Cottonseed Meal—A Soil Amendment
For Acid-Loving Plants

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Cottonseed meal is a first-class organic reservoir of plant nutrients. Its nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, and many minor elements are discharged across a lengthy period of time.

This reduces waste and runoff, while providing long-lasting development, beauty and productivity of turf grasses, landscape plants and vegetable patch.

Its high level of organic matter loosens compact, heavy soils and helps light, sandy soils retain moisture and nutrients.

As a slow-release, organic fertilizer, cotton seed meal is risk-free to use in generous quantities without risk of burning plants.

An organic fertilizer that has an excellent reservoir of nitrogen typically has approximately 7% N.

Cottonseed meal is produce from seeds that have been hulled and had their lints removed.

Because of its acid reaction, apply only on acid-loving plants, such as gardenia, azalea, and rhododendron.

Cotton crops are one of the most widely sprayed, generally with artificial weedkillers and pesticides. If you would like to grow organically, a few sources sell organic, unsprayed, cotton seed meal. Buying this meal will also ensure that you're using GMO-free meal (the cotton plants were not genetically modified).

Using Cottonseed Meal on Lawns

This slow-release lawn fertilizer can be applied alone or with a combination of other organic fertilizers.

It holds about 7% nitrogen, 3% phosphorus, and 2% potash. These nutrients are discharged slowly, making them useable to turf grass for extensive periods of time.

Cotton seed meal might be used in generous amounts since it will not burn leaves and does not leach from the soil. The organic matter it provides amends soil texture and helps preserve soil moisture.

With dry weather and in depressed rainfall regions, water your turf grasses sufficiently to maintain soil moisture levels close to the grass roots. Light, regular watering prevents deep, effective rooting and should be avoided. A minimum of half to one inch of water should be put on at each watering.

Established lawns should be fed in the early spring. Regular irrigating is needed before new growth begins, and once more in the fall before the grass goes dormant. Apply cottonseed meal, or a mixture of 3 parts meal and 1 part spring turf grass fertilizer.

Cover at the rate of 4-5 pounds per 100 square feet. When growth starts to slow towards mid-summer, use approximately three pounds of cottonseed meal, or two pounds of cottonseed meal and a half pound of turf grass fertilizer per 100 square feet.

To promote strong root growth for the colder months, use 3-4 pounds of cottonseed meal per 100 square feet in the early autumn. After application of meal and turf grass fertilizer, rake thinly and water well.

Bushes

When planting bushes, position each plant in the center of the hole and backfill with a concoction of the original soil and peat moss or cottonseed hulls.

Turn one cup of cottonseed meal into the soil close to small bushes and 2-4 cups around bigger plants. Water well to settle the soil around roots and remove air pockets.

Continued use of the meal after the shrubs are established will encourage robust development.

In the early spring, use 6-8 pounds of meal per 100 square feet of established region. If the soil is exceptionally inadequate, include one pound of fertilizer.

After planting, mulch close to the bushes with two to three inches of cottonseed hulls or other organic material to maintain moisture and keep weeds and grasses in check.

Top dress the mulched surface area with approximately one pound of fertilizer per 100 square feet to speed up decomposition and to reduce nitrogen deficiency as the organic material decomposes.

Flower Beds

Cottonseed meal is a perfect fertilizer for use in flower beds as it offers the wanted nutrients, prevents harm to feeder roots, provides durable effects, and improves soil condition.

Turn the meal into the soil at the rate of 6 pounds per 100 square feet of bed each time you plow or spade the bed to prepare for planting.

If soils are severely substandard, a fertilizer should be applied with the cottonseed meal at the rate of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet.

Mulch close to the plants with a one to two inch layer of cottonseed hulls or other organic material to help keep up soil moisture and prevent uninvited weeds and grasses.

Plants That Prefer Acid Conditions

The sourness (acidity) of most soils can be increased with sulfur, aluminum sulfate, acid-based fertilizers, peat moss, cottonseed meal, extra organic materials, or a combination from the above

Before investing in azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, or gardenias, have your soil tested to find out whether you will be able to adequately bring down the soil pH to between 4.5 and 6.0.

Prior to planting acid soil-loving plants, test for acceptable soil drainage by checking if water will drain satisfactorily from a two foot deep hole. Fill up the hole one-half full of water. If water stays in the hole after 24-48 hours, look at putting in a tile drainage system, or at the very least, planting on raised areas.

Feed acid-loving plants with materials that supply the needed nutrients and are acid in nature. Cottonseed meal is an ideal fertilizer since it supplies most of the soil nutrients needed, increases soil acidity and discharges its plant nutrients bit by bit.

Roses

Cultivate one cup of cottonseed meal, or a mixture of cottonseed meal and bone meal, into the soil around each rose plant and water well. A second covering of fertilizer is generally suitable in late summer.

Roses need ample soil moisture and should be watered often during dry weather. Don't wet the leaves, particularly in the late afternoon. Keep up a rigorous spraying or dusting agenda to prevent diseases and insects.

Vegetable Patch

Cottonseed meal is a superior means of supplying both the organic matter and the nutrients vegetables want.

If beginning a new vegetable patch, use 4-6 pounds of cottonseed meal and 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of garden fertilizer per 100 square feet of gardening area.

For soil improvement, disperse 1-2 inches of cottonseed hulls, decayed leaves or grass clippings, well-rotted hay, or other form of organic substance across the surface of the garden. Till or spade the soil to a depth of eight to ten inches, thoroughly blending in the meal, recommended plant food and organic material.

For established, rich vegetable gardens, every time the soil is readied for planting, use the same quantity of meal, cut back the garden fertilizer by about half and proceed to work in generous quantities of organic matter.

Once the garden is established and the soil warms up, mulch around the plants with a 1-2 inch layer of cottonseed hulls or other desirable organic material. Approximately two to three weeks afterwards, use a topdressing of cottonseed meal at the rate of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet, or per 35 feet of row.

Gently work the meal into the mulch and water well. Depending on the crop and the weather, extra applications of meal at the same rate may be required periodically during the developing season.

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