Banana peel, oyster shell flower, and Epsom Salts tea

Raven121415

Well-Known Member
I have 8 banana peels, 1c oystershell flower crums for chickens ground into powder, and 4 tbsp epsom salts seperated into 2 mason jars. I will let sit in the sun in a window indoors with 72° indoor temps. For approx 3-4 days. I am using Espoma Garden Tone for nutes. Transplanted on 9/5, and just topdressed the 1/3c it recommends on the package on 8/6. My plan is to dilute each jar into 2 gal ro water each and then using that for my next water @ 1gal per 5 gal bucket. Do you think this tea will be nesecery, or should the 1/3c Garden Tone we watered in be good enough? I know K is important to bud production, and I have used pure ro water to this point and have just now noticed slight deficiencies of N, Ca, and Mg. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. Oh, I am also planning to add the strained mush to my compost pile!
 

RandomHero8913

Well-Known Member
Minus the epsom salt I would toss all that in the compost. If you’re showing deficiencies a kelp & alfalfa/neem/karanja tea would help you out more. After you made your tea, strain it and topdress the plants with it and water in with the tea. If you have any compost handy you could always cover what you topdressed with it and then water in for a better effect.
 

Raven121415

Well-Known Member
Minus the epsom salt I would toss all that in the compost. If you’re showing deficiencies a kelp & alfalfa/neem/karanja tea would help you out more. After you made your tea, strain it and topdress the plants with it and water in with the tea. If you have any compost handy you could always cover what you topdressed with it and then water in for a better effect.
Yeah, thats not very easy to get around here. Lol I have commercial rabbit pellet feed for alfalfa, also have hay, but mxed with more Timothy Grass than Alfalfa. I just started a new compost run and don't have any ready yet. I use chicken and duck bedding, produce scraps, and oystershell flower, rabbit feed pellets, hay, and canna trimmings from last harvest, culled males, and 2 slow growers, as well as the light defol I gave the bottoms of these 4.
 

RandomHero8913

Well-Known Member
Yeah, thats not very easy to get around here. Lol I have commercial rabbit pellet feed for alfalfa, also have hay, but mxed with more Timothy Grass than Alfalfa. I just started a new compost run and don't have any ready yet. I use chicken and duck bedding, produce scraps, and oystershell flower, rabbit feed pellets, hay, and canna trimmings from last harvest, culled males, and 2 slow growers, as well as the light defol I gave the bottoms of these 4.
The tea likely wont have much of anything immediately available so your best bet will be using the garden-tone.
 

Raven121415

Well-Known Member
You too bud. If you can, try and source some kelp meal it’ll cover your bases on micronutrients.

Here is a good source with free shipping

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Organic-5-LB-bag-Atlantic-Kelp-Meal-Pure-Natural-Seaweed-Garden-Fertilizer-/351764556889?_mwBanner=1
Thanks! I am starting to price items for my soil mix for next run. I am just getting started with organics. I have 20 gal of recycled soil I built then amended with the Garden Tone. I am looking to add Promix HP with Myco, Kelp Meal, Neem Meal, Crab Meal, Blood Meal, Bone Meal, Oyster Shell Flower, Compost (my own from chicken and duck manuer, produce, mj plant matter, hay, and commercial rabbit feed pellets), EWC, Green Sand, and Silica Powder. Any suggestions with that ingredient list?
 

RandomHero8913

Well-Known Member
Promix HP- I've never used it. The cost of one bale is usually greater than all my soil combined.
Kelp Meal - Agree
Neem Meal - Agree - Don't cut corners with neem. This is a great source http://www.neemresource.com/NeemCake.html
Crab Meal - Agree
Blood meal - I've never used it always replaced it with alfalfa
Bone Meal - I've never used it always used Fish Bone Meal instead
Oyster Shell Flour - Optional, you'll have calcium from EWC, Crab and Fish/Bone meal. I would replace with Gypsum to add sulfur
Compost - I can't agree more
EWC - I can't agree more
Green Sand - I've never used it I replaced this with rock dust, glacial at first. Check out your local quarries first, ask what kind of rock they are crushing and if they have what they call "Crusher Fines." This is also a good source for further digging - http://rockdustlocal.com/index.html
Silica Powder - I started with Pro-tek then went to Agsil-16H which you dissolve in water and then water in.
 

Raven121415

Well-Known Member
Awesome! Is it cheaper to just get a bail of the $10 Peat Moss and add powdered mycos? Mind you, I live in a not legal state, and in a large agricultural community. Not much in the way of stores besides Walmart and a hardware store. Lol
 

RandomHero8913

Well-Known Member
Awesome! Is it cheaper to just get a bail of the $10 Peat Moss and add powdered mycos? Mind you, I live in a not legal state, and in a large agricultural community. Not much in the way of stores besides Walmart and a hardware store. Lol
Thats what I do. I just grab a bale of peat moss from HD or lowes. I've never bought powdered mycos so I can't speak one way or the other about them. I've noticed that they add myco to some bagged composts and if I see that I'll grab a bag and consider it done.

If you have any Farm & Feed stores near you drop by and see what they have. A lot of times they have almost everything you need and they can order what they don't have in store at no shipping cost for you.
 

Raven121415

Well-Known Member
Thats what I do. I just grab a bale of peat moss from HD or lowes. I've never bought powdered mycos so I can't speak one way or the other about them. I've noticed that they add myco to some bagged composts and if I see that I'll grab a bag and consider it done.

If you have any Farm & Feed stores near you drop by and see what they have. A lot of times they have almost everything you need and they can order what they don't have in store at no shipping cost for you.
Yeah, quite a few of those. I would be worried about being questioned as to why I am getting this stuff through the winter though. Lol
 

RandomHero8913

Well-Known Member
You can get quite a few things from HD or Lowes. Just use the self checkout. It sounds like you have chickens and ducks so there are plenty of reasons for picking up a few things to 'try' out at the farm & feed. Even if you don't you can always say you do. You can always drive to the next town over or something if you live in a small town and everyone knows you. Or just order online.
 
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