Tx_Crinum
08-12-2009, 04:08 PM
As a new member I have been randomly selecting posts and reading them rather than just asking questions. I came across Richard's post on fertilizer. I found it to be a very interesting post but I thought I could add something in the way of number crunching. If you're only buying a bag of fert a year, this won't make much difference overall but if you're loading up with say 10 or more bags of fert for your bananas alone, this might ease some strain on your wallet. I have copied a portion of Richard's post that I wish to use and have in italics below.
For fruiting bananas in non-tropical regions, the proportion of 1 part nitrogen (N) to 1.5 parts potash (K) is an excellent ratio. The following fertilizers can all provide it: Alfalfa Meal (2-0-3), Geritz Garden Mix (10-5-15), Scotts Miracle-Gro For Fruits (16-8-24), Grow More 20-5-30.
I don't use organics but I will address them to the point that pound for pound in available nutrients, unless you're getting it for free, organic fert is the most expensive plant fert in the world. Weather it is better or worse is not part of the debate.
I have no idea what these cost but for the sake of argument I've assigned costs. For this example these three all have the same percentage of minors and micros. We know that isn't true but for the example it is. You walk into the a store selling all three side by side. Geritz is $10.00; Scotts is $14.80 and Grow More is $19.00. Which should you buy for the best deal?
The answer is Scotts. The cost of N in Scotts is $1.85/lb. Geritz is a whopping $2.00/lb and Grow More in this hypothetical example is $1.90/lb of N.
The numbers as Richard stated represents a percentage of active ingredient (AI). Scotts contains 16% N. .16N (X) 50lb = 8lbs of N per 50lb bag of fert.
$14.80/8lbsN = $1.85/lb of N.
Most of my work has been with turf applying 1lb of N per 1000sft per application. So if I were to use these ferts for turf application to get that 1lb down on 1000sft of turf, I would have to apply 10lbs of Geritz, 6.25lbs of Scotts and 5lbs of Grow More.
Not only do the numbers tell you how much nutrient you are getting and how much actual product you need to use; the numbers also can lead you to purchasing a more expensive bag of fertilizer that is cheaper to use.
Just be careful and check the weight of your bags. Many companies are now packing 40lbs of fert in a bag rather than the traditional 50lbs we all are accustomed to.
For fruiting bananas in non-tropical regions, the proportion of 1 part nitrogen (N) to 1.5 parts potash (K) is an excellent ratio. The following fertilizers can all provide it: Alfalfa Meal (2-0-3), Geritz Garden Mix (10-5-15), Scotts Miracle-Gro For Fruits (16-8-24), Grow More 20-5-30.
I don't use organics but I will address them to the point that pound for pound in available nutrients, unless you're getting it for free, organic fert is the most expensive plant fert in the world. Weather it is better or worse is not part of the debate.
I have no idea what these cost but for the sake of argument I've assigned costs. For this example these three all have the same percentage of minors and micros. We know that isn't true but for the example it is. You walk into the a store selling all three side by side. Geritz is $10.00; Scotts is $14.80 and Grow More is $19.00. Which should you buy for the best deal?
The answer is Scotts. The cost of N in Scotts is $1.85/lb. Geritz is a whopping $2.00/lb and Grow More in this hypothetical example is $1.90/lb of N.
The numbers as Richard stated represents a percentage of active ingredient (AI). Scotts contains 16% N. .16N (X) 50lb = 8lbs of N per 50lb bag of fert.
$14.80/8lbsN = $1.85/lb of N.
Most of my work has been with turf applying 1lb of N per 1000sft per application. So if I were to use these ferts for turf application to get that 1lb down on 1000sft of turf, I would have to apply 10lbs of Geritz, 6.25lbs of Scotts and 5lbs of Grow More.
Not only do the numbers tell you how much nutrient you are getting and how much actual product you need to use; the numbers also can lead you to purchasing a more expensive bag of fertilizer that is cheaper to use.
Just be careful and check the weight of your bags. Many companies are now packing 40lbs of fert in a bag rather than the traditional 50lbs we all are accustomed to.