Need Help With Application Rates

[Shady Oaks Rick]

I'm new to organic gardening and I just become a member of the Howard's ground crew. I need to know the application rates of some of the organic stuff we use. These include store bought organic fertilizer, compost, corn meal, corn gluutem meal, cotton seed meal. dry molasses, lava sand. Texas green sand, and any other organic substance that I need to use. I would also like to find out the mixture to control FIRE ANTS in a lawn/yard. I need all the help I can get. I'm looking forward to ya'lls replies. Thanks, Rick

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

A good application rate for any of the grain based fertilizers is 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you are using corn GLUTEN meal as a weed preventer, use it up to 40 pounds per 1,000 with better results the more you use. I'll tell you now that at 15 pounds per 1,000 is becomes rocket fuel for your turf. I can't imagine what it would do if you applied more than that.

Compost application rate in turf is 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet. In beds you can use as much as you can afford.

The sands, etc., go on at anywhere from 10-50 pounds per 1,000. Usually the bag will tell you.

I realize Howard loves dry molasses but I don't see any reason for it. Plants make sugar and send it to the soil via the roots. Applying more just confuses the microbes. If you have to use molasses, consider wet molasses. Find a farmers co-op and get it there at wholesale prices. I get a gallon for a dollar.

Fire ants are controlled with sugar. Start with a gallon of water and mix in 3 ounces of molasses. Drench the mound with half the gallon and scatter the other half around the mound for about 10 feet. If that doesn't work in 24 hours, try adding one ounce of orange oil and drench again.