Dynamite has calcium but is missing zinc.
Osmocote Plus has Zn but is missing Ca.
However, the lime in most mixes adds Ca to my understanding, and pine bark (a component of most mixes) provides some zinc.
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Yeah I make my own soil mixes and would never add lime. It makes the mix way too basic especially if you use tap water which will supply plenty of calcium. Many fig growers use it, and I myself think it is a huge mistake. My mix has 3 parts pine bark, all other additives are 1 part of less, so zinc is probably good. I also use Foliage Pro and many organic fertilizers on all my plants.
Since I spent a bunch of time making it, I figured I would share the spreadsheet I made comparing different slow release fertilizers. Let me know if you want me to compare any others.
Here is a preview:
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Yeah using them for containers mostly and at 1/2 rate for vegetable raised beds top dressing in addition to compost. If I do use it on my in-ground trees I use it at 1/2 rate and only at the very start of the growing season.
By the way, some formulations I see use 6.6% Ammoniacal Nitrogen, 5.7% Nitrate Nitrogen and 6.7% Urea Nitrogen while others use 9.60% Ammoniacal Nitrogen and 8.40% Nitrate Nitrogen. What are the pros and cons of both in terms of use for growing vegetables, potted fruit trees and strawberries?
Urea and Ammonium acidify the soil to a degree- enough to be significant over time. They also stick around longer- bond a bit with the soil while nitrate can be quickly washed away, so in wet conditions (as is often in early spring) there is an advantage to this.
Iāve often read that nitrate is not good for blueberries- and beyond the acid issue- canāt remember the specifics off the top of my head- someone will likely chime in who knows.
Urea is the least expensive form of N besides anhydrous ammonia, which is great stuff for making bombs so farmers have to be careful about protecting it. It is not generally available to the general public.
Walmart here carries the 8lb bags of OC+ and typically clearance it in the fall to make room for xmas stuff. I got a few bags last year $10 / bag. This year Im hoping to pick up several moreā¦ Maybe up to 10 of them!
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When I looked there didnāt seem to be much in the way of generic Osmocote. Even the kind of product mentioned by Harvestman isnāt all that cheap in backyard gardener quantities.
They slice and dice Osmocote into every conceivable market niche. Finding it is a different matter. They have ammonia based only Osmocote if you like. Itās marketed as a special sticky version for commercial nurserymen who donāt want the stuff to fall out of the containers while shipping. I kid you not.
Once you learn your soil with a series of tests it is not that hard to keep on top of it. With conventional ferts.
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My garden is big, so I need a lot. I used this this year, and Iām happy with it. Others on the site too.
The site has free postage specials a couple times a year, sign up for notifications.
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Table I found for feeding with O+, for those who might be interestedā¦
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I heard Osmocote is coated in plastic, which is left to build up in your soil. Is this true?
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@dimitri_7a have you come across Nutricote time release fertilizer, made by a Japanese company and apparently it releases nutrients once its wet vs Osmocote which is based on temps. Thoughts?
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I would think it would dump everything if used here. As it can rain for many days in a row. I like the slow release system developed for NASA for use in space. A patented system. One of many patients on slow release systems. I like how it wonāt interfere with soil biology. It mimics organic fertilizer release just for longer time periods. Often offered with choices for time like 90, 120, 140, or 190 days. Amazing what has been developed for commercial farm use.
Florikan uses the Nasa developed formula but many others are good too. The longest release period I have seen is three years by Nutra Pro. Andersons has some great excellent products too as does HyRBrix.
Nutricote is made by Florikan and is the best in that flow of nutrients is most consistent among all the CFRs and is least affected by temperature. It releases nutrients into the soil every time water comes into contact with prills/pellets. Flow of nutrients primarily depends upon moisture and is moderately affected by temperature. As temperatures warm in the spring and cool in the fall, the release of nutrients will increase or decrease. This keeps the rate of release synchronized with the rate of plant growth. It supplies nutrients most consistently and most of specified time.
