Down To Earth Feather Meal 12-0-0 is an excellent source of nitrogen in a slow-release formula that your heavy feeders (e.g. melons, peppers, tomatoes) and long-season crops (e.g. sweet corn, broccoli, cabbage) will love.

Poultry feathers are a rich source of nitrogen-containing keratin, a protein found in hair, finger nails, and hooves. However, it is hard for soil microbes to break it down.

To address this issue, the poultry feathers used in Down To Earth Feather Meal 12-0-0 are thoroughly cleaned, heated with steam or hydrolyzed, and ground into a course meal. This makes the nitrogen in the keratin more readily available for root system uptake. The increased microbial activity also strengthens the soil, resulting in robust plant roots.

To allow even more time for the microbes in the soil to break down the keratin, it’s a good idea to add Down To Earth Feather Meal 12-0-0 to your soil or mix into a compost a couple of weeks before you start planting.

How to Use Feather Meal 12-0-0*

Follow these growing tips to use Down To Earth Feather Meal 12-0-0 with confidence.

• Vegetable Gardens: For new gardens, thoroughly mix 3 to 6 pounds per 100 square feet into the top 3″ of soil. New transplants can use 1 to 2 tablespoons per hole mixed into the soil and then watered thoroughly. Depending on their size and desired growth rate, side dress established plants with 2 to 4 ounces once a month during the growing season.
• Container Gardens: Thoroughly mix 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon or 5 to 10 pounds per cubic yard of soil for new plantings. Lightly mix 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon into the soil of established plants monthly during the growing season.
• Trees: Mix 1 pound per 1″ of trunk diameter and spread around the base of the tree out to the drip line ( (the area located under the outer circumference of the tree’s branches). Water thoroughly.
• Row Crops: Depending on the crop or the required number of pounds of nitrogen per acre, apply 750 to 1,000 pounds per acre.

Down To Earth Feather Meal 12-0-0 is certified for use in organic gardens.

*These Growing Tips are general in nature. Environments and conditions vary. For specific advice on your growing environment, talk to one of our specialists at a Ko’olau Farmers near you.

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