Fertilizer
Feather repast is an excellent obtuse - release source of constitutional N . Learn to apply it to your plants .
Feather repast is a fantasticorganic fertilizerhigh in nitrogen that can take the place of many synthetical liquid fertilizers in your garden . If you ’re wondering , “ What is plumage repast made of ? ” , the answer is as simple as it seems : feathers from poultry animals that have been harvested for core .
They ’re collected and subject to mellow temperature and force per unit area , then further labour up to take shape a all right powder . After they ’re dried , they ’re then box up for use in plant food mixes , animal intellectual nourishment , and more .
Best Feather Meal : Down to Earth 12 - 0 - 0
Benefits of Feather Meal
With an NPK ratio of ~12 - 0 - 0 , it ’s a fantastic supply of atomic number 7 and not much else . Some of the nitrogen is readily available for immediate use by your plant , but most is a tedious - release type contained within the keratin protein that comprises most of a feather ’s social organization .
As aprimary plant nutrient , atomic number 7 has Brobdingnagian benefits and impact on plant life growth :
I ’ve used feather repast to meliorate my soil after running a filth test and discovering my soil was exhaust of atomic number 7 . I had been growing grievous nitrogen feeders like corn whisky in the layer and it was entirely juiceless .
I did a quick lookup for quality feathering meal product , grabbed one from Down to Earth , add together to my cart , and voila : a steady author of slow release nitrogen to my dirt as soon as the packet arrived .
It ’s best lend oneself directly to the soil , mixed into the top few in as it is not piddle - soluble and must be in contact with dirt molecule and ground micro-organism to begin the vector decomposition process . Do not apply as a top - dressing .
How to Apply Feather Meal
Remember : it take time for the meal to go down , so feed your plants at a natural pace and do n’t go overboard . Once feather meal is added to your grunge , the micro-organism within your stain – bacteria , nematodes , fungi – all have roles in demote down into forms of atomic number 7 that are bioavailable for your plants .
So not only do you get to supply nitrogen to your filth , you ’re also building the life within your soil which has many more benefits than just the initial fertilizer app .
If you ’re typeset up a new organic vegetable garden in existing soil , mix 3 - 6 lbs per 100 sq . ft . into the grease . you may also mix a spoonful or two into the planting hole of transplanted vegetables .
As your crops progress , a side dress mix into the top few inches of soil will work quite well if done on a monthly basis .
If fecundate container flora , mix one to two tablespoons per gallon of soil if mixing a novel batch ofpotting mix . If remedy live houseplant or container veg , a humble quantity of 1 - 2 tbsp mix into the top inch of soil and water in is sufficient .
Potential Safety Issues
Because of the disgustful practice of factory - grow fowl , many chickens are exposed to antibiotic drug , antihistamine , fungicides , caffein , synthetic sex activity hormones , and other potentially harmful materials . like to how marine life story bioaccumulate toxin that can be harmful to human health , a subject found trace amounts of these compoundsin feather meal .
My personal take : if you recognize where you ’re getting your feather meal from and trust the way the chickens were raised , the potential issue should be quite minimal . Even still , it ’s a far honest product than additional sources of synthetic nitrogen that many hoi polloi dump on their soils , both for the soil animation and the environs .
