AusBonsai

Hi Everybody.
I need your opinions please. I want to go completely organic with my fertilising regime. Cant decide between blood and bone and fish or kelp base.
I have actually ordered 5liter blood and bone but can change it (I hope). These are the options. Which do you think is best. I can only really afford one of the three as its kind of expensive and the wife is over the shoulder...

https://www.fertnz.co.nz/wp-content/upl ... rLogic.pdf
https://www.fertnz.co.nz/wp-content/upl ... 0.2015.pdf
https://www.fertnz.co.nz/wp-content/upl ... Sea-V5.pdf

Thank You
Freddie.

The analysis of both Blood and Bone and fish fert are almost identical. Hard to believe these are organic??? though they do state that actual nutrients will differ from batch to batch Note that this Blood and Bone formulation is not just blood and bone which has almost no K. They have obviously used B&B as a base but added other things to get a complete fert and made it liquid as well. Should be ok, just the cost to worry about.

The kelp fert does not give an analysis. Sounds like Seasol - has nutrients but every batch is different so we won't give any analysis. Over here they are not allowed to promote kelp formulations as fert because they cannot guarantee nutrients hence the big push as 'soil conditioner' and to 'reduce transplant shock'

Given that the first 2 are almost identical I don't think it will matter which you give your plants. They don't actually care where the nutrients come from, just that they get all of what they need.

Don't overthink fertiliser. Just rotate different types every week and you will be fine...

Shibui.. Yes that is my exact same thinking. The NPK is derived organicly but the rest is added "chemically" (for lack of a better word). Its identical because its added by measurement. Does it look chelated to you? Is it ready for uptake or does it have to be broken down first?

I thought you said

I want to go completely organic with my fertilising regime.

But you have chosen a fertiliser that you know is chemical based - does not make much sense to me. Seems you are paying a premium for no good reason

You can't tell whether the elements in a fertiliser are soluble just by looking at that label. Sometimes they will list some as water soluble or acid soluble but they have not given that info on this one.

I only used the word "chemical" (like I said) for lack of a better word. The minerals are added by measurement. I actually meant the process is "chemical". It still is a organic fertilizer but its manufactured not naturally aged (or whatever the word is I'm looking for)....I shouldn't have used the word "chemical". It might be confusing...
I'll have to give them a call and ask them if any is chelated...

...isn't the purpose of calling something "organic" mean that it hasn't been processed, ie no artificial elements added?

Also, everything is a chemical so you are technically correct.

Jarad wrote:...isn't the purpose of calling something "organic" mean that it hasn't been processed, ie no artificial elements added?

Also, everything is a chemical so you are technically correct.

The word ''organic'' originally meant a product derived from an organism. Now everyone uses it for all kinds of things. I have seen it to describe gypsum!

Urea, even though it is manufactured artificially, is a naturally occuring molecule so it is accepted as an organic fertilizer.

Fredman, Why not just buy a bag of blood and bone, and a bottle of seaweed extract. Voila... Organic and cheap.

Well I received the blood and bone one today. This stuff is actually the perfect compromise between organic and chemical. Its derived mostly organically, and is in a ready for take up form. Well balanced according to a plant's needs...
A true organic fertilizer must be broken down first. That works well in the ground, but a pot is very different from a plant's point of view... to many variables in a pot environment.
I don't mind a well balanced chemical fert for use in a pot, but in the grander scale of things with the misuse of chemicals worldwide, and what affect it has on the environment, I think I found the perfect compromise. Very low impact on nature and perfect food for my trees...

Treeman that is a option worth thinking about. Not sure how complete blood and bone meal is, and how long does it take to be broken down, before the plant can actually use it. It might even be leached before its broken down....?

fredman wrote:
Treeman that is a option worth thinking about. Not sure how complete blood and bone meal is, and how long does it take to be broken down, before the plant can actually use it. It might even be leached before its broken down....?

It will start working after about a week or less. Nothing can be leached from the pot until it is broken down and becomes part of the solution first.