Bulk organic fertilizers

[Newgate]

Hello all, I'm wondering if anyone has any idea about where i can find bulk fertilizers (organic or not). I've looked around with Google, but I've run into issues. I need to find a supplier that packs the stuff AND ships it. I don't live in the USA so this is very important. I find that suppliers either dilvier to your address, with dump truck loads of the stuff, which is a no no as the address i intend to give is a shipping company address so they can ship the stuff to me, Or i would need to pick it up myself (in bulk packages), again impossible because i live in a different country.


Compost and seaweed is pretty much all i can do myself as i live on an island in the Bahamas. the thing is the local soil is completely shot. It has a good amount of phosphorous but devoid of nitrogen and potash (I mean it's completely non existent according to the soil test kit i got) AND the ph is around 8-9. In the future I'll have about an acre of land to grow stuff so I'm trying to hunt down places i can order from now. I know many of you may suggest making my own compost, and it's certainly on my to do list. but the amount I'll need is staggering. I'm hoping to get some bulk compost and worm castings to start off and eventually become self sustainable. My options are extremely limited, other than compost, the only other thing i can get is seaweed. Tried growing a few veggies as an experiment and as expected, most didn't do too well.

 

[Chuck]

The only place I know of is Medina Inc. in Hondo Texas. They sell in 1 ton containers. Other than that erect a fence and grow a bunch of chickens.

 

[headfullofbees]

Or grow some Bocking 14 comfrey.
That will mine and supply all your potash needs.
In the meantime, urine and woodash are your friends.

 

[TomatoTango]

Woodash is definitely not his friend with a strong alkaline soil like that. He needs high nitrogen components like blood meal as well as a lot of sulfur to bring the ph down, and then depending on $$ kelp meal or greensand for K if he’s going natural.

What sort of budget do you have in mind and can you get stuff shipped from EBay, Amazon, or other US suppliers? You can buy dry ingredients that are water soluable, so as to save $ on shipping. If you’re open to standard products you can also get a wide variety of potent chemical forms of potash.

 

[MaryMary]

What sort of budget do you have in mind and can you get stuff shipped from EBay, Amazon, or other US suppliers?

Newgate hasn't logged into the forum since November 7, 2016. I could always be wrong, but I doubt they will be back.

 

[TomatoTango]

Newgate hasn't logged into the forum since November 7, 2016. I could always be wrong, but I doubt they will be back.

He probably spent all his money on fertilizer and had to disconnect the internet.

 

[headfullofbees]

Woodash is definitely not his friend with a strong alkaline soil like that. He needs high nitrogen components like blood meal as well as a lot of sulfur to bring the ph down, and then depending on $$ kelp meal or greensand for K if he’s going natural.

What sort of budget do you have in mind and can you get stuff shipped from EBay, Amazon, or other US suppliers? You can buy dry ingredients that are water soluable, so as to save $ on shipping. If you’re open to standard products you can also get a wide variety of potent chemical forms of potash.

Have you any idea how much woodash would be needed to make the ph worse, and how little urine (average pH 6.2) would be needed to compensate?

 

[TomatoTango]

When the ph is heavy alkaline you don’t add woodash, or lime for that matter. Use Google and look at the other 7,000 websites that say to NOT do that.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I buy pellitized sulfur @ 20usd for a 50lb bag from the local farm coop. I drop 10lbs per 1000sf multiple times per year because our natural ph is 8 to 8.4

 

[DirtMechanic]

Have you any idea how much woodash would be needed to make the ph worse, and how little urine (average pH 6.2) would be needed to compensate?

Interestingly, I learned that the term alkilinity is often used to describe the buffering capacity one needs to be aware of in order to answer that question.

 

[headfullofbees]

The point is, that the intention is to use bulk organic matter in the neat future. It's decomposition is acidifying, as is the process of harvesting.
Woodash is likely to be available, as is urine.
Woodash (in small quantities) will add minerals to the soil, whilst urine will more than compensate for the effect on ph.
Sulphur takes months to break down.
Can you get animal manure?