Friday was a lovely day, cool and dry. My general helper was here and fed all the seedlings. My helper friend was also here and showed her how and then he and I went up to the barn and brought the cement mixer back.
I had collected all the small stuff we needed to make amendment, done the milk order and cleaned up the kitchen before they got here.
We set to work making the Big garden mix. It’s requiring less and less amendment components as the years go by. The first record I have is for 2011 and I added well over 100 lbs but only had 6 components as I didn’t have a stock of micronutrient components.
This is the last soil test I did. I put red dots next to all the possible components one might add to a mix. There are 15.
By 2015 I was doing the whole thing and the weight was over 180 lbs and had 11 components. This year it’s 42 lbs and has 9 components.
I carefully weigh each component and then add it to the mixer. This batch went fast. There was a lot of time left so I decided to make up as many of the 5 batches of Little Trees amendment as we could.
The seedlings in the cold frame are doing well. At the bottom is celery, with kohlrabi just above it, and verbascum in the tray above that.
The large plant along the left wall is the volunteer feverfew. In front of it are all the onions, and in the top corner, the mesclun starts.
This section has stocks, carnations, thyme, and marigolds. When my general helper finished feeding them all, she came to help us.
The Little Trees mix is a recipe from Fedco, not done via soil test. Maybe next year I will do one. Here’s the recipe:
Fedco:
“Deluxe Method
Without digging the hole, cover an area 4–6' in diameter with:
*5 lbs gypsum or Hi-Cal lime
5 lbs colloidal phosphate (short-term calcium and phosphorus)
*5 lbs azomite (long-term minerals and trace minerals)
*5 lbs granite meal (for improved soil texture)
*2–3 lbs Hum-Amend Max (aids mineral and rock-powder breakdown)
For building high levels of humus, also add:
*2 lbs alfalfa meal
2 lbs bone char or bone meal
*2 lbs kelp meal
*2 lbs blood meal
100 lbs compost (⅛ yard)
The starred components are what I used this time.
The last time they were fed was when they were planted in 2020. I had not written down how many batches we made when we were planting. I guesstimated maybe 5 so I was hoping to get that many made. The weight of that many was 168 lbs and had 9 components.
That was far too heavy for my little mixer, so we decided to do 2 batches x 2 and then a single batch. The calcium part had been sitting for many years and was quite lumpy. It was easily broken down smaller. We got a potato masher and my helper friend and general helper took turns doing this. I was measuring out all the others while they did that. We managed to make all 5 batches and put it in 2 totes.
We finished just in time and got cleaned up. My helper friend left but my general helper still had an hour. I decided to have her take me on 2 errands. Once I was back from that and she had gone, I did sit down and watch the last season of Downton Abbey. The contractor arrived about 4PM and left around 8PM.
I got the house opened up to cool down as we are expecting a serious heat wave over the weekend. I’m not planning to do much outside on Saturday or Sunday. The high humidity would wipe me out in an hour. I just hope I can keep the house cool until it leaves on Sunday night.
My friend and I are going to the Downton movie mid day on Saturday. Tom plans to come early and try to cut down the briars around the front pasture shelter so the area can be kept mowed.
That’s it for Saturday.
Oh I am so happy to hear that you are adding less amendments over time, that is so encouraging lol! Seriously though, those cold frame seedlings are gorgeous! Especially the celery, which I would now like to eat a stalk of!
We are absolutely freezing here. The high yesterday was somewhere around 45, so to see your side of the country roasting is nigh on unfathomable. That said, we cooked last year, so I am somewhat thankful to not be having a repeat of that, but holy wow we could use a bit of that warmth. EVERYTHING is way behind.
I hope you stay nice and cool this weekend. 90+degrees and high humidity is no bueno.
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Sounds like a lot of work! do you use the Kelp meal for micronutrients?
Kelp is one component. As I said there can be up to 15, all organically approved.
What do you use for Manganese and Boron?
I used Epsom salts for magnesium. I only had to add this for a few years and haven't had to use it for years. Boron I have several sources for but use Borax usually.
Here's the post:
https://steemit.com/gardening/@goldenoakfarm/how-to-read-a-soil-test-part-iii-building-the-amendment-mix
Oops, I mixed up magnesium and manganese. I use manganese sulfate 32%. In the post, I'd not listed a supplier, but in 2016 I got a 50# bag through the local NOFA organization (Northeast Organic Farmers Assoc.)
That sounds good. What about Boron? What is your primary organic source of that?
!hivebits
Borax
I thought that is an insecticide?
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