Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394468702
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SEGeo
1343244935
Posted 1394470325
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Chatueauguay Pino,
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394475057
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Hi Chris,
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394475294
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Thanks Doug. I figured it would be a good thing to add. I also love to use it and my father is much like you. He uses it on pretty much everything in his garden.
bullet08
1284496248
Posted 1394477638
Reply with quote #5
i grow my trees for height in first 2 yrs. didn't see much growth with organic things. will be moving back to MG and slow release fertilizer this yr. i heard others have very good results with bone meal, and blood meal.
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394479154
Reply with quote #6
Thanks for the reply Pete. Seems like you didn't get good results from it. I guess different techniques work better in different areas.
bullet08
1284496248
Posted 1394482756
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not really worried about die back. weather here is warm enough i don't worry about it. also, all my trees are container culture, so they spend their winter in my garage.
javajunkie
1362970391
Posted 1394483945
Reply with quote #8
Please share what you find Doug. I use bone meal, blood meal and bat guano but I'm always looking for something more "green".
figgary
1387147322
Posted 1394486829
Reply with quote #9
I've used only natural fertilizers and amendments for 30+ years, with great results. For fig babies, I use fish emulsion, though the odor isn't good if your figs are inside. I add ground oyster shell, compost, and rock phosphate to potting soil when they go into pots. During the season I fertilize with fish meal, and or cottonseed meal, which is slightly acidic. I also top dress with more compost, which I make with horse manure and wastes from my garden. I've used the ground rock phosphate for many years, as an alternative to bone meal. It is supposed to break down slowly, releasing phosphorus for 3-4 years. Though new to growing figs, these things in one combination or another, always yield great results, as they feed the soil.
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394487101
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Pete everyone has their own secret to success. I sincerely doubt your doing anything wrong at all.
Ruuting
1359310699
Posted 1394487554
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Gary, good info on the rock phosphate. I'm very interested in this thread.
ascpete
1336096379
Posted 1394491966
Reply with quote #12
Chateauguay_Pino, I use Espoma-Tone Organic fertilizers with balanced nutrients and Mycorrhizae on all my plants both in ground and potted. For in-ground plants, I seed (inoculate) the soil in early spring with Espoma-tone and use compost as fertilizer. Bone meal is mostly P hosphorus, with some available Nitrogen and is more readily available in acidic soils, but needs to be broken down by soil microbes to become available to most plants. Most Espoma-Tone fertilizer products are now supplied with these microbes (mycorrhizae) that aid in that nutrient transfer. Bulb-Tone has additional bonemeal, Tomato-tone has additional Calcium but I use Garden-tone and Plant-tone. http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/tones_overview.html#.Ux4-ss4qDcs
jenn42
1389575153
Posted 1394492044
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Although I know absolutely nothing about fertilizing, I recently bought a "grow" pack for plumerias from a place online: http://www.kelp4less.com
rookie
1339168097
Posted 1394501961
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I didn't read this whole thread because I have to go out and and I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned this. Be careful of using bone meal if you have a dog that is in the same place as your trees.
javajunkie
1362970391
Posted 1394502589
Reply with quote #15
Perfect Doug, thanks!
rafaelissimmo
1335639347
Posted 1394506042
Reply with quote #16
Sorry to sidestep the question, but just a thought: has anybody heard about adding gypsum to soil, it adds calcium, improves fruit quality and helps correct ph and improve drainage, so it could help fig trees I think, maybe like bonemeal or limestone?
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394506795
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Hi Rafael. Gypsum is the same stuff they make drywall from correct ? If so you are not the first person i have heard say it.
rafaelissimmo
1335639347
Posted 1394508148
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Drywall sounds gross. I saw this and it looked good: http://www.cmtmi.com/gypsum.asp
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394509171
Reply with quote #19
Lol Rafael it may sound gross but pressed gypsum is what they use to make it. What i found most fascinating about the article is it's anti rotting properties. They actually use it to help prevent rot. That can't be a bad thing at all. (brain at work.... hmmm wonder if it would help with rooting)
ascpete
1336096379
Posted 1394515042
Reply with quote #20
Gypsum is used as a Calcium supplement for Alkaline soils while pulverized Limestone is used for Acidic soils. It the recommendation in most gardening literature. Quote:
In areas that get less than 20 inches of rain per year - Use Gypsum. In areas that get 20 or more inches of rain per year - Use Limestone...
HarveyC
1212433117
Posted 1394519675
Reply with quote #21
Gypsum has no effect on pH. Some people say it does but that does not make it so.
Harvey - Correia Farms
http://www.figaholics.com https://www.facebook.com/Figaholics
jdsfrance
1376988473
Posted 1394552340
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Hi,Bone meal + dog = dug up tree and dug down dog or cat.
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394553599
Reply with quote #23
I tend to agree with Doug. The bone meal is usually used at the bottom when you are first planting the tree or potting it. The amount of it used isn't usually very much you don't need alot of it. I too have had dogs all my life and never had anything like that happen. That's not to say it doesn't happen. If people are saying it then I'm sure it does in fact happen. Dogs will eat just about anything and if they like it they will always go back for it. One of my dogs used to eat at my lilac tree. He for whatever reason loved the leaves. Threw up after every time but he didn't care. The vet said it was somewhat toxic but on the low end of the scale. He lived to be 16. Not bad for a Husky.
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394553780
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Bonjour JDScompost, potting soil, course sand, and perlite.
FigTrees2013
1371525269
Posted 1394586993
Reply with quote #25
I always use bone meal for my fig trees - particularly since I grow them all in pots. I've had great success and would definitely recommend it as an organic supplement.
ejp3
1193140374
Posted 1394596847
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I used to use it but the thought of contributing to the grinding down of animal bones and small possibility of contracting mad cow disease are enough for me use other soil additives.
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394637899
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I had to look this one up.http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/fertilizer1804.cfm
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394638379
Reply with quote #28
It's actually a great alternative for those people who are worried. I think bone meal is safe enough for me to continue to use it. I read on the container and it does say organic. The last line in that article pretty much sums it all up.
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394639082
Reply with quote #29
Looks like a good product Doug.
Chivas
1283819505
Posted 1394643936
Reply with quote #30
I use bone meal, and this year it will be a mix of blood bone meal and potassium sulfate. If you have a problem with animals (racoons, cats and dogs) you can use products like calphos which is a soft rock phosphate which will give your phosphorus as well as calcium for them trees.
ejp3
1193140374
Posted 1394662879
Reply with quote #31
I said "small possibility", that's good enough for me.
Chateauguay_Pino
1393477334
Posted 1394663310
Reply with quote #32
Plenty of comments for and against. All of them have great points. The key is to educate ourselves.
