Boron-Calcium-Fish-Kelp Spray

Boron & Calcium Fertilizer Spray

Home-made Recipe

for Seedlings, Vegetables, Flowers, Fruit Trees

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.   This home-made liquid addresses these deficiencies.

Boron is tricky because above 2parts per million it is toxic.  Below 0.8 ppm is a deficiency.   So do not over-do.  Don’t throw left-overs in the compost.

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!

Instructions

1. Measure out one gallon of non-chlorinated water into a mixing container (like small bucket) that allows you add more than one gallon, and has a wide opening so you can stir contents. (You‘ll be pouring contents into your spray can or watering can after mixing all ingredients.)

2. Mix Maxicrop separately in a bit of water and aggressively stir until dissolved before adding to your gallon of water.

3. Liquid fish (i.e. fish emulsion or hydrolysate):   shake well, then measure the amount into your gallon of water.

4. Mix Borax separately in a bit of water until thoroughly dissolved before adding to your gallon of water.

5. Addition options if you happen to have them:  actively aerated compost tea &/or worm tea:  These measurements are approximations, not absolute like the others.  It’s based more on what you might have available at the time.  The beneficial microbes & minerals in worm tea &/or compost tea will certainly hasten the benefits of your liquid fertilizer.

6. Stir very well.  Strain and pour into your sprayer or watering can

7. Dilute before applying-- 1 part tea to 5 parts water.  

When & Where to Apply   While I cannot make a specific recommended dosage & timing for your situation, this is the schedule I am following. 

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.  

Spruce Tree Note

For a sick-looking spruce tree at a friend’s house, I dowsed the following:

Make up 3 gallons of the above and drench around the drip line.  Follow by watering well to carry these nutrients down into the root system.

Apply just once between June 1 and July 15.

Apparently, all our spruces are stressed and could benefit by one annual treatment.

~~~ 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 or  evvisse@gmail.com