: Boron (B) Chloride (Cl) Copper (Cu) Iron (Fe) Manganese (Mn) Molybdenum (Mo) Zinc (Zn) Nickel (Ni)
- 5. Often the most limiting nutrient for plant growth Proteins and chlorophyll Necessary for photosynthesis
- 6. Reduced growth, smaller leaves Chlorosis (yellowing) greater in older leaves Common in sandy soils low in organic matter Over-irrigation Easily leached from the root zone.
- 7. Deficiency seen as purpling of leaf veins. Important in root and seed development. More efficient in the presence of nitrogen. Rarely deficient in western soils, except when soils are cold. P-deficiency in pepper planted too early in the season
- 8. Movement of sugars in plants Increases size and quality of fruits and vegetables Leaches readily Deficiency causes marginal leaf chlorosis of older leaves Potassium deficiency in soybean
- 9. Calcium – lack of availability causes blossom-end rot in tomatoes Magnesium – deficiency causes interveinal chlorosis in older leaves Sulfur – deficiency rare; released with decomposition of organic matter Mg deficiency Ca deficiency
- 10. Iron deficiency on silver maple Manganese deficiency on red maple Zinc deficiency on apple
- 12. Synthetic fertilizers Organic fertilizers (bone meal, compost, manure, etc.) www.farmphoto.com
- 13. Liquid Mostly quick- release Last 3 to 4 weeks Most are concentrates – mix with water Apply with hose- end sprayer or a watering can
- 14. Granular Apply dry and water in Quick-release, ex. Ammonium sulfate Slow-release Sulfur-coated, lasts for about 8 weeks. Polymer-coated, lasts for about 12 weeks.
- 15. Synthetic Organic Provide a quickly released source of nutrients on demand Can cause leaching Fertilizer burn Timing is important! Goal is to enhance soil for beneficial microbes that can decompose organic matter. Slowly released Lower nutrient values Look for certified organic products.
- 16. Organic N source Synthetic N source
- 17. 32% Nitrogen 10% soluble Potassium (K2O) 10% available Phosphorus (P2O5)
- 18. Leafy Root + Fruit-bearing Use a balanced fertilizer early in the season. 10-10-10 16-16-16 Use a low N complete fertilizer early in the season: 6-24-24 6-12-18 8-16-16 Heavy feeders require a SECOND fertilization with N during the season: Corn, garlic, onions, potatoes FIRST: Avoid N fertilization of fruit-bearing crops too close to flowering.
- 19. Apply fertilizer 3 to 6 inches to one side of plant or row. Water it in. Keep dry fertilizer off the leaves.
- 20. “an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity”
- 22. Animal manures Compost Green manures Cover crops Crop rotation
- 23. Organic sources of N Organic sources of P Bat guano Blood meal Cottonseed meal Fish emulsion Fish meal Bone meal Rock phosphates Kelp meal Seaweed Organic sources of K Composts and manures are good natural fertilizers for Nevada soils.
- 24. Manure % N % P % K Cow 0.55 0.15 0.5 Horse 0.65 0.25 0.5 Sheep 1 0.75 0.4 Steer 1 0.6 0.55 Poultry 1.3 0.7 0.5
- 25. Material % N % P % K Fish meal 10 4 0 Bat guano 10 4 2 Dried blood 12 1.5 0.8 Seaweed 1 0 4 Bone meal 3.5 22 0 Cottonseed meal 6 2.5 1.5 Rock phosphate 0 33 0
- 26. Usually planted in the “down” season (such as winter) – not harvested for consumption Used for soil enhancement (called “Green Manure”)
- 27. Increase soil organic matter Increase nitrogen balance in the soil Suppress pests (weeds) Provide habitat for beneficial insects Enhance soil biological activity Control erosion Prevent compaction What do you want your cover crop to do?
- 28. Legumes Fix nitrogen and add organic matter Peas, clovers Cereal grains ◦ Fast-growing: add organic matter and control erosion ◦ Deeply tap-rooted plants: relieve compaction ◦ Cereal rye, winter wheat, barley “Bio-drilling” relieves compacted soil
- 29. Legumes: ◦ Alfalfa ◦ Beans – all kinds ◦ Clover ◦ Lentil ◦ Peas Interplanted with heavy feeders: ◦ Cabbage ◦ Cauliflower ◦ Celery ◦ Corn ◦ Cucumbers ◦ Leeks ◦ Lettuce ◦ Spinach ◦ Squash ◦ Tomatoes Interplanted rows of corn with clover
- 30. In rotation: 2- or 3- year Winter cover crop Summer cover crop Strip cropping Intercropping Cowpea as a summer cover to increase soil nitrogen levels and suppress weeds
- 31. Mowed cereal rye as a mulch to suppress weeds. Use with vegetables that have large seeds or are transplants. Cut at flowering but before seed set.
