Australian Fertilizers

[echinopora]

Looking for advice either from Aussie growers or anyone who wants to look at the analysis of a few of the fertilizers that are available at the local depot.

YaraMila Complex 25kg bag $33
Nutrients
N   12%
P   4.8%
K   15%
Ca   2.5%
Mg   1.6%
S   8%
B   0.015%
Fe   0.2%
Mn   0.02%
Zn   0.022%

Nitrophoska special 12-5-14-8 25Kg bag $30
http://www.incitecpivotfertilisers.com.au/~/media/Files/Nitrophoska%20Special%20Brochure.pdf

Amgro prolific 12-5-14 or 10-2-20 (banana) 20kg bag $20
http://amgrowcorporate.net.au/barmac/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/12/Prolific-Range_2-bags-PIS-1.pdf

And for foliar TE they have
CMX TE Foliar 500g powder is $26
Cu 1.7% as EDTA
Fe 3.34% as EDTA
Mn 1.7% as EDTA
Zn 0.6% as EDTA
Boron 0.875%
Mo 0.023%

Right right now I'm just using chicken manure pellets, horse manure, blood an bone (whichever is available, cheapest, broken bags etc) mixed with rock crusher dust with some TE spray quarterly. I throw some potash around before the bloom cycle starts and a little more on bananas. Trees are all young and just coming into bearing. Still not entirely sure I want to start with chemical fertilizer, but looking at all the options. Might be time to get a little more scientific. I've noticed some deficiencies showing up in the black sapote(mg), citrus(zn or mn?) and jackfruit(mg). Really I've been fertilizing without any real "plan", and I figure like anything in life I'd be better off If i had one. Soil sampling is underway.

[Mike T]

Are you on basalt derived soil, sandy or maybe weathered metamorphic ? Make sure the artificial fertilizers have micronutrients with bo.mo,zn and apply extra potash and mg.This is on top of chook poo.A few times a year and well away from the trunk.

[echinopora]

I've seen both basaltic derived kraznostem and clay loam ferrosoil used to describe the dirt around here. At our place there is maybe a 10 cm organic band followed by 40 to 60cm of loose brown/red clay loam. After 60 to 80 cm you are into heavy red clay for several meters before hitting basalt.