Homemade Fertilizer

CrealCritter said:
I've often heard goat poop called magic raisins. I would like some goats and sheep but will have to wait until this winter. I'm kind of burned out on building fencing for a while. Plus Bekaert Sheep and Goat 30 1348-4 12.5 ga 330' fence and 6 foot t-posts are crazy money right now.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸
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I've been laughing at how some of the new gardeners here are frantically trying to source llama poo- somehow they think it's more magical than goat poo, which is a lot easier to get hold of here.

DH pointed out that pee works as well as store-bought ammonia, but it's a bit more concentrated. Plus I've heard that the smell (even dilute) tends to repel a lot of 4 legged pests.
 
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Britesea said:
I've been laughing at how some of the new gardeners here are frantically trying to source llama poo- somehow they think it's more magical than goat poo, which is a lot easier to get hold of here.
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Magic for weeds, in my experience! Lol
 
This 70's book 10,000 garden questions answered from 20 experts is pretty handy.

Another home made fertilizer recipe on the cheap.

IMG_20220518_232342055.jpg


Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸
 
My 2 rows of onions are telling me, they need nitrogen to grow up big and strong.

IDK... gas is stupid expensive. I could call and see if the grainery I've bought ammonia nitrate in the past and see if he has any. But it's a good 1 1/2 hours round trip drive. Eventhough I absolutely love the owner and his wife. I don't think it's worth the time and expense to just go after a 50 lb bag of fertilizer. Plus I hear talk of a fertilizer shortage and steep price increase so what's the use?

I have the onions mulched in with hay. If I had to use urea I would have to pull the mulch back, hoe a trench on each side, of the onions, add urea to the trench and back fill the trench with dirt and re mulch in hay, that's a lot of time and work just to get some nitrogen down to the roots. Ammonia nitrite I could side dress right on top of the hay and water heavy or wait until a downpour. The difference between urea and ammonia nitrate is something to do with how much is wasted due to evaporation. It's very high with urea and not so much with ammonia nitrate.

This year, I think I'll just mix up some cheap dollar general ammonia which my wife has in the laundry room with plain ole tap water at a ratio of 1 tablespoon of ammonia to 1 gallon of water. Do a side pour on top of the hay mulch and see what happens.

Nothing ventured nothing gained 🤷‍♂️ In my.mind, it's worth a try and I don't see why it won't work. Being liquid it should get to the roots quicker than even dry amonia nitrate and a heavy watering or strong rain shower would... Perhaps maybe do a before and after photo so we can see what the results are? Maybe give it a week in-between.

IDK... What you think of my plan to fertilize my rows of onions?

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸
 
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CrealCritter said:
My 2 rows of onions are telling me, they need nitrogen to grow up big and strong.

IDK... gas is stupid expensive. I could call and see if the grainery I've bought ammonia nitrate in the past and see if he has any. But it's a good 1 1/2 hours round trip drive. Eventhough I absolutely love the owner and his wife. I don't think it's worth the time and expense to just go after a 50 lb bag of fertilizer. Plus I hear talk of a fertilizer shortage and steep price increase so what's the use?

I have the onions mulched in with hay. If I had to use urea I would have to pull the mulch back, hoe a trench on each side, of the onions, add urea to the trench and back fill the trench with dirt and re mulch in hay, that's a lot of time and work just to get some nitrogen down to the roots. Ammonia nitrite I could side dress right on top of the hay and water heavy or wait until a downpour. The difference between urea and ammonia nitrate is something to do with how much is wasted due to evaporation. It's very high with urea and not so much with ammonia nitrate.

This year, I think I'll just mix up some cheap dollar general ammonia which my wife has in the laundry room with plain ole tap water at a ratio of 1 tablespoon of ammonia to 1 gallon of water. Do a side pour on top of the hay mulch and see what happens.

Nothing ventured nothing gained 🤷‍♂️ In my.mind, it's worth a try and I don't see why it won't work. Being liquid it should get to the roots quicker than even dry amonia nitrate and a heavy watering or strong rain shower would... Perhaps maybe do a before and after photo so we can see what the results are? Maybe give it a week in-between.

IDK... What you think of my plan to fertilize my rows of onions?

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸
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I say try the cheap ammonia and see what happens. Can it do more harm than good? I dont know enough about it to answer that, but with the way the world is I would try anything to save a crop
 
www.health.ny.gov

80% of ammonia made in USA is for AG use. 🤔. Household is normally 5% strength. I'd go for it! I've poured it full strength around a chicken coop to deter a little 4 legged marauder....saw no forage damage.

Also. Chicken manure has high nitrogen levels. So much so that the lush growth around chicken facilities can cause nitrogen poisoning to some sensitive grazers if too much eaten without other forage input.
 
Tomorrow, we'll be driving right past a dollar general. I hope they still sell cheap regular ole dollar general brand ammonia, I don't want my onions smelling like a pine tree or something. I guess I used all the ammonia we had. It's a sad day when there is no ammonia in the laundry room.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸
 
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