Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design Re: Soil improvement enquiry 3Jul 13, 2009 10:37 am No...didn't dissolve it in hot water first. It's a bit difficult to do that for 20 or 30 watering cans worth so I only used the molasses on one small area so far. I'm not sure how to work out the logistics yet. I might be able to work out something with an empty Seasol spray on pack because they cover a lot more than a watering can will, and better for the back. Re: Soil improvement enquiry 6Jul 13, 2009 7:27 pm No don't because it will start to ferment overnight. The molasses won't dissolve first go, but like in my thread, you don't need to worry about that too much. Just leave it stuck on the bottom, fill it up again and do the next bit ![]() ![]() Now the other products. I do detect some element of you being sucked into a vortex of filling your shed with hundreds of things ![]() ![]() Seasol do many products you may not recognise that are available to farmers and the like. They even do a seaweed powder to give to dogs on their food and for cattle. All very good but like many products they have a retail name and a commercial name ![]() The liquid humate products are all a response to Seasol's Powerfeed product. Other companies want in on the market too so they all follow along with copies that are inferior because Seasol have the powerfeed down pat using things the others can not. I only know of one other product that even comes close, and it isn't any of those ![]() Be careful of soil moisture sensors. You need to be paying over $200 for one before you get anything remotely reliable. Those things from garden centres with a little needle are not worth the money you pay for them. Your finger will out perform them ![]() ![]() ![]() Anyway... You do have the right view of feeding the soil and not the plant. ![]() ![]() If you do get organic composts make sure they are certified organic with a NASAA http://www.nasaa.com.au/welcome1.html certification or a BFA certification http://www.bfa.com.au/ They are very different to organic composts I can assure you ![]() Re: Soil improvement enquiry 7Jul 13, 2009 7:58 pm I haven't tried the local stock feeders yet for molasses but noticed in the local hardware shop which stocks some things for horse owners they had 2 L ex milk containers filled with mollasses for $4 etc. I think we'll be leaving gardening until next year some how. I want to get retaining walls and retic in first. Re: Soil improvement enquiry 9Jul 14, 2009 9:55 am ![]() I haven't tried the local stock feeders yet for molasses but noticed in the local hardware shop which stocks some things for horse owners they had 2 L ex milk containers filled with mollasses for $4 etc. I think we'll be leaving gardening until next year some how. I want to get retaining walls and retic in first. I just bought 10L bucket at a stock feed store for $8.99 in Melb. Fu, how ofter should I add molasses to: Lawn? Garden Beds? Thanks Re: Soil improvement enquiry 10Jul 14, 2009 11:52 am Well there is no clear rates that I know of. The guy who got me onto it grows citrus plants for orchardists and he uses it on his crops just 4 or 5 times a year. On turf it seems to be a little more often. There doesn't seem to be any usage guide to it. I am just working it out as i go and i know you guys like to see something that says use this much, over this area, this many times a year ![]() ![]() I haven't used the molasses in a few months now. I can't recall using a lawn fertiliser in years. I have the only green healthy lawn in the street ![]() ![]() I do use molasses on the garden sometimes more and sometimes less than the lawn. It is just when i feel the soil might need it. Again it doesn't help you much ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Re: Soil improvement enquiry 11Jul 14, 2009 7:16 pm Ah FuMan, you are a person after my own heart ![]() ![]() ![]() Maggie Re: Soil improvement enquiry 12Jul 14, 2009 11:52 pm A quick easy way to get Molasses is from http://www.gardenersdirect.com.au/contact.html and give them a call. You can get smaller amounts delivered to the door ![]() ![]() Or duck out to Mirco Bros in Wangara or up near the end of Hester Ave and Wanneroo Rd. Re: Soil improvement enquiry 13Jul 15, 2009 9:44 am Thanks everyone for their suggentions. Fu, the other products I mentioned - (Liquid Humate and Seasol +) are both made by Seasol. I just asked because those two products come in much larger amounts than the Powerfeed and Seasol. I was also wondering what the difference was between those commercial products as opposed to the consumer products other than the amounts. Do you have any suggestions on controlling Oxalis without killing the groundcover it's trying to mingle with, or kidney weed, or another little dicot weed that seems to spring up everywhere and looks like a blackberry without the spikes (and not dock)? I've just tried a concoction of Zero, a little bit of Seasol and red food colouring, but it's very hard to paint on without getting any on the good plants. Cheers, Jamie Re: Soil improvement enquiry 14Jul 15, 2009 11:19 am You can kill the oxalis by .... well you're stuffed ![]() ![]() pull it out for the next 100 years. Paint on some glyho and take a few hits in what you want to keep. If you can get the seasol in the commercial quanties and the related products, do it ![]() Re: Soil improvement enquiry 15Jul 15, 2009 2:54 pm Thanks again Fu. I went past PlantMark again today, actually scouring for some plants and had a look again at some of the products. The GroundBreaker stuff (in my initial post) looks pretty nasty. The directions say to hose off from foliage after you use it, water it in well the next day and to avoid runoff. That doesn't fill me with confidence There seem to be 4 commercial Seasol products available in 20L packs - Seasol + Plus, Liquid Organic Humate, Powerfeed and one with a soil wetting agent in it (which I certainly don't need). One other question. Does anyone know of a native plant version of blood and bone? B&B looks a bit high in phosphorus and I have a few natives including 3 grevilleas (which I'd like to keep). Cheers, Jamie Re: Soil improvement enquiry 16Jul 15, 2009 9:14 pm Phosphorus sensitivity is only applicable to native plants that are Proteaceae. Even then not all are as sensitive as others. try blood and bone that is just blood and bone without anything added. Otherwise try the seamungus product by neutrog ![]() ![]() Also Garden gold for natives ![]() For start they need a special permit from the council exciding 3metres if your in Victoria. That's a fact I had to pay extra $400 to build on the boundary. 1 7757 did you builder accepted that for final design ? our builder want to do final soil test after demolition as soil gets disturbed , pre build we got P with H1 but post… 8 18587 |