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Crab Shell/Crab Meal Fertilizer
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Depending on need, you can apply between 500 and 2,000 lbs per acre. A soil test is the determinant for any fertilizer application however. 1 cup per 20 quarts of potting soil works for transplants and repotting house plants.
Crab shell is also high in chitin, which is known to promote the growth of chitin eating bacteria when present. The exoskeletons of fungus and nematodes eggs, as well as the jaw structures of some garden pests like the japanese beetle grub are high in chitin. Crab shell, when added to the soil, helps create a hostile environment for the fungus and nematodes by feeding the biological life that eats the chitin based organisms. It is not classified as a fungicide or a nematocide even though it is known to have these properties.
The chitin in the crabshell stimulates soil organisms to secrete enzymes called chitinases. These enzymes degrade chitin, which is a component of flea egg shells. The presence of chitin in the soil makes it a natural biopesticide that is non-toxic to birds, animals, fish, and plants.
Just so happens that Japanese Beetle grubs and grubs in general, have jaws made of Chitin, which is dissolved by chitinase bacteria. So, not only is crab shell a good slow release fertilizer, it can kill off grubs, indirectly by feeding their enemies at the same time. Apply this as a fertilizer with Milky Spore at the same time and you'll make a serious dent in the grub population in your soil while restoring your lawn back to health.
Used as an additive in poultry feeds it has been known to improve shell integrity due to it's concentration of calcium.
The high calcium content and slow release nitrogen and phosphorous makes this a good fertilizer when planting bulbs in spring and fall.
General Application Rates
- Gardens - 3 lbs/100 square feet or use it on your house plants. Geraniums just might like the calcium too!
- Row crops - 1 to 2 lbs per 100 sq. ft
- Trees - 1 lbs per inch of calibrer/tree diameter. Best sprinkled around the drip line of the tree on larger trees, or in the hole at planting.
- Compost Booster - 3 to 6 ounces per cubic foot
- Turf - 10lbs per 1000 sq. ft.
- Potting Mixes - 2% of volume by weight
- Seed Beds - 1lbs per 100 sq. ft.
- Bedding Plants - 1 ounce per tray
- Bulbs - 1 tablespoon mixed in soil under the bulb
Diatomaceous Earth | Fertilizer | Kelp | Milky Spore | Nitrogen | Phosphorous