beginner's question (sorry)

I am starting to grow herbs organically, not strictly but without the common chemicals associated with non natural gardening.

What fertilizers can I use? How often? Is there anything I can buy in HD? At the moment I am using fish emulsion but i am looking for a more balanced one, for flowering herbs.

thank you very much
anna

sorry if it has been raised before.

Don't you apologize for asking a good question, Spider07. Welcome!

I believe Espoma fertilizers (in your area the Pike Family Nurseries carry them) are certified organic, and they do have things like "flower tone" and "rose tone." These will definitely help with blooming. For me, herbs seem to do quite well with less fertilizing than, say, vegetables. I try to stick with leaves, straw, grass, and manure compost for fertilizer, because these don't just fertilize but also improve or "build" the soil. Sort of like a vitamin versus a balanced meal. I do throw in some soft rock phosphate and greensand for things I want to blossom or fruit. Espoma sells those too; here's their guide to finding their products. Good luck to you!

http://www.espoma.com/finddealer.aspx

thank you very much for the welcome and the advice. I will stick with this forum! Peeps seem to know a lot here.

I use fish emulsion, manure, compost and have found recently that alfalfa pellets are a wonderful fertilizer. I don't know if they are strictly organic or not, but they won't harm the earth when they break down. It is like planting a cover crop and turning it under....I bought a fifty lb. bag this spring and it is really working. I sprinkle some pellets on the ground around my plants or put it in the hole when planting. You can scratch it into the soil, or leave it on top. You can also make a brew of it and water with it.

I am fairly new at organics myself so someone tell me if this is a truly organic way to go. I suppose next time I should make sure my alfalfa was grown organically.

Ivy, thank you. Where do you buy them from?

A local feed place, and pet shop. I think Agway might have them, though. You might also check to make sure the ingredients don't include any salts or additives. Mine is just alfalfa.

thank you Ivy.

Ivy, I just phoned the local feed store and th elady said that she has alfafa pellets but not organic alfafa pellets.

Are yours organic?

I hate to say I didn't check. I would say just go ahead and get them and be happy that you aren't putting that nasty chemical fertilizer into the soil! I'm going to go look at my bag now.....

yes Ivy, you are right. I am going to get them. ARe they good value for money?

Hi Spider:

I pay about $8.00 for a 50 pound bag.

I make Alfalfa Tea out of mine and they are a good value. In our area, in addition to Pike's, Lowe's seems to carry a better selection of organic fertilizers than Home Depot. I couldn't find any at Wal-Mart

BB

Hi Brennan,

how are you?

Do you get your alfafa at the lawrenceville feed store? I went there once for some messenger.

Hi Anna:

Are you talking about Brownlee's? If so, yes. They are on Hurricane Shoals Road. They also have good values on Blood meal, bone meal etc.

I buy my fish emulsion online. i can send you some sources if you'd like.

BB

In our area, there is a line of organic products by Dr. Earth that some people swear by. There are some organic farms that sell their manure by the truckload and others that are happy to let you come and shovel it up yourself. Some zoos sell what's called here zoo doo. We also have a blend of biosolids from sewage that is pasturized & mixed with sand and peat moss or sawdust. Ours has won numerous awards from the EPA for quality & safety. While I don't know if this last one is totally organic, the earthworms LOVE it. I add a little to my compost heaps to increase activity & topdress everything in the garden with it. I've used the product for about 10 years along with manure, compost, leaves, etc. and my soil has never looked better. Heavy feeders like roses, tomatoes, bananas, etc. absolutely thrive with the biosolid product. Every aspect of plant growth from stronger stems, leaves and roots to more abundant flowers and crops are evident with it. For an additional boost, the compost tea that is made at some local nurseries is amazing. It is produced at a controlled temperature in highly oxygenated water. This aeration allows the number of beneficial bacteria & other helpful critters in this soil soup to be many times greater than that found in home made compost teas. Soil soup should be used during the same day it's purchased & spraying it on the leaves of plants as well as soaking the soil can help reduce some plant diseases.

Zeppy is right. Many herbs thrive in a leaner soil.

Have fun!

Brennan, i was talking about Cooper's. i don't know the one you mentioned but, if you give me the address i will go there.

Please, I would like toh sources you mention as well.

Herpst, i don't think we have anything like that available here. Dow we BB?

Herpst, you live in gardener's paradise! I'm fortunate here, too.

I have just re read my post. What language is that??????

instead of toh, read the

instead of dow, read do.

sorry about that.

doh! :)

Spider:

I'll dmail you with specifics

BB