Is there enough potassium in the soil for vegging?

[Phillybonker]

I'm growing outdoors and the soil is looking a healthy dark brown color, I'm going to put down some blood & bone but I'm wondering if I have to bother adding potash at this stage, or is there enough potassium in healthy soil for vegging?

 

[Phytoplankton]

You'd have to either test it or look up a soil map and see what kind of soil you have and what it's characterisitics are. If they grow crops in it, it's probably fine. Chances are, you won't need it for vegging.

 

[Phillybonker]

You'd have to either test it or look up a soil map and see what kind of soil you have and what it's characterisitics are. If they grow crops in it, it's probably fine. Chances are, you won't need it for vegging.

It's currently got long grass growing in it. It's out in the bush.

I've got to prep the area tomorrow, I'll take another look at the soil because my thinking is if it is really healthy looking soil then if it is lacking anything it should only be nitrogen. I might take some photo's of the soil if I remember.

 

[Phytoplankton]

As a general rule (there are exceptions) grassland soils are pretty good soils.

 

[SmokingWings]

Most likely if it has field grasses growing in it now then there is enough Nitrogen which is something they need early in the growing season and up to the end of their flowering and seed development. Then their need for that nutrient drops a bit so what is in the soil will be there for your plants.

There should be enough Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium to get your plants through to the start of flowering. Then the demand goes up, higher than many of us might have realized, so be ready to start giving doses of fertilizers to provide what the plant needs.

 

[bluter]

are you in containers or direct in the ground ?

 

[Phillybonker]

are you in containers or direct in the ground ?

DIrect in the ground. I estimate they'll be ready to go in the ground in two weeks time.

 

[bluter]

DIrect in the ground. I estimate they'll be ready to go in the ground in two weeks time.

if they're sufficient size to run on their own when you plant just go for it. you can add organics or other amendments when you dig the the hole, but hiking the stuff back and forth on a guerilla isn't gonna work for you.

i used to dig a hole and plant over fish guts. it's a fun recipe around bear country.

 

[Phillybonker]

if they're sufficient size to run on their own when you plant just go for it. you can add organics or other amendments when you dig the the hole, but hiking the stuff back and forth on a guerilla isn't gonna work for you.

i used to dig a hole and plant over fish guts. it's a fun recipe around bear country.

I'm glad I don't have to deal with bears.

Fish would be my first choice for fertilizer but long hauls into the bush carrying a lot of gear and a lot of plants to fertilize means it's not practical to carry a whole heap of fish into the bush. More practical to just carry a bag of blood & bone.

 

[bluter]

I'm glad I don't have to deal with bears.

it was a long time ago.

Fish would be my first choice for fertilizer but long hauls into the bush carrying a lot of gear and a lot of plants to fertilize means it's not practical to carry a whole heap of fish into the bush. More practical to just carry a bag of blood & bone.

bone meal is what i'd recommend.

 

[Phillybonker]

bone meal is what i'd recommend.

Out of curiosity, why bone meal?

 

[bluter]

Out of curiosity, why bone meal?

slowly adds phos as it breaks down. added phos helps yield. we'd use blood meal as well. blood meal would keep foragers away.

 

[Phillybonker]

slowly adds phos as it breaks down. added phos helps yield. we'd use blood meal as well. blood meal would keep foragers away.

Good point about keeping foragers away. I use to leave a small bowl of blood & bone near some of my plants that were having trouble with rabbits, it kept the rabbits away if I replaced it once a week. Had to put ice cream containers with holes in it over the top of the bowl of blood & bone to stop rats from getting stuck into it.

 

[SmokingWings]

slowly adds phos as it breaks down. added phos helps yield.

And the finer the bone is ground up the soon the nutrient is released. If it is a finely ground powder most of the Phosphorous can become available during that season but if it is a coarse grind or larger pieces it could take two or three seasons.

Since scavengers seem to be a problem for Phillybonker fish bones are out. But, if they can be used those bones break down within season with only the larger and denser bones and teeth taking two or three years.

 

[Keffka]

If you’re trying to determine what a soil is lacking and don’t have access to soil testing then take a look at what’s growing. If it’s mainly grassland, then you should be okay. Try to get near a tree line if possible so myco can link up.

If you notice a lot of different types of weeds in certain areas or anything other than grass, take notes or pictures of what it is. Specific types of plants/weeds grow when the soil needs whatever element they provide best. For example if you see a lot of dandelions then you know the soil needs Calcium since that’s what dandelions long tap roots are seeking out deep below as they’re one of the few roots strong enough to break through. When they die away they provide that calcium up top. Eventually the dandelions will be replaced but its nature so it takes a while.