Osmocote is a temperature-release fertilizer and is very affected by temperature. If the temps are higher, the plant food is released quickly. It also tends to release nutrients very quickly initially and then slows down. So 6 month formulation only lasts 2-3 months at higher temperature and plants will get a lot initially and then very little. Its beads donāt dissolve and build up over time.
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I donāt believe the difference between Florikanās Nutricote and Osmocote is great enough to be of importance to even commercial growers, let alone hobbyists. This experiment found no meaningful difference in the efficacy of products from the two companies. Comparison between two controlled-release fertilizers on selected foliage plants in an artificial potting mix | SpringerLink
If you have information that contradicts this it would be helpful. I worry about companies disguising themselves to promote products on the internet.
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It might work for my climate which normally stays dry from July to September. Looks like Nutricote is also developed by Florikan as the poster mentioned below. Which one has the NASA tech?
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Yes and it probably is a decent fertilizer
I like to use products with a NPK ratio of
3-1-2. This is considered the average of what most plants need. Of course always exceptions to every rule. So many product are close to this ratio but many are not. I use this product this year and next. I like many products and so far this year Iām impressed with results. I have enough for next year.
Am Leonard offers free shipping from time to time. You just missed it. Sign on to mailing list to be notified of sales and such. Itās not cheap, you get what you pay for though. The price has nearly doubled! I paid 73 bucks about 18 months ago.
Results this year are excellent. Figs are coming in now. I still have a few pluots and peaches to harvest. Harvest volume is up. I canāt say itās just the fertilizer? But growth on everything is decent too.
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As far as I can tell and figure, both products are excellent for container growing, but I donāt run a greenhouse business and someone who does would have the most experience. I have lots of fruit trees growing in 25 gallon containers in my nursery, but I let roots escape into the soil and mulch the pots with woodchips so all I need to add is N, which can be had in much cheaper slow release forms than either of these two pricy products. Because I also use it for the orchards I manage I can use the bluish coated urea corn growers use and I buy it by bulk from an agricultural supplier. Itās called 90 day release, which pretty much gets me through the growing season and itās cheaper than buying the cheapest quick release urea based lawn fertilizer from a big box. Itās maybe double the price of straight urea, which fluctuates based on the price of natural gas, of course.
I use Osmocote for starting plants and a few vegetable plants I grow in pots to protect from pests. I would just as happily use a Florikan product if it is the same price or less. The type of potting soil you use is more important, I think. I used to get fine results with Miracle Gro and similar products, but why bother with a weekly chore that can be accomplished by doing just once a season?
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How much do you use it for your potted tree and in-ground tree, and when do you apply it in the season.
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The amount is the hard part! I use enough where their is a bead everything square 1/2 inch. Then work it in. I feed in groundās trees in the late fall. Feed amount by label suggestions. You will see this on labels these days as the so called experts are starting to favor fall application over spring. I feel both work so choose what works for you. I grow a lot in containers, and feed those such as my figs in the spring. I tend to up pot in the spring and add fertilizer in the new soil and also top dress them. I use about a cup for every yard of soil. I have no exact method. I try to lean towards too little then too much. I often add organic fertilizers all season to supplement the slow release. I decide which ones get more by observing growth rate and adding it to any plants that seem to be stalled in growth. I always have various organics. I also use compost and will mulch plants each spring with more. I have about 100 fruit plants in containers. Mostly figs but have mulberry, pomegranates, peaches, red and black currents, tomatoes and peppers in containers too.
For garlic in raised beds I donāt use slow release. They need a ton of nitrogen in the spring but only one heavy application of Organic in the spring. You want root growth. And nitrogen doesnāt help. I get the biggest bulbs that way. Works amazingly well!
Yesterday I harvested about 60 figs. The Florikan worked extremely well for them. I dried most of them ( well drying right now at low drying temp). Here is one of three trays I harvested yesterday.
I like to dry them whole at about 100 F for around 60 hours. I do this because Iām only home about every three days. Iām retired and stay on an island most of the growing season. Living the life!
My cottage on Russel Island. I grow here too but itās very shady in my yard only low light fruit plants.
The dogwood cherries are ripening here right now. I harvest them daily and freeze. I have 15 seedling trees that ripen at different times. I make a fantastic syrup with them.
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