Landarc ~

Seafood blend fertilizer from Fox Farms ?
I'm goona look into it ...
hey , they deliver ??? ~

Tom

I just happen to use this product because my sister recommended it. there are others that I have seen that are quite similar. I should think that there is a nursery close to you that might have this or something similar.

[url]http://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/products_drytime.html[/url]

Hey Tom,

Alfalfa pellets are a great source of organic N. I use it to fertilize my lawn, gardens, add to the compost pile, etc. Very high in nutrients. Most are about 2-3% N. A 50 lb. bag costs about 9 dollars here. I usually put out about 10 lbs./500 sq. feet. The grass will help.

You might look into growing Hairy Vetch as a cold season cover crop. USDA did some tests with it on tomatoes in Maryland. They will even send you the little book about it. Go to their website. In a nut shell, vetch is a legume, which will fix nitrogen in the soil. You plant it about a month before first frost. and let it be. It is cold hardy down to around 5 degrees. In the spring, cut it down before planting, and use as a mulch. Works real well. I did it last year, and will be doing it again this year.

I'm thinking about laying a mowed leaf layer
of 2-3 inches with some grass clippings ...
let it "Sit" over winter - and till come spring ...
Thats what I'll do ~

Tom

May be a very silly thing. :idea: :)

I have mixed lots of oak leaves, ground up small branches, and ash from the fireplace and B.B.Q. pit into the soil.

It seems to me that this might be the right environment for morel mushroom also. So I bought some morel spore to mix in also. We'll see how it goes.

Heirloom tomato with morel mushroom sandwich. Heaven for the palate!

dcarch

Best thing I have found for morel mushrooms, is to buy rice hulls as a mulch. We had a project some years back that we thought this was a good idea. Somehow, morel spores got in there and what a harvest. This condo project in the middle of Concord, CA had hundreds, maybe thousands, everywhere.

I put my vegie patches away for the winter with a good topping of chopped leaves and grass clippings. This breaks down pretty well over the winter and spring. I may carefully turn this a bit in the early spring and again top with more leaves and clippings (well before any pre-emergent or spot weed killer)...and speaking on that note...I am spending the winter reviewing what I can on going organic for the lawn this next year.

Almost forgot...the layer of leaves and grass also provides cover for when I go out and dump my vegie/fruit scrapes and coffee grounds... make a hole, dump and then cover over again. The worms love it...and judging on the growth of my tomatoes and other vegies...this must be doing something right!

I've already emptied the contents of my 2006
"earth bin" into the garden ...

Which reminds me ...
I need to get a wheelbarrel for 2007.
Took me 100 trips by shovel/bucket this fall ...
Lame ...

~ Tom

Those are 2 excellent references about acorns, on page 2 of this thread, Tom...and TY so Much for locating and posting them. Aint nothin like...new insights, things that one didnt know, but sho is interested in, an then....somebody offers those up...for thought...))) TY !

I actually have been wondering what the chemical assay would render for the 3 major plant nutrients (N-P-K) of an acorn.

From reading what you found...even though N is not stated, even in the DV list for human consumption...the Protein amount listed at 16% leads me to think that an acorn will possess significant Nitrogen. Hope to learn more re: this likelihood.

The Other Big 2...of which...i'm lookin for natural phosphorous sources closer to home, primarily...it appears in reading the DV values, that acorns have a 1-7 ratio of P to K, and a Significant Calcium input to offer as well. Was hopin the P might be greater , but thats jus how it goes, i reckon...)))Manganese and Magnesium are good Surprises...too, as well as Vitamin B6. Wonder what fats do....for Soil ?...)))

Truly appreciated the new (to me) insights upon the significance and the "sophisticated endeavors" applied towards acorn production, and the prudence in managing timely chores, by this continent's Original Peoples.
TY...)))

Many an much...fine points, advisements...in this thread, by ALL...TY...i really am tuned to it...))) I agree too, w/what TCG said...you actually CAN...have TOO much OM ,...at times, an that aint good, temporarily...but...its like puttin money in the Bank...to leave alone. It's gonna be Beautiful, as it breaks down, and fortifies yo Body, with the Natural Powers....found...in Nature....as delivered by your Soils, into...your vegetables. An you caint go to no store, an buy that...hardly.

[quote]I need to get a wheelbarrel for 2007.
[/quote]

:shock:

One of the top three essentials. Now the hard part: polypropylene or gal? :lol:

Pneumatic tyre is a given. The pushbike pump fits just fine.

Take your niece or nephew for the test drive. Before long they'll be doing the carting ;)

Gimme3 -
My pleasure re: the acorn info -
I had a debate one time regarding acorns ...
It all started when I witnessed a squirrel plunked out of a tree by a huge red tail hawk as I was walking our Golden Retriever ... In someway shape or form what I remember the most about it was: tannins ~

lol ~ Grub ...
But now you've made me wonder - I'm not sure if I'm going to have enough room in my shed to store it -
will def. need to look at my options re: durability & weather proof ...

~ Tom

I once read in a book that hack berry leaves had the least amount of nutrients of all trees here in Texas.
The book had a broken down list of tree leaves and what they compost or break down to.
I was a library book so I have no idea what the name of it was.

All of my leaves get mulched up with the lawn mower and left where they sit.
I feel and know this is nature’s way of replenishing the soil of the nutrients that the plants depleted during the growing season.

There isn’t one thing on this planet that takes place that doesn’t have a use to make things go in the happy little circle of life.
It’s our job to observe this life cycle and try our best to blend in with it, and not destroy the delicate balance of nature that was set before us as a gift.
Way too many leaves get sent to the land fills when they should be composted or mulched and left were they lay so the critters that live on them in the soil have a chance to survive.
Of curse some trees such as the black walnut put out a natural poison that impedes the growth of other plants.
That’s just nature’s way of helping that tree survive.

I know you all know this already so I will just say use the leaves and if you don’t have room for the wheel barrow in the shed put the thing in the house.

That will test the wife on how much she is in tune with your gardening zealously, fanaticism, enthusiasm or what ever you want to call it.
Or you can get a big sheet and rake the leaves up on to it then drag the things to where ever you care to put them.

It actually works better that a cart or wheel barrow and it folds up and stores nicely after use.

Worth

I always leave pecans and acorns in the leaves. Sometimes they sprout and then I just pull them out and throw them on the top of the mulch. I have always wondered how much they might help the soil.

Worth, I wonder if that wasn't a mulberry tree. Giant weeds is all they amout to. At least birds eat the hackberry for food. I am talking about the non fruiting type of mulberry.

Back in our nursery days, we used all steel wheel barrows (pneumatic tires, of course) and we just left them outside. We would stand (lean?) them against the wall of the packing house, open side facing the wall so there was no standing water and they lasted for years. No problem