Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

treatment causes a little nitrogen loss and an increase in phosphorus. Steamed bones are easier to grind into a fine powder, and the process helps nutrients become available sooner. It contains up to 30 percent phosphorus and about 1.5 percent nitrogen. The finer the bone meal is ground, the faster it becomes available.
    Cottonseed meal is the leftover by-product of oil extraction. According to the manufacturer, virtually all chemical residues from commercial cotton production are dissolved in the oil and not found in the meal. This acidic fertilizer contains about 7 percent nitrogen, 2.5 percent phosphorus, and 1.5 percent potash. It should be combined with steamed bone meal and seaweed to form a balanced fertilizer blend.
    Chicken manure is rich in available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements. Indoor growers most often prefer to purchase dry, composted chicken manure in a bag. Use it as a topdressing or mix it with the soil before planting. Often chicken manure collected from farms is packed with feathers, which contain as much as 17 percent nitrogen; this is an added bonus. The average nutrient content of wet chicken manure is as follows: N – 1.5%, P – 1.5%, K – 0.5%; and dry chicken manure, N – 4%, P – 4%, K – 1.5%. Both have a full range of trace elements.
    Coffee grounds are acidic and encourage acetic bacteria in the soil. Drip-coffee grounds are the richest, and contain about 2 percent nitrogen and traces of other nutrients. Add this to the compost pile or scatter and cultivate it in. Use it as topdressing, but in moderation, because it is very acidic.
    Compost tea is used by many organic gardeners as the only source of fertilizer. Comfrey is packed with nutrients, and many gardeners grow it just to make compost tea.
    Cow manure is sold as steer manure, but it is often collected from dairy herds. Gardeners have used cow manure for centuries, and this has led to the belief that it is a good fertilizer as well as a soil amendment. Steer manure is most valuable as mulch and a soil amendment. It holds water well and maintains fertility for a long time. The nutrient value is low, and it should not be relied upon for the main source of nitrogen. The average nutrient content of cow manure is N – 0.6%, P – 0.3%, K – 0.3%, and a full range of trace elements. Apply at the rate of 25 to 30 pounds per square yard.
    Diatomaceous earth, the fossilized skeletal remains of fresh and saltwater diatoms, contains a full range of trace elements, and it is a good insecticide. Apply it to the soil when cultivating or as a topdressing.
    Dolomite lime adjusts and balances the pH and makes phosphates more available. Generally applied to sweeten or deacidify the soil. It consists of calcium and magnesium, and is sometimes listed as a primary nutrient, though it is generally referred to as a secondary nutrient.
    Feathers and feather meal contain from 12 to 15 percent nitrogen that is released slowly. Feathers included in barnyard chicken manure or obtained from slaughterhouses are an excellent addition to the compost pile or as a fertilizer. Feathers are steamed under pressure, dried, and ground into a powdery feather meal. Feather meal contains slow-release nitrogen of about 12.5 percent.
    Fish meal is made from dried fish ground into a meal. It is rich in nitrogen (about 8 percent) and contains around 7 percent phosphoric acid and many trace elements.It has an unpleasant odor, causing it to be avoided by indoor growers. It is a great compost activator. Apply it to the soil as a fast-acting topdressing. To help control odor, cultivate it into the soil or cover it with mulch after applying. Always store it in an airtight container, so it will not attract cats, dogs, or flies. Fish meal and fish emulsion can contain up to 10 percent nitrogen. The liquid generally contains less nitrogen than the meal. Even when deodorized, the liquid form has an unpleasant odor.
    Fish emulsion, an inexpensive soluble liquid, is high in organic nitrogen, trace elements, and some phosphorus and potassium. This natural fertilizer is difficult to over-apply, and it is immediately available to the plants. Even deodorized fish emulsion smells like dead fish. Inorganic potash is added to the fish emulsion by some manufacturers and is semi-organic.
    Goat manure is much like horse manure but more potent. Compost this manure and treat it as you would horse manure.
    Granite dust or granite stone meal contains up to 5 percent