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organic fertilizer??

Tx Jim

Tx Jim

Well-known Member
Location
Coyote Flats, Texas
Has any one applied organic fertilizer and/or soil enhancers? Since commercial fertilizer is tied to petroleum prices I'm thinking about trying it. Has anyone heard of or used some from Watson Ranch in Walling,Texas? Their web site is Watsonranch.com.This is advertised to bring earthworms back and help loosen soil which I need. I'm in no way associated with this ranch. Thanks,Tx Jim
 

Organic fertilizers work well in a garden. Animal wastes work fine in fields if you can get it. Poultry litter needs potash added occasionally. Cotton seed meal is a good source of nitrogen for a garden if poultry litter is not availiable. Composting yard and table scraps makes good fertilizer for a garden but it takes time. If a garden is covered with leaves and not plowed the earthworms will come back.

KEH
 

KEH,
The number of acres I'm talking about is a lot larger than most home gardens I've seen. I'm wanting to do over 100 acres of native & Bermuda grass so composting is out of the question. I have no access to animal wastes.
 
I have not checked lately but a few years ago gypsum, a by-product of commercial fertilizer production, was given away free for the hauling. I never used it but it was highly reccomended for soil tilth in magazines like ''Grass Farmer''- that magazine will have adds in it for organic and alternative fertilizers. Intense hay production removes slightly less nutrients from the soil than growing corn or cotton and I doubt that these nutrients can be adequately replaced without some commercial fertilizer or combination of livestock running on the land and crop rotations.
 
that could get expensive also,you may try contacting some of the other farmers and ranchers around there and see if anyone is spreading wastes for a chicken farm or the like.the folks around in your area would know probably.the trouble is it takes so much of normal barnyard waste its more expensive than commercial,now if you are cleaning your own barns and need to dispose of it that a different deal.it does do more for your land in the long run.
 
Do you have a soil test? Get one. They are not perfect, but they help to know where you are, & where you want to get to.

What is your soil ph? Correct that 1st, if needed - all the fert in the world won't be available if your ph is real low.

Then look to add what is needed.

If your soil test comes back pretty good, then you might not have to do anything for a year, or the organic stuff might help a little.

If you are real deficient in something, then you couldn't afford the organic ways, they are typically just double price for the same N, P, & K.....

--->Paul
 

Jim,
Thanks for acknowledging my reply. I'm familiar with bermuda grasses. They need a lot of nitrogen and good ph, so I agree with the post about getting a soil test.

Another source of organic nitrogen is blood meal. I don't know if a slaughterhouse can help you, but I doubt it. If there is a cottonseed processing plant near you, you might could get some of the lint, hulls, or other waste.

If there is a large dairy near you, perhaps you could get them to spread waste during the off season. They will spread on their own fields when it's time to plant silage crops.

Sounds like you have enough acerage to apply to some city to get sewage sludge spread. They also will mix lime in the sludge to control odors. Downside to sludge is that there can be heavy metal build up, but the sewer system checks for that around here. I think you can see the results of sludge in your fields for 2 years.

Can't think of any other possibilities now.

On the sludge with lime, be aware that you can have too much lime applied.

KEH
 

KEH,
City sewage sludge is out of the question as it's too populated around me. A neighbor put some out a couple years ago and almost started a riot because of the horrible odor!!!!!!!!!!! ATexas air quality representative was even called in to investigate. A farmer several miles from puts sludge on his coastal and it really grows well. No commercial chicken houses either. I just looking for an alternative to commercial fertilizer. Soil test was sent off but no results yet.

Thanks,Jim
 

Jim,

I'm out of ideas. If you run across a source of wastes from a horse barn, be advised that horses produce a product that is low in nitrogen.
Also, horse owners often use shavings. When shavings or sawdust is added to soil, the wood uses up nitrogen in the decay process. If wood chips are well rotted, then they become richer in nitrogen and other plant food. I know it dosen't sound right but that's the way it is.

Granite rock dust releases plant food, I forget which one. However, I don't remember seeing granite rock formations in TX so I guess granite gravel is not produced.

I have read of organic producers having chickens and a moveable pen which they relocate after a week or two. The chickens will have fertilized the area of the pen. Obviously not practical in your case.

KEH
 
Don't know what area of the state you are in, however in Madisonville TExas there is a mushroom growing facility and the mushroom composte is available by the truck load. I understand that they do now charge for it, though it was free yeara ago.
 
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