How to Grow More Vegetables : And Fruits, Nuts ... - Shroomery

Eggshells help break up clay and release nutrients tied up in
alkaline soils. Use up to 2 lbs (1 1 ⁄ 4 qt)/100 sq ft. Dry them first.
Manure (All Types)
A good source of organic matter in the garden. The nutrient
levels in each manure will depend on proper management
of the curing process and on the amount of straw or sawdust
in the manure. Optimally, do not use more than 4 cubic feet
(6 5-gallon buckets) of aged manure per year (about 136 lbs dry
weight, or a 1 ⁄ 2-inch layer). It is best to use manure that
contains little undecomposed sawdust. Approximately 2 cubic
feet (3 5-gallon buckets) of manure (50 lbs dry weight) applied
per 100 square feet can lower the pH one point. Manure is a
microbial life stimulant and an animal and plant essence that
has been “composted” both inside the animal and outside in a
curing pile. Avoid using too much manure because manures
that do not contain much sawdust or straw can contain excess
salt and imbalanced ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
The GROW BIOINTENSIVE method uses as much (or more)
phosphorus and potassium as nitrogen. This results in stronger,
healthier plants. It is one difference between the GROW BIOIN-
TENSIVE method and the French intensive approach that
depended heavily on the use of horse manure, which is about
3 parts nitrogen to 1 part phosphorus to 3 parts potassium.
This ratio is unbalanced in favor of nitrogen, which in time
results in weak and rank plant growth more susceptible to
disease and insect attack. A ratio of 1 part nitrogen to 1 part
phosphorus to 1 part potassium is better. Using a large amount
of composted or aged manure is recommended as an alternative
to compost only when compost is not available.
MANURES—SOLIDS
(approximate)
Chicken—Fresh 1.50% N 1.00% P .50% K
Chicken—Dry 4.50% N 3.50% P 2.00% K
Dairy Cow .56% N .23% P .60% K
Horse .69% N .24% P .72% K
Pig—Fresh .50% N .32% P .46% K
Sheep 1.40% N .48% P 1.20% K
Steer .70% N .55% P .72% K
Compost
Good compost is the most important part of the garden.
It aerates soil, breaks up clay, binds together sand, improves
drainage, prevents erosion, neutralizes toxins, holds precious
moisture, releases essential nutrients, and feeds the microbiotic
life of the soil, creating healthy conditions for natural antibiotics,
worms, and beneficial fungi. Each 4-month growing season, use
Caution
In order to obtain a 1-inch layer of
aged steer manure for use as compost
on a 100-square-foot area, fodder for
the animal to eat must be grown on a
500-square-foot area. This means an
area four times as large as your
growing area is being depleted of trace
minerals and life-sustaining humus!
Such a practice is not sustainable if
used over a long period of time. When
the proper compost crops are used
instead, the compost materials for your
100-square-foot garden can be grown in
just your 100-square-foot garden itself!
FERTILIZATION 55