- 32. Drought tolerant Excellent mineralized N provider Grows slowly in fall but resumes in spring Smothers spring weeds Enhances soil moisture retention Sprawling vines can be a challenge Winter annual Zone 3 - 6 Great in an area where tomatoes or corn will be grown!
- 33. Early September Seeding rate of 1-2 lb./1000 ft2 Requires inoculation with Rhizobium Comes as dry powder mixed with finely ground peat moss
- 34. Winter annual that may die in winter in colder parts of Nevada But, establishes quickly If winter-killed, no need to pull up… Can combine with winter rye Seed Austrian pea at 2-4 lb./1000 ft2 Winter annual Zone 6
- 35. Greater control of winter annual weeds More organic matter residue Provides proper C:N ratio to speed decomposition in soil Use 40-60% grain full rate and 80% legume full rate Hairy vetch with winter rye
- 36. Hardiest of cover crops Rapid establishment Deep fibrous rooting Builds organic matter Breaks up compaction Allelopathy suppresses weed seeds Often grown with a legume Winter annual Zone 4 Seed at 2.5 lb/1000 ft2
- 37. Fall-seeded brassica Forms thick, white tap roots 8-14 inches long! Nicknamed “biodrill” or “tillage radish” Seed in late August, will winter-kill in much of Nevada Traps soil nutrients, breaks up compaction, biofumigant properties (against nematodes)
- 38. The best time to plant a cover crop is anytime a bed is not covered by food crop or mulch. Make a furrow for large seeds Scatter and rake in smaller seeds Tamp the bed to ensure good soil contact and water in. Nature abhors a vacuum. Bare ground invites weeds and represents a lost opportunity to improve the soil.
- 39. Choose crops appropriate for our area. Irrigate only enough to avoid plant stress. Use drip irrigation to avoid water waste. Irrigate less in winter. While buckwheat is a fast-growing summer annual cover crop, it requires more water than is efficient for our region.
- 40. Incorporate them back into your soil
- 41. Tilling – avoid deep mechanical tillage Mowing Remove plants and use as compost or mulch Pen chickens in the field (except hairy vetch – seed is poisonous to chickens) Incorporate cover crop 3 weeks before food crop is planted Turning in a cover crop by hand is a tedious job. Top mowing or use of a garden tiller can facilitate the process.
- 42. Chickens can remove a cover crop in 2 weeks. BUT don’t let chickens graze in hairy vetch that has done to seed.
- 43. Perennials – alfalfa, hairy indigo, red clover* Summer annuals – garden pea, mustard, turnip, barley, oats, sorghum-sudangrass Winter annuals – Austrian winter pea, hairy vetch, winter wheat, winter rye * Can be weedy in a garden setting Medium red clover*
- 44. Food Crop Cover Crop Early spring planting: Lettuces, cabbage, spinach, kale, peas, radishes, carrots, chard Fall planted winter annual that is winter-killed: Austrian winter pea Warm season planting: peppers, tomatoes, squash, corn, melon Fall-planted cold-hardy legumes: hairy vetch Late-season planting: Broccoli, beets, kale, collard, lettuce, peas, radishes Spring-planted summer annual: garden pea, clover
- 45. Territorial Seed Company http://www.territorialseed.com/category/cover_crops Johnny’s Selected Seeds http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-covercropchart.aspx Burpee Seeds http://www.burpee.com/organic-gardening/cover- crops/ Peaceful Valley Farm Supply http://www.groworganic.com/seeds/cover-crop.html
- 49. Shallow-rooted: broccoli, corn, lettuce, potatoes, cabbage, spinach Medium-rooted: snap beans, carrots, cucumber, summer squash, turnips, peas Deep-rooted: asparagus, parsnips, winter squash, pumpkin, tomatoes
- 50. Interplant heavy feeders with less demanding crops. Peas growing vertically behind 3 cauliflower plants. Growing in-front of cauliflowers are leeks, carrots and lettuces.
- 52. Compost tea is not the dark-colored solution that leaks from the bottom of the compost pile (do not spray this on food crops!) Compost tea is the extract of compost made by suspending compost in a barrel of water (aerated or unaerated) for a short period of time (up to a week).
