Fertilizer going ballistic

@BlueBerry, misuse of government programs are misuse al the time. Orchards are spraying more than the allotted times, especially with too much rains.
Chemicals that were used, not to be used by the general public were very potent. You have to have a license to able to buy and use.
Remember the Alar scare, where orchard growers needed chemicals to toughened the skin and make them more red. It sells better. Big Box help have a habit dropping stuff on occasion.
Corn/soybean rotation has very little nutritious value, don’t know now, how they do things If you don’t do nothing, just high doses of nitro.

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I thought Alar scare was shown be be a hoax.

I’ve got tons of extra fertilizers / manures stashed. Should be enough to last my lifetime. Some of my nitrogen fixers are high maintenance to trim them back every year.

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as long as i feed my chics they give me all i need. :wink:

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what are you growing for N fixers Clark? i have goumi, autumn olive, s. pea shrub and buffaloberry.

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Here are some links. We also use soybeans and other beans. Black locust, Buffalo berries and have tried and removed seaberries among others.

Use lots of clover

Autumn olives

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i have been patching and reseeding my lawn with Dutch clover for about 4 yrs. now and its starting to crowd out the creeping charlie and other grasses in between my food forest rows. it also seems to tolerate more shade than the lawn grass. as my rows of trees/ bushes mature, there will be limited growth in between the rows anyway.

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Steve, raise the pH some more and the clover’ll be even happier.

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Typically I use Roundup once a year in a circle…like the commercial orchards I learned from 40 years ago.

But, Sometimes I add leaves and/or chips.

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good to know. my soils on the acidic side 5.5-6.0.

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7.0 is a great number for clover…and for those that may not like dealing / clover,
crimson clover is an annual. Doesn’t get invasive.

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I’ve been growing Crimson clover in my cover crop mixes the last few falls (it survives through winter here) and it is a nice early flower for the pollinators besides the other benefits. I’m looking forward to trying Balansa clover next fall which is another cool-season annual and I think it is supposed to create even more N.

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This explains why the crown vetch used to go crazy below the limestone outcrop in my parents yard.

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that stuff is crazy vigorous. it was in a wildflower mix i put down on a steep ditch near the road and has just about took over there. it cant spread anywhere from where its at and that’s a good thing.

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Yea we mowed it down every couple of years to keep it in check. Definitely not something you plant and forget about.

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10-4

Before someone plants their place to clover I should mention it’s great fertilizer buy killer on lawn mowers. It’s very thick and if you get a little rain it’s very unpleasant to try and mow it.

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The crimson clover is beautiful here as an annual. Had an uppity government ag agent come over and tell me how my land had to “be just right” to get a good cover crop.

It grew so thick that the bush hog had a fit mowing, left it in the field after mowing, and it was near boot-top green mulch.

It is really pretty when it flowers too.

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Had several farmers tell me they were not going to plant certain crops due to fertilizer costs. Some has gone up over 200%. I just bought a ton for my orchard. Can’t imagine how they can make ends meet with the costs of equipment, diesel, irrigation,and seed.

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