Organic Fertilization is completely opposite of commercial chemical fertilization programs. Instead of applying a certain amount of N-P-K for each plant, we balance the soil with nutrients in a fashion that allows the plant to draw the necessary nutrients from the soil as they are needed by the plant. This ensures that the plant attains proper maturity, growth rate, and yield. This method is called Biological Ionization. Chemical fertilization programs call for N-P-K, sometimes calcium and thats it, none of the other minerals or nutrients are even considered. When stressful conditions arise, this is why most chemical gardens will need pesticides, fungicides, nematicides and other dangerous chemicals to solve symptoms of poor soil nutrition. After spraying, fumigating etc., the problems can return because only the symptom was addressed and not the problem, which is poor soil nutrition.

Nature Meal Fertilizers are blended with Essential Minerals including our Glacial Rock Dust, Soft Rock Phosphate, Paramagnetic Rock (Volcanic Rock Dust) and Diatomaceous Earth. All of the basic minerals necessary for plants to grow fast and healthy, Boron, Calcium, Chlorine, Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Silicon, Sodium, Sulfur, Zinc. These Rock Dusts also contain a vast array of minute trace minerals. Nature Meal Fertilizers take advantage of what nature has to offer by balancing the soil with proper nutrition! All from natural organic sources.

The following program has been thoroughly tested and proven, however many successful organic gardeners make variations that fit there local ecology and soil conditions. Learn to feed your soil properly and year after year it will improve. With proper balanced inputs your soil will need LESS each year.

Note: Raised bed figures are for a 4 ft X 16 ft bed or 64 square feet. Nature Meal Fertilizers weigh 1 1/4 pounds per quart which equals 4 cups. When mixing products with water do not use chlorinated (city) water. Rain water is ideal, but if you have no other choice, let water stand in open bucket for at least 2 hours, stir several times, before mixing ingredients. If the smell of chlorine still persists, wait 24 hours and try again.

Basic Program

Spring

•Micro-Nutrients Soil Conditioner
1-2 ounces mixed with 2-5 gal of water per bed.
•Nature Meal for Vegetables
1 1/4 pounds (4 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.

Summer

•Nature Meal for Vegetables
1 1/4 pounds (4 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
Add every 30 days and or when plant flowers.

Fall

•Micro-Nutrients Soil Conditioner
1-2 ounces mixed with 2-5 gal of water per bed.
•Nature Meal for Vegetables for fall crops.
1 1/4 pounds (4 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
Add every 30 days and or when plant flowers.

Moderate Program

Spring

•Micro-Nutrients Soil Conditioner
3-4 ounces mixed with 2-5 gal of water per bed.
•Nature Meal for Vegetables
1 1/4 pounds, (4 cups) ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
Add every 30 days and or when plant flowers.
•Nature Meal for Tomatoes
1 1/4 pounds, (4 cups) ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.

Summer

•Nature Meal for Vegetables
1 1/4 pounds, (4 cups) ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
Add every 30 days and or when plant flowers.
•Sea Grow Plus
2 ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed, every 1 to 2 weeks.

Fall

•Micro-Nutrients Soil Conditioner
3-4 ounces mixed with 2-5 gal of water per bed.
•Nature Meal for Vegetables
1 1/4 pounds, (4 cups) ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
Add every 30 days and or when plant flowers.
•Nature Meal for Tomatoes for fall crops.
1 1/4 pounds (4 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.

Advanced Program

Spring

•Micro-Nutrients Soil Conditioner
3-4 ounces mixed with 2-5 gal of water per bed.
•Nature Meal for Vegetables
1 1/4 pounds (4 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
•Nature Meal for Tomatoes
1 1/4 pounds (4 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
•Actinovate
Apply 1 teaspoon for each 1000 square feet.
•Diatomaceous Earth
1/4 pounds (2 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.

Summer

•Micro-Nutrients Soil Conditioner
3-4 ounces mixed with 2-5 gal of water per bed.
•Sea Grow Plus
3 ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed, every 1 to 2 weeks.
•Actinovate
Apply 1 teaspoon for each 1000 square feet.
•Diatomaceous Earth
1/4 pounds (2 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.

Fall

•Micro-Nutrients Soil Conditioner
3-4 ounces mixed with 2-5 gal of water per bed.
•Sea Grow Plus
1-2 ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed, every 1 to 2 weeks.
•Nature Meal for Vegetables
1 1/4 pounds, (4 cups) ounces for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.
Add every 30 days and or when plant flowers.
•Nature Meal for Tomatoes for fall crops
1 1/4 pounds (4 cups) for each 4 ft X 16 ft bed.

