16-16-8 Fertilizer

[Christian]

I purchased Honey Select sweet corn seed. It reads that fertilizer 16-16-8 should initially be applied. Later 46-0-0.
I'm unable to locate 16-16-8 locally. Is there another fertilizer I can use? 12-12-12, 13-13-13 ???

 

[headfullofbees]

Don't use either.
Use poultry manure, once prior to planting and once two months afterwards; 2 handsful per sq.yd. It's 4.5:3.5:2.5 and everything you need.
It's also far better for the health of your soil, if you want to grow again in future years.

 

[Christian]

Don't use either.
Use poultry manure, once prior to planting and once two months afterwards; 2 handsful per sq.yd. It's 4.5:3.5:2.5 and everything you need.
It's also far better for the health of your soil, if you want to grow again in future years.

During first application do you till the chicken manure into the soil. Do you do this just prior to adding seeds?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

if I use any fertilizer its 10-10-10, in pellets so that they brake down slowly with natural rains. and that would be tossed after a good raking out in gardens early early spring.

 

[headfullofbees]

During first application do you till the chicken manure into the soil. Do you do this just prior to adding seeds?

Yes I work it into the soil, preferably a week or two prior to planting, but just prior is OK, as it will have started to break down by germination.

 

[marlingardener]

Poultry manure is very strong in nitrogen, and can burn young plants. We compost our ladies' "output" for six months, and then spread it over the garden prior to planting. Later we use the composted manure as a side dressing for corn, lettuces, and other nitrogen-loving vegetables.
We are in zone 8b, and have high summer temperatures (understatement of the month!) so our chicken manure breaks down relatively quickly. You are in zone 4a, so I'd recommend that you let the chicken manure compost for a full year.
It is a wonderful addition to the garden, but you do need to be careful in its use.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

My dad, when he retired, bought a small farm. He got a few chickens, and later had a manure pile. And he also had a good size veggie garden. During the harvesting process if there was a over ripe tomato he'd just fling it on to the manure pile. Winter would happen, then come spring, tomato plants would be sprouting up off the manure pile.

 

[marlingardener]

Oh yes, Esther! We have had onions, garlic, tomatoes, and even a cantaloupe growing in the compost piles! If I catch the plant soon enough I transplant it to the vegetable garden. If not, I let it grow or pull it (in the case of onions and garlic) and use it young.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I did leave out that the area I grew up in, and my dads compost pile was, was in Ohio, so that is zero degrees winter, sometimes minus zero. that manure is some hot stuff.

 

[Chuck]

Oil based fertilizers/chemical fertilizers do absolutely nothing for your soil. They fool your plants by bypassing the micro-organisms in the soil which turn organic matter into nutrients. As time goes by your soil, its natural nutrients along with the micro-organisms (fungi and bacteria) become less and less until finally you end up with soil devoid of organic matter. Ever heard of worn out soil? Of old farmland that won't produce? It's caused by overuse of 13-13-13 of 12-24-12 of 22-0-0 and any and all of the artificial chemical nitrates. Organic fertilizers build up the soil. By using natural organic fertilizers, you will, over a relatively short period of time, use less fertilizer per square foot instead of having to use more and more to get the same results of using chemical fertilizers.

 

[headfullofbees]

Poultry manure is very strong in nitrogen, and can burn young plants. We compost our ladies' "output" for six months, and then spread it over the garden prior to planting. Later we use the composted manure as a side dressing for corn, lettuces, and other nitrogen-loving vegetables.
We are in zone 8b, and have high summer temperatures (understatement of the month!) so our chicken manure breaks down relatively quickly. You are in zone 4a, so I'd recommend that you let the chicken manure compost for a full year.
It is a wonderful addition to the garden, but you do need to be careful in its use.

For clarification, I meant something like this:

 

[marlingardener]

Headful, I've never seen pelleted chicken manure--what a great addition to our gardening arsenal! That stuff must be ready to use out of the bag, and it even comes with instructions.
I wonder, if I show the picture to our ladies if they might start pelleting their output . . . .

 

[Christian]

Ingenious! Saw a product called RAW Pure Nitrogen 20-0-0. No urea or nitrates....
Wonder if this would be too much nitrogen for sweet corn or not. Considering the high demand corn has on nitrogen.

 

[Chuck]

Headful, I've never seen pelleted chicken manure--what a great addition to our gardening arsenal! That stuff must be ready to use out of the bag, and it even comes with instructions.
I wonder, if I show the picture to our ladies if they might start pelleting their output . . . .

In your area you can easily find it. It is made by Medina and is called GrowinGreen or GreenNGro, something like that. It is all I ever use. Any feed store will or should have it as it is locally made in Hondo Tx and is distributed all over Texas and many other states as well.

 

[Chuck]

Ingenious! Saw a product called RAW Pure Nitrogen 20-0-0. No urea or nitrates....
Wonder if this would be too much nitrogen for sweet corn or not. Considering the high demand corn has on nitrogen.

Never seen this before and do not know method of production but be careful. It says 1/8-1/16 teaspoon per gallon of water. Quick release nitrogen can really do some damage to roots