Using Calcium Nitrate on leaves to break them down?!

MeJuana

Well-Known Member
So my idea is to setup a test area this fall where my green input will be Calcium Nitrate. I think it will compost into an organic material but my concern is the left over salts. In my limited research I have discovered a website with a .edu extension discussing this idea.
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6956 (search calcium nitrate)

Here's another talking about ammonium nitrate as a green source for sawdust!
http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C816

P.S. I also have 2 pounds of ammonium nitrate on hand.

Edit:
I decided too much research is a boring thing. I will just have the soil tested for salt toxicity after I compost the leaves into soil.
Calcium salt = Ca2+ / Nitrate salt NO3-
 
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iHearAll

Well-Known Member
lactobacillus converts nitrate to nitrite making it more usable by the plant. i only know of this through aquaponics fundamentals so if there is a fermentable option im unaware of it.

so composting should convert nitrate to nitrite using thermophillic bacteria.
 

MeJuana

Well-Known Member
The Calcium is just Ca so I will want to be mindful of the total I add, it is 19% by weight with Calcium Nitrate. Salt build up is a non issue if managed correctly. I have been researching Nitrogen and for my veg pile I want to add both starting with Calcium Nitrate to my determined limit then finishing with ammonium nitrate because I want some NH4+-N atoms because they stick to organic matter where NO3- doesn't and will wash from the soil more easily. For my bloom pile I will avoid an excess of NH4+-N so no ammonium nitrate kicker.

So that's my plan.. Here' some very cool reading
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/nutrient-management/nitrogen/understanding-nitrogen-in-soils/

Calcium Nitrate
The compound calcium nitrate consists of a total of nine atoms, including one atom of calcium, two of nitrogen and six of oxygen. Calcium nitrate has the molecular formula Ca(NO3)2 and a molecular weight of 164.08 grams per mole.
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
So my idea is to setup a test area this fall where my green input will be Calcium Nitrate. I think it will compost into an organic material but my concern is the left over salts. In my limited research I have discovered a website with a .edu extension discussing this idea.
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6956 (search calcium nitrate)

Here's another talking about ammonium nitrate as a green source for sawdust!
http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C816

P.S. I also have 2 pounds of ammonium nitrate on hand.

Edit:
I decided too much research is a boring thing. I will just have the soil tested for salt toxicity after I compost the leaves into soil.
Calcium salt = Ca2+ / Nitrate salt NO3-
What would be the desired result from this?
Just not sure WHY you would go through all that effort when composting is SO easy, and organic green inputs are everywhere.
Not tryin to throw shade on ya
just don't see the allure of it
The thing is, ANY input high in nitrogen can be used to do this
but that's not where the magic is at.
the magic is in the microbes and desired ether fungal or bacterial microbial diversity based pile.

I know you know this already, too, i'm not saying that, just confused why you'd go through the effort.
I am intrigued by the outcome though, I just sometime overanalyze things, so in my mind I would think the end result would be vastly inferior to a natural compost
Also with that as the green input, you'll be cheating yourself out of a good amount of humus that grass clippings/manure/whatever usually degrades into.

like I said, I don't mean to be negative, thinking outside the box is important, I just don't see the advantage of that.
 
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