Archives for October 2008

I have over 200 fruit seedlings with roots that I have started in the house in plastic baggies. They all are doing very well. They were getting big and tall so I have transplanted to soil still in the house near sufficient sunlight. I know there is a big difference in taste, nutrients, fullness, and overall growth of fruit and vegetables grown with fertilizer vs. no fertilizer. I know I need to use fertilizer. but which kind? organic or chemical. I have seen one organic called plantea that appears not to have any manure in it to trigger e coli. From the pros what can I do to make sure that my plants reach their peak in growth, nutrients, and taste when they are full grown. I have oranges, apples, mango, avocadoes, and cherries. All constructive advice is greatly appreciated. I know this is a lot, but I hope you all get my point.
As far as the compost I get a lot of feedback on it having a much higher probability in carrying e. coli. How true is it? Or does it depend on other factors.

Emily (above) is wrong in that plants are very selective in what they take up from soil due to the nature of their roots. The major plant nutrients Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, and Calcium are all taken from the soil in the same manner whether from "chemical" fertilizers or "organic" fertilizers. "Chemical fertilizers are easiest to use, but some "organic" fertilizers may be better for your soils. Chemical fertilizers do not cause anything toxic or unwholesome to happen in plants. Any fertilizer source "chemical" or "organic" can cause problems if applied in excess and if certain rare environmental and/or weather conditions occur. Don't lay awake nights worrying about this. Caution — some "organic" fertilizers are a rip-off.

Make your own compost using only waste products you select yourself. Then you can practically eliminate the e. coli factor. Have your compost analyzed every once in awhile by a laboratory to determine if it is a complete source of nutrients or if you need to alter the components of your compost. Learn proper composting to mitigate adverse odors and to make sure you are producing a true compost, not just a pile of undecomposed organic matter. Personally, I have no problem with chemical fertilizers because plants take up the nutrients just the same from chemical or decomposed organic matter sources. Compost has an advantage that it helps to build soil and allows you a productive way to recycle all the yard and farm wastes you generate. Be careful that you don't recycle plant diseases in your compost.

You may have one problem you didn't anticipate. Most fruits are produced by grafting a productive variety of tree onto a rootstock that is disease or drought resistant or some other desirable attribute. Thus, when you propagate the seed from those trees you will produce the same type of fruit, but will not have the benefit of whatever rootstock it was originally produced on. To further complicate matters, many fruit trees need to be pollinated by insects. Some have male flowers produced on trees separate from the female flowers produced on other trees. Keep all of this in mind. Once your seedlings attain some size, you may be able to graft them onto rootstocks you can buy. Try to locate a good book on all of what I have mentioned. It will make all your work to date valid and will save you much heartache and wasted work. Fruit tree production is a fairly complex science — which is what makes it such a great hobby or business.

And, by the way, if you plan to market your fruit as certified organic, then you have a complex set of rules you need to abide by to be able to retain your certified organic status. This may apply to things that have already been done on your property, so ask your local university Cooperative Extension Agent where to find your local certified organic guidelines.