Winter

•Get a soil test for each bed. Apply proper products to balance the soil according to the recommendations below.

Calcium: 2000 - 4000 lbs/acre, 45.9 - 91.8 lbs/1000 sq ft
Magnesium: 285 - 570 lbs/acre, 6.5 - 13.1 lbs/1000 sq ft
Phosphate: 400 lbs/acre, 9.2 lbs/1000 sq ft
Potassium: 200 lbs/acre, 4.6 lbs/1000 sq ft
Nitrate Nitrogen: 40 lbs/acre, .9 lbs/1000 sq ft
Ammonium Nitrogen: 40 lbs/acre, .9 lbs/1000 sq ft
Sulfate: 200 lbs/acre, 4.6 lbs/1000 sq ft
ERGS: 200 - 600 micro mhos
pH: 6.2 - 7.4
Sodium: 10 - 35 lbs/acre, .9 lbs/1000 sq ft

Weed Control

Weeds are a highly misunderstood function of nature. It is commonly believed that a healthy soil supports weeds and crops equally well. Weeds in actuality are a result of poor soil nutrition and balance. Weeds play an essential role in signalling the level of nutrition within the soil. Here are some examples, sour grass weeds like quackgrass are indicators of calcium deficiency, broadleaf weeds are indicators of improper phosphate to potassium ratio, succulent types of plants like pursilane are indicators of soils that are deficient in active carbon.

Armed with a knowledge of weeds and their meanings can help gardeners recognize nutrient deficiencies in the soil. Nutrient soil optimums as listed are beneficial to plant growth and detrimental to weed growth. With recent findings that Corn Gluten Meal acts as a natural pre-emergent, we now have effective way to fight weeds early in the soil building process. Corn Gluten Meal can be a great help when starting with poor soils.

Disease and Insect Control

Insects are a major concern for most gardeners who use standard chemical fertilizers and practices. However, for a good organic gardener insects do not hang around much. This is a result of the higher quality of the plant and produce grown in organic gardening. Insects can only eat plants that contain sugar levels that are below a certain level. If an insect feed on a plant that has too much sugar the insect dies from fermentation of the sugar within its body. Insects are like vultures, they like to feed on stuff nobody else wants to eat, they are nature's way of removing weak plants. Chemical nutrients naturally decrease the sugar level of the plant, and increase the water content of the plant, therefore, making  it the perfect dinner for insects. That is why so many pesticides are used in commercial farming and gardening.

The same principal applies to fungi and disease, disease attacks sub standard plants because it is nature's way of removing the weak. There are certain plants and situations that are more susceptible to disease and insects than others. In an organic garden, insects and disease if present, can easily be controlled with Diatomaceous Earth and Actinovate.

The key to having successful organic garden is to make sure that the soil is correctly balanced with calcium and phosphate. Calcium is the back-bone nutrient for plant health, it's most responsible for cell generation within the plant. Phosphorus is the nutrient carrier and catalyst in all plants. Phosphorus is the main nutrient relied upon for photosynthesis and metabolic activity.

Cover crops

Cover crops can be very beneficial to our planet, our farm and especially to our gardens. Whether you are growing in rows on an open surface or using raised beds, cover crops are a very good way to improve your soil. The reasons of benefits of planting cover crops are many.
Here are just a few:

To bring up minerals to the surface for future crops.
To loosen hard soils.
To build humus in the soil.
To increase nitrogen levels in the soil.
To improve soil texture.
To increase bio activity in the soil.
To improve drainage and hold moisture in the soil.
To reduce soil erosion.
To reduce leaching.
To reduce viruses and disease problems.

Cover crops can be planted all year long, for instance when a bed or section of the garden is not in use cover crops can be used in preparation for the next crop or season. Fall is the most popular time to plant cover crops, also after the first freeze or when the garden is finished for the season. Early spring when soil temps start to rise is the next most popular time to plant cover crops.

Planting a mixture of cover crop plants is beneficial because of the varied composition of elements in different plants. Legume, clover and alfalfa. Non-Legume plants provide green manure when tilled under that adds to nitrogen, humus, and many minerals.

It is a good practice to fertilize your cover crops prior to planting with calcium, rock phosphate, and rock dust to ensure healthy-efficient plants. The cover crop can also help to make unavailable nutrients, available for later crops as well as provide weed control.

Cover crops should be tilled, plowed, and worked under at the first sign of bloom. This is when the plant is offering peak nutritional value for the soil. Cover Crops are a tremendous tool for soil re-mediation.