Complete organic fertilizer – adapted for the West Coast.

Donna Blazar has adapted Steve Solomon’s recipe for complete organic fertilizer for use on the West Coast.

DONNA BALZER’S 2019 Complete Organic Fertilizer– West Coast Soils

• Enough COF to cover 100 Square feet (10 square metres)
• 3 Litres high protein seed meal (percentage of protein will be on bag)
• 1 litre Fishbone meal (I now use Rock Phosphate in same amount but soft rock Phosphorus or bonemeal works too)
• 1 Litre kelp meal
•   500 ml Azomite (optional)
• 500 ml Ag limestone (#100 screen)
• 500 ml Ag gypsum
• 75 – 100 ml Potassium sulphate (optional but i was low on K so am adding now)

MIX WELL by pouring between buckets (Outdoors please! Don’t inhale dust!) Use right away or store in rodent-proof container.

Other Ingredients- mixed with water and sprayed on separately or mixed with COF recipe above:

• 5 ml (1 tsp) laundry Borax (Mule Team Laundry Borax) – spray on soil not on plants
• 7.5 ml (1 ½ tsp) zinc sulphate mixed with 2 litres water and sprayed on leaves (Donna Balzer bought at pharmacy)
• 7.5 ml (1 ½ tsp) magnesium sulfate – sold as Epsom salts, Could also mixed with 2 litres water and sprayed on plants and soil.
• 5 ml (1 tsp) copper sulphate (various sources including Bordens, Victoria). Alternately mixed with 2 litres water and sprayed on plants.

If plant growth slows down, side-dress rows with another 2 litres of the above COF mix mid-season.

Note: this mix does not replace soil testing

. Optional: Add up to 1 litre of the COF Finished mixture to compost pile and then water in well.

Contact Donna for additional information.

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE DOLOMITE FOR OTHER LIMES – Dolomite is lime (Ca) with Magnesium and it can cause tight soils where there is clay and will mess with the Calcium/Magnesium balance required to mineralize soils.

The ideal balance to create nutrient dense food is: Calcium 68%, Magnesium 12%, Potassium 4%, Sodium 2% Sources for materials listed above: Station Farm & Feed on Port Alberni Highway ; BuckerFields in Parksville, Bordens in Victoria
Based on Steve Solomon’s “The Intelligent Gardener” Book page 84-85. Converted for Canadians by Donna Balzer based on materials available for gardeners.