Anyone have a recipe for making liquid fertilizer from stock chemicals like potassium nitrate?

[Meadowlark]

Don't waste money of over priced $5 boxes of plant food.

Go to a Farmers supply store you can buy any type fertilizer $20 per 50 lb. bag. Most of the plant food in a bottles and 5 lb. boxes and bags cost $20 also. In TN we have, Farmers Co-op and TSC = tractor supply. I buy, 21-0-0, 46-0-0, 6-12-12, 15-15-15, 0-20-20,

Each plants need its own type food. Onions need 21-0-0 for 6 weeks then 0-20-20 for 6 weeks.

Potatoes and tomatoes need, 15-15-15 for 1 month then 6-12-12 for a month, then 0-20-20.

Corn needs 15-15-15 and 46-0-0 a week before planting seeds then 46-0-0 when corn is knee high, again when plants are 4 ft tall, again when ears have silks.

Beans, strawberry plants and garlic like, 15-15-15.




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Please tell me how you know exactly what plants need what fertilizer without knowing what nutrients are already in the soil?

For example, you say onions need 21-0-0 for 6 weeks...how do you know what nitrogen is already in the soil? If it is above 30 ppm, do you need more nitrogen for 6 weeks?? Does it matter how much?

So, corn needs 46-0-0 added before planting...how do you know what level of nitrogen is already in the soil? Is your point that no matter what your soil may contain, it still needs 46-0-0 nitrogen if I plant corn? How much is enough? How much is too much?

 

[Horseflesh]

All I know is someone said my bay tree didn't look green enough and needed fertilizer. Apparently I need a Ph.D and a soil test to take next steps!

 

[gary350]

Please tell me how you know exactly what plants need what fertilizer without knowing what nutrients are already in the soil?

For example, you say onions need 21-0-0 for 6 weeks...how do you know what nitrogen is already in the soil? If it is above 30 ppm, do you need more nitrogen for 6 weeks?? Does it matter how much?

So, corn needs 46-0-0 added before planting...how do you know what level of nitrogen is already in the soil? Is your point that no matter what your soil may contain, it still needs 46-0-0 nitrogen if I plant corn? How much is enough? How much is too much?

There are 100s of research studies online. There are 100s commercial farmer videos online also. Farmers that plant 10,000. acres every year for 50 years know what plants need to grow a good harvest without soil tests every year. If you put fertilizer in your soil it will not stay there very long rain washes it away, nitrogen is gone first. Research studies know onions need high nitrogen first to grow as many leaves as possible next switch to high P&K to get large bulbs. I live at 14.3° longitude my longest day is 14 hrs 20 min, on June 21. When my day length becomes 12 hrs long onion fertilizer need to change from nitrogen to P&K. Ammonium sulfate is 21-0-0 it is slightly acid onions like acid soil, potatoes and blueberry plants do too. New gardeners should get a soil test but if you have been growing a garden for 50 years you know what works in your location, your weather, rain, wind, cold, hot weather, and your soil. We have too much spring rain in TN it washes away fertilizer and calcium. I have learned from experience my, tomatoes, melons, peppers, squash, cucumbers, etc, will all get BER = Blossom End Rot every summer so I give plants lime once a week to prevent BER. Calcium once a week may be too much but its better than BER. Nitrogen does not stay long in the soil research tells commercial farmers in the corn belt the correct way to fertilize no soil test required. 46-0-0 Urea fertilizer is slow release fertilizer it will not release at all until it comes in contact with calcium and rain water in the soil. You can read research studies online that say, tomatoes like 6-12-12, beans like 15-15-15, corn likes 46-0-0 etc. It is better to feed plants too much P&K than not enough.

I have a cousin that farms 2000 acres of corn in southern Illinois every year. I have another cousin in central Illinois that also plants 2000 acres of corn every year. They both take advise from research studies but they mostly go by what they know that works for them. 32" row spacing, 5" seed spacing, plant north south rows, calcium and fertilizer when planting seeds. They ration fertilizer, too much fertilizer is wasted money and not enough fertilizer is lost money with a smaller crop. The home gardener has the luxury of giving plants too much fertilizer, too much water, too much lime, if a farmer gives 2000 acres of corn too much fertilizer that could be $20,000. lost profit. If the same farmer does not give plants enough fertilizer that can also be $20,000. lost profit.

I fertilize according to what I know works for me. I read the research studies to get ideas. What works for me may not work for someone else in a different location, different weather, different soil, what works for them may not work for others in other locations. We need to know what each plant likes best and what plants don't like.

 

[big rockpile]

Go to Garden Like A Viking.

He has many videos on making Fertilizer.

He is mainly into no till gardening but has many other things to check out.

big rockpile