- 53. Provides nutrients (amounts and types depend upon ingredients used to make the compost) Disease suppression (maybe?) ◦ 50% less powdery mildew on grapes ◦ Slight reduction of gray mold ◦ INCREASE in downy mildew Rodale Institute and Pennsylvania State University, recent unpublished work
- 54. Improve soil structure Help retain nutrients Help retain moisture Improve soil aeration Lower soil pH Compost does all of these things!
- 55. Use only potable water. Sanitize all equipment. Use only compost that has maintained a temp of 131 F for 3 days (use hot composting method). Must be used within 24 hours of making it. Avoid additives (esp. simple sugars like molasses). Do not use “nutrient-enhanced” compost teas on food crops!
Editor's Notes
- Providing adequate nutrients to plants in Nevada’s poor soils is a challenge! Less than 1 percent organic matter to hold on to nutrients and release them slowly. Tonight, I’m going to teach you some strategies for providing needed nutrient to your garden while improving the overall health of your soil.
- These are taken up as gases through those small pores on the leaf surfaces.
- Some nutrients are needed in larger amounts than others.
- Phosphorus has many functions in plants, including development of flowers, fruits, and roots. However, there is no evidence that providing extra P will encourage production of flowers, fruits and roots. The balance between N and P is most important.
- Potassium also has many essential functions in plants, including sugar formation and movement in plants, formation of chlorophyll, and leaf stomate opening and closing for gas exchange with the air. Like nitrogen, potassium is very prone to leaching in soils. And plants will tend to take up as much as you want to give them – even if they don’t need it, so it’s easy to waste money on excess fertilizer. Also, over-fertilizing with potassium (and nitrogen for that matter) will injure plants by killing the root and leaf tips.
- Chemical =
- This is a fundamentally different form of production in which the focus is more on soil-building and working with the living organisms that are naturally present.
- This is a picture of the soil food web – showing how a good soil can take N2 from the air and convert it to nitrogen fertilizer by way of beneficial soil microbes. It takes time to get your soil to this level of productivity but you can contribute by adding organic matter every year (especially manure, compost, and cover crops).
- This approach to fertility management in organic production relies on natural cycles and carefully planned human practices to replenish the soil with nutrients extracted during a production cycle. Organic matter is incorporated into the soil to be decomposed by soil microbes to release nutrients by the process of mineralization.
- Some people try to emulate synthetic fertilization practices by picking and choosing the timing of application of specific organic products. However, this is not necessary if you use an organic product that comes from a combination of sources. In fact, composts and manures are less expensive and a good way to provide a balance of nutrients for your soil. Because the nutrients are slowly released, your plants will take up what they need when they need it.
- Cover crops (also sometimes called green manures) are plants grown, not for harvest, butfor the express purpose of incorporating them back into the soil to increase organic matter levels.Cover crops can, in addition to improving soil physical conditions, aid in the control of erosionand weeds, and prevent compaction. They also provide a habitat for beneficial insects, improvesoil fertility, stimulate soil biological activity, and absorb and help recycle plant nutrients,especially nitrogen, between growing seasons.
- Heavy feeders include cabbage, cauliflower, all leaf vegetables such as lettuce, spinach and celery. Also included are leeks, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn and tomatoes.
- Hairy vetch is widely used by organic growers in the United States as a winter cover crop, as it is both winter hardy and can fix as much as 200 lb/acre of atmospheric nitrogen. Disadvantages of hairy vetch in production agriculture are related to the crop having a portion of hard seed and its tendency to shatter seed early in the season - leading to it remaining in the field as a weed later in the season. This can be a particular problem in wheat production.Companion plantOrganic gardeners often plant hairy vetch (a nitrogen-fixing legume) as a companion plant to tomatoes, as an alternative to rotating crops in small growing areas. When it is time to plant tomatoes in the spring, the hairy vetch is cut to the ground and the tomato seedlings are planted in holes dug through the matted residue and stubble. The vetch vegetation provides both nitrogen and an instant mulch that preserves moisture and keeps weeds from sprouting.
- Not to be confused with Austrian peaweed or Swainsonpea – a common contaminant of alfalfa fields
- You may have to transition to organic production because building healthy soil takes time. You can monitor the progress of your program by getting your soil tested annually for nutrients (list of soil testing labs on grow your own website). Use the same lab each year and keep a file of your reports so you can monitor your progress over time.
- Shallow rooted: broccoli, corn, lettuce, potatoes, cabbage,spinachAnother strategy to manage soil fertility is to make sure you’re using nutrients present at different depths in your soil horizon by planting crops with different rooting depths near one another.