 

[Phillybonker]

And the finer the bone is ground up the soon the nutrient is released. If it is a finely ground powder most of the Phosphorous can become available during that season but if it is a coarse grind or larger pieces it could take two or three seasons.

Since scavengers seem to be a problem for Phillybonker fish bones are out. But, if they can be used those bones break down within season with only the larger and denser bones and teeth taking two or three years.

That's the other thing I read about Phosphorous, doesn't it move through soil at a super slow rate,
so would need to be put it inside the hole rather than top dress it, right?, or does myco fungi help move it to the roots?

 

[Phillybonker]

If you’re trying to determine what a soil is lacking and don’t have access to soil testing then take a look at what’s growing. If it’s mainly grassland, then you should be okay. Try to get near a tree line if possible so myco can link up.

If you notice a lot of different types of weeds in certain areas or anything other than grass, take notes or pictures of what it is. Specific types of plants/weeds grow when the soil needs whatever element they provide best. For example if you see a lot of dandelions then you know the soil needs Calcium since that’s what dandelions long tap roots are seeking out deep below as they’re one of the few roots strong enough to break through. When they die away they provide that calcium up top. Eventually the dandelions will be replaced but its nature so it takes a while.

It's mainly gorse which can grow in any type of soil. The areas got patches of grassland where I plan to grow, and the soil is loaded with myco fungi.

 

[bluter]

That's the other thing I read about Phosphorous, doesn't it move through soil at a super slow rate, like 2-3cm a year? So would need to be put it inside the hole rather than top dress it, right?

can do both. putting the powder in the hole you plant is best / most efficient for guerilla or garden. you can top dress as well, it won't hurt, but you may not get full benefit, and it attracts predators in the open.

same as blood meal. best to put it in the hole. probably even more important lol.
we used to have bears tear up the plants to get to blood meal or fish guts, even if buried. like bait some years.

we planted over fish guts lots of times.

It's mainly gorse which can grow in any type of soil. The areas got patches of grassland wemhere I plan to grow, and the soil is loaded with myco fungi.

if you're gonna hike anything in over just the plants, do the bone meal and powder the hole with it.

edit : do not google "powder the hole" kids ...

the most important thing is to have decently established seedlings before final planting. anything we planted guerilla here needed to be decently going before we put it in the wild.

 

[Phillybonker]

can do both. putting the powder in the hole you plant is best / most efficient for guerilla or garden. you can top dress as well, it won't hurt, but you may not get full benefit, and it attracts predators in the open.

same as blood meal. best to put it in the hole. probably even more important lol.
we used to have bears tear up the plants to get to blood meal or fish guts, even if buried. like bait some years.

we planted over fish guts lots of times.

What are they, black bears? And where is this at?

if you're gonna hike anything in over just the plants, do the bone meal and powder the hole with it.

edit : do not google "powder the hole" kids ...

And I just had to google it

the most important thing is to have decently established seedlings before final planting. anything we planted guerilla here needed to be decently going before we put it in the wild.

Yep that's the plan. I will wait until they are well established before transplanting, some should be ready in two weeks time, the rest of the slower growing seedlings should be ready in three weeks. That works for me as I have quite a few plants to put out and I'd rather do it in two stages rather than one.

 

[bluter]

What are they, black bears?

in the mountains and foothills it could be either black bear or grizzly.

And where is this at?

bc. i don't live there now. we have bears in every province. it was a long time ago. i never saw them do it thank god.

we'd plant and come back wk or so later to check and it would be a plant murder scene. if they made it past a couple wks it was usually ok, they probably couldn't smell it anymore.

if we didn't use fish guts or blood meal they left it alone. it was fish guts they really went mad for. we used to hike it in and it was sketchy doing that.

we still did it though. we got the fish guts free at the time. we weren't the only ones doing it.

And I just had to google it

oh well. lol.

Yep that's the plan. I will wait until they are well established before transplanting, some should be ready in two weeks time, the rest of the slower growing seedlings should be ready in three weeks. That works for me as I have quite a few plants to put out and I'd rather do it in two stages rather than one.

if you take anything in, just do what is reasonable to carry with the plants is my best comment. for us it was more of a numbers thing. truthfully i wouldn't do guerilla again, but it was a different time.