Asked by mahadiyu ·May 3, 2023 ·14.4k readers

Nutrient Cycle of potato, onions, garlic , ginger etc

Please could anyone help clarify to me the nutrient cycle of root and tuber crops like garlic, ginger, onion, taro, sweet potato, carrots, etc. are they all having the same nutrient cycle or does it vary. You could also direct me to any resource for further studies. thank you

nutrient-cycle

The answer

dagoofman · May 3, 2023 ✓ Marked as the answer

most do vary depending on the type of plant and its nutrient needs ie: potatoes are more a heavy phos feeder wile onions are a heavy nitrogen feeder also cycles may differ from say most radish (short cycle) to most garlic (long cycle) ....knowing the needs and cycle of each plant is a real help in figuring out how and when to use each solution ....wile some root veg you might want to go to flower before harvesting some you never want to go to flower before harvesting therefor there needs and cycles differ greatly .....theres a guide here at https://naturalfarminghawaii.net/2011/01/21/natural-farming-fertilizer-application-guide/ to give a general idea ..you would be looking for the link marked as (Plant Nutritive Cycles Presentation) its a very good place to start it uses Taro as the example plant for root veg Happy Experimenting

From the KNF library

From the KNF library Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books · Sep 2026 · 6 sources

The library says the cycle varies by crop. Master Cho's theory holds that crops differ in the nutrition they need, its categories and its amounts. (Cho, Theory, p. 90)

The cycle matches nutrients to a plant's needs at each growth stage, and it repeats in loops rather than running once. (Office Hours Ep. 65, 9:17)

Master Cho's charts show different growth stages and shifting NPK and calcium needs for pear-apple, peach, pepper and rice. (Office Hours Ep. 74, 31:33) Leafy plants differ from fruiting plants too. For leafy greens, Drake uses fermented plant juice to bulk them up, then oscillates back to the skinny formula. (Office Hours Ep. 14, 16:06)

Seed treatment, an early step, puts potato, taro, ginger and garlic in the very fast germination group. Soak them half an hour to one hour. (Cho, Recipe, p. 87)

For further study, read the section in Cho's Theory titled "Crops require different nutrient by period." (Cho, Theory, p. 15)

The library has no cycle chart for onion, garlic, ginger, taro, sweet potato or carrot.

Sources

9:17 Office Hours Ep. 65 (Feb 2023) — Nutrient Cycle, Changeover Period, and OHN Extractions · “It matches the right nutrients to a plant's needs at each growth stage, and the cycle repeats in loops rather than running once.”
16:06 Office Hours Ep. 14 (Jan 2022) — JADAM Sulfur, Humic Acid From Compost, C90 Seawater Ratio · “Use fermented plant juice from fast-growing tips (KNF fuel) to bulk up leafy greens, then oscillate back to the skinny formula.”
31:33 Office Hours Ep. 74 (May 2023) — Bacterial Wilt on Kale, Gator Sprayer Setup, IMO Ammonia Fix · “Master Cho's charts show different growth stages and shifting NPK and calcium needs for pear-apple, peach, pepper, and rice.”
p. 87 Cho, Recipe · “Seeds with very fast germination (potato, taro, ginger, garlic, etc.): l/2~l hour”
p. 90 Cho, Theory · “They have qualitative and physiological differences, and the required nutrition and its categories and amounts are different.”
p. 15 Cho, Theory · “The basis of Natural Farming; Nutritional Cycle (2) Crops require different nutrient by period”

Also discussed on Office Hours

Feb 2, 2025 ·12 questions answered

Nutrient Cycle of potato, onions, garlic , ginger etc

The answer

From the KNF library

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