(Soils derived from serpentine rock contain almost toxic levels of
magnesium and should not receive dolomite. Alkaline soils may still
benefit from additional calcium and should get gypsum instead of
ordinary lime.)
1/2 part by volume: kelp meal or other dried seaweed.
To use this fertilizer, broadcast and work in about one gallon per
each 100 square feet of growing bed or 50 feet of row. This is
enough for all low-demand vegetables like carrots, beans and peas.
For more needy species, blend an additional handful or two into
about a gallon of soil below the transplants or in the hill. If
planting in rows, cut a deep furrow, sprinkle in about one pint of
fertilizer per 10-15 row feet, cover the fertilizer with soil and
then cut another furrow to sow the seeds in about two inches away.
Locating concentrations of nutrition close to seeds or seedlings is
called "banding."
I have a thick file of letters thanking me for suggesting the use of
this fertilizer blend. If you've been "building up your soil" for
years, or if your vegetables never seem to grow as large or lustily
as you imagine they should, I strongly suggest you experiment with a
small batch of this mixture. Wouldn't you like heads of broccoli
that were 8-12 inches in diameter? Or zucchini plants that didn't
quit yielding?