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===== Organic fertilizer recipes =====

==== Standard with nitrogen ====

I follow Steve Solomon's recipe for everything but root crops and nitrogen-fixing legumes (peas, beans)

  * 4 parts seedmeal
  * 1/2 part agricultural lime (limestone)
  * 1/2 part dolomite lime (contains magnesium)*
  * 1/2 part bone meal or rock phosphate
  * 1/2 part kelp meal (or alfalfa meal)

* I'm finding that my garden soils contain plenty of magnesium so in an established garden I add twice as much agricultural lime and omit the dolomite lime.

==== Low-nitrogen for root crops ====

  * 1 part seed meal (optional, not for peas or beans)
  * 1/2 part agricultural lime (limestone)
  * 1/2 part dolomite lime (contains magnesium)*
  * 1/2 part bone meal or rock phosphate
  * 1/2 part kelp meal (or alfalfa meal)

* I'm finding that my garden soils contain plenty of magnesium so in an established garden I add twice as much agricultural lime and omit the dolomite lime.

I wouldn't be planting root crops in clay soil so this recipe is for the sandy loam.

==== Uses ====

I use Steve's Complete Organic fertilizer (COF) when transplanting and potting seedlings. I don't use COF as a general soil amendment for the entire garden.
==== Adapting the lime for different soil ====

When I have the opportunity as I'm developing a new garden patch I apply the lime before anything else to give it time to be absorbed. Carol Deppe says an adequate application of lime has more effect the second year and less the third, so she's comfortable applying lime every two to three years.

When I'm amending sandy loam where I've never cultivated before I double the lime. 

When I'm amending heavy clay soil for the first time I quadruple the lime. For subsequent applications I double the lime. The soil in one garden in more than 90% clay. The extra lime provides calcium and magnesium that help plants get the nutrients from the soil.

==== Ongoing amendment ====

For specific amendments related to ongoing use with known soil conditions see [[garden:cultivate:tasks:remineralization:strategy|Remineralization strategy]].