We planted a few Siberian Pea shrub in our orchard for the nitrogen fixing properties. And they make good windbreaks when mature. The blossoms attract bumblebees in the spring and the seeds appeal to the quail in the Fall.
For us, the diversity in our orchard seems to have created a healthy ecology. Comfrey, Caraway, Daffodils, Summery Savory, Clary Sage, Sorrel, Rhubarb and St John’s Wort are additional plants we like. We also plant squashes, pumpkins and zucchini in 1st year orchard rows. They make a great living mulch and extra food for men and beasts.
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i have everything you mentioned here except the sorrel and alot you didnt… 
Would you share the plants I did not list? Please 
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way too many to list . some of my favorites are Egyptian onions, chives, basil, lemon balm, chicory, chamomile, alpine strawberries, arctic raspberries, lowbush blueberries. for easy no spray bush fruit / nuts its currants, elderberry, gooseberry, aronia, honeyberry, serviceberry, highbush blueberry , autumn olive ,arctic kiwi and hybrid hazelnuts. blackberry and raspberries. apple, plum, mulberry, pear, nanking cherry and sour cherry. thats most of them but small patches of others. and some have many cultivars.
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for the Siberian pea shrub – how did you germinate your seeds?
i had mine stored in the freezer for a few months, then just planted in flats. most took.
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I don’t know how much the price of fertilizer has gone up for 13 13 13 (40#) but it is currently listed for 22.18. Glad I don’t need to purchase very much.
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No worry about N here in the US. We plan on upping production of anhydrous ammonia (made from natural gas) and dumping it everywhere in the world that grows things.
Its best not to read anything about the environmental impacts of ammonia fertilizer or look into anything about global ammonia hotspots.
The future of fertilizer is to add petroleum coke and coal fly ash to fertilizers. They are doing it now with good results.
Lots of oil waste products will grow things now and in the future.
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Our nitrogen (34-0-0) is almost $.50 cents a pound. $22-26 for a 50 pound bag. I don’t see how farmer’s break even. We buy a ton or more per year and it hurts the bottom line.
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Just bought a ton of 5-10-15-1 at $575 per ton.
34-0-0 has dropped to $600 a ton. Cheapest I’ve seen it in about five years.
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That is equivalent to $14.75/bag for fertilizer and $15/bag for nitrogen. Have you noticed you can’t buy ammonia nitrate? It is all with added sulphur these days, sulphur means heavily acidifying your soil. Also, translating nutrient ratios, 13-13-13 will still cost you over $20/bag.
But it was a lot higher last year. Nitrogen was $1100 a ton 6 months ago. 5-10-15-1 was $2 a bag higher.
19-19-19 was a lot cheaper than last year but didn’t have any added nutrients.
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I compost my food waste, coffee grounds from my office, and all the leaves I rake up in the fall. Cost to me: 0 dollars and a little bit of time.
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I do too, but working on a per ton basis is a different ball game! Also more challenging to get needed NPK values without a known input if a soil test shows what is needed.
Any little bit we can do at home helps relieve stress on the overall system.
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My trees have to have zinc, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium at set amounts per acre.
Hard to do organically.
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Absolutely, I get it! Having that kind of data helps with decision making. Without soil tests it’s hard to quantify.
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Looks like prices are back to normal at least…Im going to be making a custom mix for my orchards and gardens and would like some input, if there are any experts out there. My soil is chronically low in both N and P, to the point that my plants dont grow much at all without supplementing it. Local agri fertilizer place will custom mix whatever I want. My soil tests out at 6.2ph so I dont really need strong acidification, but soil test also shows I can use a little more sulfur. This is the ratio Im thinking about having them mix for me. I will buy enough to last for a few years.
50% MAP, 40% Urea, 10% ammonium sulfate
MAP = MAP 11-52-0 Mono Ammonium Phosphate
Urea = 46 % N
Ammonium Sulfate = 21-0-0
Ive thought about bumping MAP up to 60% and Urea down to 30% also… Any Feedback?
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After doing my homework regarding sourcing of organic fertilizers in bulk like fish based fertlizers and realizing most from the greatlakes, Florida and Atlantic ocean are loaded with PFOS, I’ve scratched my plan to go organic, opting fo the practicality, affordability and purity of petrochemical fertilizers. The omri and organic label means nothing to me. I went with Menards 30-0-5, 2 month lawn food. 50# for $36
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