Slow release Vs. Fast release organics

[limolax]

Hi I am new grower. But I just need to find an answer.
When you wana decide on what portion of what organics you wana have in your soil how do you calculate the overal NPK value of that mix? I know I can just multiple the NPK value by its portion and add em all up. But how do I factor in the release rate of nuts?
EX. we have 2 portion blood meal ( 14-0-0 ) plus 1 portion hard rock phosphate ( 0-33-0 ) plus 1 portion grapefruit skin ash ( 0-3-30 ) what's the overal npk of the mix?
Rock phosphate has a very slow release rate of P. takes up to 10 years till u need to re apply
Blood meal has a fast to medium release rate of N. takes 4-12 month depending on the crop, condition, etc
Grapefruit skin ash like most skin ashes ( banana, cucumber, etc ) it's very very water soluble so has a very very fast rate of nutrition release. Almost instant.
So can anyone clear this for me and solve the Example ?

 

[st0wandgrow]

Hi I am new grower. But I just need to find an answer.
When you wana decide on what portion of what organics you wana have in your soil how do you calculate the overal NPK value of that mix? I know I can just multiple the NPK value by its portion and add em all up. But how do I factor in the release rate of nuts?
EX. we have 2 portion blood meal ( 14-0-0 ) plus 1 portion hard rock phosphate ( 0-33-0 ) plus 1 portion grapefruit skin ash ( 0-3-30 ) what's the overal npk of the mix?
Rock phosphate has a very slow release rate of P. takes up to 10 years till u need to re apply
Blood meal has a fast to medium release rate of N. takes 4-12 month depending on the crop, condition, etc
Grapefruit skin ash like most skin ashes ( banana, cucumber, etc ) it's very very water soluble so has a very very fast rate of nutrition release. Almost instant.
So can anyone clear this for me and solve the Example ?

Rrog explained it best one time as to why you don't need to worry about NPK values in an organic soil. I'll do my best to paraphrase....

Think of an organic soil like a warehouse. The microbes are the employees of said warehouse, and you (the grower) are the manufacturer. You load up the warehouse with goods (meals, minerals, etc) and the warehouse workers move those goods about in the warehouse for storage. Some items will be stored away long term, and others for a very short period. The plant will place orders for what it needs, and pay for those orders with exudes that it secretes from its roots. The warehouse workers will retrieve the goods that the plant is requesting and deliver it to the plant upon payment.

IOW, do your best to supply a good variety of meals and minerals and the plant/microbes will sort it out from there.

 

[limolax]

Thank you very much for the explanation. So you are saying the more variety of organics I put in the mix it's better?

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Hi I am new grower. But I just need to find an answer.
When you wana decide on what portion of what organics you wana have in your soil how do you calculate the overal NPK value of that mix? I know I can just multiple the NPK value by its portion and add em all up. But how do I factor in the release rate of nuts?
EX. we have 2 portion blood meal ( 14-0-0 ) plus 1 portion hard rock phosphate ( 0-33-0 ) plus 1 portion grapefruit skin ash ( 0-3-30 ) what's the overal npk of the mix?
Rock phosphate has a very slow release rate of P. takes up to 10 years till u need to re apply
Blood meal has a fast to medium release rate of N. takes 4-12 month depending on the crop, condition, etc
Grapefruit skin ash like most skin ashes ( banana, cucumber, etc ) it's very very water soluble so has a very very fast rate of nutrition release. Almost instant.
So can anyone clear this for me and solve the Example ?

you need more information to solve that arithmetic problem.
how much of each added, and how much total soil.
either way I hate water soluble organics.
those are meant for teas.
meals are where it's at for organic soils.
neem, kelp, crab, alfalfa, etc.
and I don't know what you are talking about. blood meal is almost ALL water soluble and i'm fairly certain it doesn't last 4-12 months.

 

[st0wandgrow]

Thank you very much for the explanation. So you are saying the more variety of organics I put in the mix it's better?

Variety is a good thing, but there is no need to go overboard and have to be shipping in items from all over the globe. I would work with whatever you can source locally, especially if it's something you can find for free.

Here's what my current soil (which is on it's 3'rd recycle) consists of:

Kelp meal, alfalfa meal, neem seed meal (the only item I have shipped to me), crab shell meal, oyster shell flour, rock dust (free), garden gypsum, and azomite.

My base is equal parts peat moss, aeration bits, and home made worm castings. To that base I add 2 cups of meals per cubic foot, and 3-4 cups of minerals per cubic foot. I wet this mix down with a compost tea and leave it sit for 30+ days. Once the plants hit the dirt, it's pretty much water-only.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Thank you very much for the explanation. So you are saying the more variety of organics I put in the mix it's better?

not always true, but just like a human's diet variety will ensure that you will have little to no deficiencies.
I mean humans can LIVE on fastfood. Well sorta.
I will never have another organic grow without neem meal.
I've been using kelp, crab and aflafa for years but neem I've only been using for the last yr or so, and I really like it.
Between neem meal and biochar. those are my "new" favorite things.
"New" being relative to the 20+ yrs I have been growing.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Variety is a good thing, but there is no need to go overboard and have to be shipping in items from all over the globe. I would work with whatever you can source locally, especially if it's something you can find for free.

Here's what my current soil (which is on it's 3'rd recycle) consists of:

Kelp meal, alfalfa meal, neem seed meal (the only item I have shipped to me), crab shell meal, oyster shell flour, rock dust (free), garden gypsum, and azomite.

My base is equal parts peat moss, aeration bits, and home made worm castings. To that base I add 2 cups of meals per cubic foot, and 3-4 cups of minerals per cubic foot. I wet this mix down with a compost tea and leave it sit for 30+ days. Once the plants hit the dirt, it's pretty much water-only.

Hey stow do you keep adding azomite?
I have concerns with re-using it.
What are you thoughts on that?

 

[st0wandgrow]

Hey stow do you keep adding azomite?
I have concerns with re-using it.
What are you thoughts on that?

I don't. I re-up on the meals, but I don't add anything additional as far as minerals go.

Edit: I should mention, I add very little azomite, gypsum, green sand, etc. it's 3 cups per cf of the rock fines, then 1/4 cup each of whatever else I have on hand. This last run it just so happened to be azomite and gyspum.