Question
QUESTION:  Can you give me the names and amount of products to make organic fertilizer?
Thank you
Jack Hickman

ANSWER: Depends somewhat on what you want to do with this fertilizer, my friend.  If you are using it for potted plants or vegetables to support flowering or fruit, you want a high Phosphorous fertilizer; if you have grass, you may want to push the Nitrogen -- but if you have new grass, you may want to help it build roots.  Please be more specific about your intentions.  Organic 'fertilizer' is something of an oxymoron -- fertilizer is usually an outdated chemical concept based on ignorance about plant nutrition, while 'organic' tries to manipulate the soil food web based on recent findings about plant nutrition.  Organic gardening works on the soil.  Traditional gardening works on a small menu of minerals that plants need.  rsvp

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: For tomatoes and watermelons.

Answer
Tomatoes and Watermelons -- awesome!

First, let's look at where your Tomato Plants and Watermelons are going to be getting all their vitamins from.

Your soil.

NOT your fertilizer.  Here's why.

We know that all plants need a bunch of vitamins and minerals to grow.  Some need more of this, some need more of that.  Tomatoes are HEAVY feeders.  Watermelons are MODERATE feeders.  

You're figuring that instead of going to the store and buying a bag of fertilizer, you'll make your own organic fertilizer to apply to your vegetables.

I know, I know, you're thinking about those Miracle-Gro ads with the prize-winning Tomatoes and Watermelons.  The ads that promised you vegetables and fruits the size of your car if you use Miracle-Gro.  Fact is, if your fruits and vegetables don't have Genes to get that big, NOTHING is going to make that happen.

But the wonderful thing about organic Gardening is that you don't have to fertilize anything.  Instead, you build up the soil.  You let the microbes do all the fertilizing work. Just do whatever it takes to keep the microbes happy and healthy.  Keep your vegetables watered.  Keep your Earthworms well fed with organic matter (Compost, Manure, etc).  Stay away from bug killers and weed killers and concentrated fertilizer.  Watch the drainage.

Getting back to your Tomatoes, which consume A LOT of N-P-K, there is some discussion on this by Dr Mary Peet at North Carolina State University, based on research for her book, 'Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the South':

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet/index.html

Dr Peet points out their 'rapid growth and long production season' distinguish Tomatoes as high maintenance plants.   They need VERY rich soil built up with Compost, Humus, and Composted Manure on a regular basis.  'Production of one ton of Tomato fruit removes 3 to 8 pounds N, 0.5 to 3.0 pounds P2O5, and 5 to 12 pounds K2O from the soil.'

Dr Peet points out that although Watermelons are mostly water, growing them can be tricky: 'Watermelons tolerate acid soil (pH as low as 5.5) but require micronutrients which may be unavailable in some soils.'

Leaves will drop off the vines when nutrient levels get too low -- or too high.  Low Magnesium is one condition.  But a high ratio of Potassium/Calcium to Magnesium will have the same effect.  A shortage of Calcium has other symptoms.  And Dr Peet notes, 'A darkened, leathery area develops on the blossom end of the Watermelon if water is in short supply and adequate Calcium for fruit development is not available.'  If your soil test shows you need it, she says, Dolomitic Lime and careful watering cure this condition.

Borage is not a fertilizer, but if you can pick up some seeds you can grow it around your Tomatoes.  Borage plants contain alkaloids that scare off Tomato Hornworms and other unwanted insects.  Borage also attracts Bees for efficient pollination, and it seems to flavor the Tomatoes, too.

For close-to-perfect Tomatoes and Watermelons, you can't go wrong with a soil test.  You'll find out exactly what's in your soil, how much is there, and what you need.  Then you'll know how much stuff to add to make it perfect.  Eggshells (12-4-1).  Wood ashes (around 0-2-4).  Do you NEED more Phosphorous in your soil?  Do you have enough trace minerals?  And what's the pH of your soil?  University of Georgia Coop Extension points out, 'The soil pH strongly influences plant growth, the availability of nutrients, and the activities of microorganisms in the soil. It is important to keep soil pH in the proper range for production of the best yields and high quality growth.'  Soil tests give you all that information.

Tomatoes thrive in soil with a 6.0 to 6.5 pH.  Watermelons are not picky, but they need their trace minerals.

Dr Peet posts a page on each of your delicious crops, Watermelon:

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet/profiles/c12melon.html

and Tomatoes:

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet/profiles/pp_toma.html

For a little bedside reading, print the whole cheat sheet posted by University of Georgia, 'How to convert an inorganic fertilizer recommendation to an organic one.'  Here it is:

http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C853.htm

Bottom line:  Remember, NO plant can ever perform better than its DNA destiny.  Make friends with your microbes.  Keep them fed with Compost, Humus and Organic Matter, and they will make ALL the Fertilizer your fruits and vegetables will ever need.  Thanks for your question, Jack.  Let me know if you need to know more.