CROP ROTATION example PART 6

Crop Rotation Example1 part six TSP

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.NPK -Even if all of these are present in adequate amounts plants sill need other nutrients to develop into healthy plants and produce healthy vegetable/fruits.

Lets take tomatoes for an example:

Tomatoes need: NPK, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron zinc, boron and copper

Ca = calcium

Mg=magnesium

B=boron

Zn=zinc

Fe=iron

Cu=copper

W=tungsten

S=sulfur

N=nitrogen

P=phosphorus

K= Potasium

PH for most garden needs to be between 5.5 and 7; somewhat acidic but not too much; 7 is neutral below 7 is considered acidic.  Above 7 denote alkaline and the higher the more alkaline.  Soil PH determines the chemical processes that take place and specifically affect the ability of pail to absorb nutrients.  The more balanced or neutral your soil PH is the better your plants can take up the nutrients they need.

Adding the micronutrients or trace nutrients needed are a little more difficult than NPK which are considered the macronutrients.  Apparently no studies have been done on which plants add most of these trace nutrients.  Low PH is usually an indication that the trace nutrients are in low quantities.  PH of tomatoes needs to be between 6.0 and 7.0.

For this year if you have not done cover cropping or crop rotation the following is some aids for adding the trace nutrients.  In the future you will save time, money and labor to start a regiment of rotating your crops or adding cover crops.

For calcium add dolomite or gypsum or limestone to raise the PH levels.  Egg shells and Milk can also be added around the plants.

For magnesium add one tablespoon on Epson salts per gallon of water and use as a foliar spray before the tomatoes flower.  I spray my tomatoes about once every two weeks if I see they need it during the growing season making sure I spray at dusk so foliage is dry before the sun comes out the next day. 

For Iron add lime or blood meal

 TABLE of elements 

Tomatoes need a minimum of seven other nutrients and minerals, in smaller amounts, to grow robust and healthy. Since all plants obtain their nutrients from the soil they are planted in, the preparation is essential to providing tomatoes with proper amounts. These "micronutrients" consist of calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, zinc, boron, and copper. Most of these are needed in very small amounts. Both overfeeding and starving your plants of these secondary compounds will result in highly undesirable effects.

Rotating crops for Tomatoes example:  the numbers for deletion nutrient comes for the Crop calculator I shared with you in Blog 5 or you an refer to a chart I made of the vegetable I have in my garden using that chart on my web site under NOP .. Charts    Vegetable depletion  

ROTATION SCHEDULE
PLANT	year	DEPLETED		add	depleted	add	depleted	add
		Nitrogen			Potassium		K-Potash
tomato	2012	0.1535			0.0283		0.2567
winter wheat	winter 2012			NR				K	W, TS
corn	2013	0.2832			0		0
beans	late 2013	0.1835		N	0.0305	P	0.1411	B	B, SS
pumpkins	2014	0.2412			0.0367		0.2593
cowpeas	winter 2014			N		P			W, TS, B
B=harbors beneficial insects
SS=Open sub soil
W=weed suppress
TS= mellow top soil
NR=takes up and hold soilable soil

A rotation schedule needs to be made for each vegetable you plant.  At the very least do not plant the same vegetable in the same spot year after year.  Even with a small garden rotate out you vegetable and try a winter kill crop for adding more nutrient.  This charting take a little time but once done very easy to continue.