Boron-Calcium-Fish-Kelp Spray

Nourishing Organic Liquid Fertilizer

Make this at home!

for Seedlings, Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits

Typically, South Central Alaskan soils lack boron (B) and are low in calcium (Ca). These minerals are essential but deficient.  The lack of B & Ca prohibits other minerals from fully functioning for plant growth & health.   This home-made liquid addresses these deficiencies.

Boron is tricky it’s needed in parts per million (ppm).  A ppm is equivalent to 1 tsp in a conex container volume.  Boron above 2 parts per million is toxic.  Below 0.8 ppm is a deficiency.   So do not over-do.  Don’t throw left-overs in the compost (or greatly dilute & spread it out).

Measurements           3 tsp = 1 Tbs.         4 Tbs = ¼ cup.          16 Tbs = cup            16 cups= 1 gallon

Use as a foliar or a drench application, or both at once.

Foliar = apply liquid to plant leaves (foliage) with sprayer or watering can. 

Drench = soak the soil over the root zone at drip line of plants or trees.

Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients, dilute and apply immediately & use it all.  Or refrigerate a few days.  Use within a month.  Also, be sure to label and date everything!

Ingredients. You’ll need

Maxicrop soluble seaweed, liquid fish emulsion or liquid fish hydrolysate, liquid homemade calcium, and Borax laundry detergent.

If you have one of these, also use compost tea, worm tea, or humic acid.

Instructions—please DOWNLOAD full recipe & instructions. Follow closely for drench and foliar feedings. Yes, it’s free, whee!

Apply:

While I cannot make a specific recommended dosage & timing for your situation, this is the schedule I am following with positive results:

Vegetables & Flowers:  

1st application:    Drench seedlings before transplanting to garden. 

2nd application:  foliar & drench in garden during first week of August. 

Fruit trees, shrubs, soft fruits:

1st application:  foliar spray just after leaves open but before fruit development begins.  

2nd application:   Drench with this same formula in July.

Avoid 3rd applications so you do not cause excess boron which is toxic to plants. 

Do this same routine annually.  Boron is leached out of soil by rain & irrigation waters.  

~~~ If you follow this regimen, I would love to hear from you!~~~

--What do you observe? --What changes do you notice?

--What difficulties did you have?

--If there is a scientist in you, try half a row of crops with and half the row crop without.  See what you observe.     

--Ellen/Ellie VandeVisse, information@goodearthgardenschool.com