Bill, no I was talking about micro-elements. I was stating that they should
be referred to as micro-elements rather than minor elements because they are
anything but minor. When one is lacking there is a problem.
As far as food goes, plants (most) are autotrophs meaning that they
manufacture their own food. We do not feed trees. A plant called the ghost
flower has no chlorophyll so it cannot manufacture its own food. We still
do not feed that plant. It gets its food from the bicarbohydrate transfer
of plants.
here's my thoughts on food, nutrients and essential elements.
Food is a substance that provides and energy source, mostly. Nutrient is a
substance that provides an energy source, elements, and other substances
essential for life, in types and amounts that can provide a healthy life.
Fertilizer is a substance that provides elements, as salts mostly, or in
bonded forms, that require microorganisms to alter to forms that can be
absorbed by plants. I do not call elements - nutrients, however nutrients
would contain elements. You can put a file in a folder but you can't put a
folder in a file. A list of elements can be found he
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...US211%26sa%3DX
17 Elements For Life - Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus,
Potassium, Calcium, Sulfur, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, Copper, Boron,
Molybdenum, Chlorine, Zinc, Nickel [Sodium, Cobalt, Selenium?]
14 essential elements are obtained by trees from the soil. I do not have a
list of which ones they are.
Wood is the substrate of the base of the food web, the mycorrhizal fungi.
Mycorrhizae tend to be abundant in composted wood such as nurse logs. We
had great success at tree biology workshops finding mycorrhizae during dryer
times, in and about nurse logs. I believe, you don't have to agree with it,
please, just think. I think that by applying mulch as I recommend under
mulch here that you facilitate the mycorrhizae rather than just adding
fertilizer. Not that its bad in any way, fertilizer i.e.. Over
fertilizing with nitrogen is a serious problem for trees. Over nitrogen
leads to sucking insects.
Mulching -
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html
and
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/ Look up "Mulch"
Did I say - Mycorrhizae are organs that facilitate the absorption of
elements essential for healthy growth. Mycorrhizae resist the Demons Of D.
Mycorrhizae facilitate the absorption of elements. Demons of D are those
things that add up to the big D word DEATH. E.g., Depletion, disruption,
and dysfunction. Elements can be depleted. Disruption, you get hit my a
Mac truck. Dysfunction, some organ such as mycorrhizae may not function.
Major Elements C; H; N; O; P; K; S; Mg; Ni; Fe; Ca; Zn; Mo; Mn; B; Cl; Cu
There is the law of the minimum. It states the element that is deficient
the most, would be the determining factor in the health of the tree.
I think research would be wise in the search for the optimum fertility level
for trees.
I did some soil testing in the upper four inches of soil and from at and
about nurse logs in old growth forest which contain hemlocks and white
pines. And much more. Here is my average on my testing for the latter.
These where five test. 3 test sites where in Allegheny National
Forest(Hearts Content) Pennsylvania
and two where in Allegheny National Forest(Tionesta Scenic area)
Pennsylvania.
Results are in Pounds Per Acre PPA. AVAILABLE ELEMENTS
P 8.2
K 236
Mg 107
Ca 594
Al 220.6
Fe 110.8
Mn 118.6
Zn 11.96
NO3-N 28.8
Did not get B or CU.
Organic matter was 29.32%
Ex Acidity 81 ME/100G
Salts mmho: 0.01 mmho/cm
Moisture %3.97
Water Soluble mg/kg B 1.0738
ACID Soluble (mg/kg)
Cd 0.976
Cu 6.768
Ni 5.71 (Penn State discovered the element Ni to be essential in small
amounts)
Mn 426.378
Co 3.084
Zn 46.818
Pb 101.792
Cr 5.078
P 726.226
The CARBON TO NITROGEN RATION was 27:1
pH 4.2 WOW
That would be a goal of mine if I was going to provide essential elements
professionally. I did not see to many people in the old growth sections.
There was more calcium at a nurse logs in a separate test.
We don't feed trees, however, we can feed the soil with composted wood
(chips and nurse logs) and leaves. We can feed the system.
I have some results for some sick hemlocks (elements in soil)
--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and
www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.
"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
I was thinking about a question you posed a few days ago about Micro
nutrients.
We used a local product called green sand and have also used granite
dust. We my Dad and I think of these as long term feeding similar I
guess to granulated lime. Slow on breaking down. I have not touched
green sand for about 30 years. Went with cover crops and chicken waste
composted rarely usually just topical and tilled in.
Bill
http://www.google.com/search?q=Marlton%20green%20sand
--
S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
Balgreen Portal to the Souther Realm
http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid