Why Choose Organic Fertilizers

These days, everyone from backyard gardeners to big agri-businesses are increasingly using organic fertilizers. This is due in part to an increased consumer demand for organic produce. It’s also partly due to the positive press earned by “going green” and eco friendly.

The average person, however, may wonder if there’s any substance to all these buzz words. Are synthetic fertilizers really that bad for agriculture and dangerous to animals and people? Are organic fertilizers really all that much better and safer? If so, why? And what are “organic fertilizers” anyway? This article will try to answer these questions for you.

WHAT IS ORGANIC FERTILIZER?

Basically, inorganic fertilizers are made from synthetic, manufactured chemicals, and organic fertilizers are made from naturally occurring organic material. This is a bit of an oversimplification, however, and sometimes the line between organic and inorganic fertilizers can get a bit blurry. For example, naturally occurring minerals such as limestone, saltpeter, and mine rock phosphate, although technically inorganic (they come from rocks, after all), have been used as fertilizers for centuries and are just as safe as organic fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers are generally created as other organic material that rots and decays. As plant and animal matter rots, the organic material breaks down into its component water and minerals. The resulting biomass is very high in nutrient quality.

The most common example of this is compost, which many backyard gardeners make themselves from organic waste?dead leaves, grass clippings, leftover food, etc. Another example is animal manure, which is also very high in nutrient content and has been used in agriculture as a fertilizer for thousands of years. Finally, some plants are used directly as fertilizers, like seaweed and peat moss.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH INORGANIC CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS?

Many inorganic fertilizers contain synthesized chemicals that do not occur naturally in nature, and thus can become harmful. The introduction of such chemicals, if used extensively over time, can throw off the local environment and ecosystem.

The most common form of chemical pollution occurs when it rains, and the synthetic chemical fertilizers get washed out of the soil into the rainwater runoff. This agricultural runoff flows into the ponds and streams, where they frequently kill the fish and other water life. These chemicals also eventually leech down into the groundwater that people and animals drink.

Finally, some crops will absorb these synthetic chemicals into their plant matter as they grow. When people buy such produce and eat it, these chemicals are introduced to their bodies. One meal of such produce may be harmless, but over a lifetime of eating such produce, these synthetic chemicals can build up in the body.

IS ORGANIC FERTILIZER REALLY BETTER?

Obviously, the introduction of unnatural chemicals into the local environment is not a problem with organic fertilizers, which are made from other naturally occurring organic plant and animal matter.

In terms of encouraging crop grow, however, organic fertilizers are just as good as synthetic fertilizers. Whereas synthetic fertilizers are concentrated, organic fertilizers are more diluted throughout a large amount of biomass. On the one hand, this means you have to use more organic fertilizer to achieve the same effect as a smaller amount of synthetic fertilizer. On the other hand, however, this means that the nutrients are released into the soil gradually, at a slower, more consistent rate over the course of the crops growth cycle. This prevents the boom-and-bust cycle that some synthetic fertilizers can create in crops.

Finally, a 32-year study in Sweden between organic and synthetic fertilizers found that, although both greatly encouraged crop growth over unfertilized fields, organic fertilizers encouraged a higher yield than synthetic fertilizers (65% compared to 50%).

We hope this article has answered some of your questions about organic fertilizers. This article, however, is just the tip of the iceberg,there is much more to learn. If you want to try using organic fertilizers, we suggest doing more research so you can find just the right fertilizer for your garden.

A Closer Look At Farm Organic Fertilizers

In recent years, the attention given to the benefits of organic growth and development has increased. More farmers are taking extra measures to grow crops with environment friendly ways to supply their crops with the necessary nutrients.

The focus of organic fertilizer is to use the soils natural organic matter to produce healthy crops and plants. There are many benefits to using organic fertilizer including the halt of nitrogen leaching. It is also known than farmers that use natural organic fertilizer have more production than those that use synthetic fertilizers. With the more efficient nutrient cycle achieved by crops, farmers can rely on organic fertilizers.

The Transition from Synthetic to Organic Fertilizers

There is a noticeable difference in the crops for the first year of transition. The organic fertilizer takes time to sink slowly into the soil and the crops tend to grow before the organic material can reach the roots. A noticeable difference will be the production of the crops for the first year, sometimes two. The excess organic fertilizer then drains into the creeks and streams.

The initial affects of the transformation from organic to synthetic fertilizer is only temporary. As the soil naturally balances chemical and organic composition, some changes may hinder the increased crop yields for the first year or so, but persistence will prevail.

Managing Farm Organic Fertilizers

To maximize the growing potential of organic fertilizers, a farmer must learn to manage and plan the use of the material. Some crops do better with fertilizer in March, some later in the year and even fall. Knowing the information needed to get optimum results is vital to the proper use of organic fertilizer.

Calculating the proper amount of organic fertilizer is important to fixing or enhancing the growth of nutrients in the soil. Annual tests should be performed to determine the nutrient needs of the soil.

Some crops need animal manure to grow to the fullest capability, while others need organic residues from another chemical free source, such as compost. This not only increases the production of crops but is also a very cost effective way to fertilize the soil.

Another benefit to farm organic fertilizer is the cycle of soil nutrients it starts. The plants can trap nutrients and recycle them for better soil nutrition and diversity.

There are many ways farmers and others looking for a way to conserve the environment can use organic materials. A couple of successful ways have been discussed in this article, but there are many more ways to create a healthier environment.

A Closer Look At Organic Lawn Fertilizers

In order to have the lush green lawns most homeowners dream about, proper care and maintenance is required. One of the ways to get and keep a beautiful green lawn is in the use of lawn fertilizer. There are many choices in fertilizers, but the most environmentally safe is organic lawn fertilizers.

One reason organic fertilizers are often used is the time release abilities of this type of lawn care. Slow release means a steady supply of nutrients needed to grow a green healthy lawn is fed into the soil. This results in millions of new tiny plants sprouting over time. As the nutrients are released into the soil, the new grass seeks out nutrients needed for healthy growth. As the new grass spreads out in a carpet affect, it covers the bare areas that needed grass with new, healthy growth. The use of organic fertilizer also inhibits weed growth as the areas are covered with new grass spouts. The weeds no longer have room to grow.

As with any live plant, grass also needs the correct amount of nutrients to achieve maximum capability. Without nutrients, the grass couldn’t transform some atmosphere chemicals into something healthy and beneficial to the plant. It can even provide the plant with carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, and help ward off many plant diseases and fungi.

Many chemical substances found in synthetic fertilizers can actually inhibit the natural microorganisms that promote a healthy plant. Organic lawn fertilizers are known to be all natural and not harmful to the microorganisms or other plant life, therefore encouraging the growth of the healthiest plants available, grass or otherwise.

Another benefit of organic lawn fertilizer is the reduction in thatch because of better soil aggregation. This causes more of the nutrients released by the fertilizer to go directly to the grass. Fertilizer also aides in the increased amount of water and oxygen retention, allowing the grasses root system to grow deeper and stronger. Fertilizer also helps in the reduction of plant diseases as it increases the antioxidant hormone production. The benefits of using an organic lawn fertilizer are more than a beautiful green lawn, it is environmentally safe also. The fertilizer enables proper water infiltration adding to the health of the lawn.

All three of the most important nutrients needed by a healthy lawn can be found in manufactured organic lawn fertilizers. When purchasing an organic fertilizer for grass, it should contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Using organic lawn fertilizer insures the grass gets the nutrients it needs to be green lush and thick.

A Closer Look At Seaweed Organic Fertilizers

Before we get into the subject of seaweed organic fertilizer, let’s talk about organic gardening. With the growing trend of eating organic foods, comes the rise of organic fertilizers and more people are choosing the organically grown varieties available to them. This is the direct result of chemically processed fertilizers are known to harm the environment.

Organic fertilizers can give plants the necessary nutrients for a healthy growth cycle. Many organic fertilizers come from fish emulsion, compost (even the local backyard compost), cornmeal, and manure. Bone meal is one healthy way plants can obtain calcium. Another organic fertilizer is derived of sea grass.

The sea grass sits on the bottom of the ocean floor soaking in the trace elements needed for healthy plants to thrive. As the rivers and streams filter the trash and bits of elements, the ocean floor is covered with healthy by products of the filtration system. Sea weeds found on the bottom of the ocean are engulfed with the nutrients and trace elements used to produce healthy plants.

Some trace elements that are found in seaweed make it a perfect candidate for fertilizer. One of the most important elements found in sea grass is nitrogen, which is essential for plants to produce nitrate. Nitrate is a key component needed by plants during photosynthesis. Other trace elements beneficial for healthy plant growth are magnesium, potassium, and iron. All are found in the nutrient rich sea grass.

The use of seaweed organic fertilizer treats soil to promote healthy, strong and disease resistant plants. Although there are many types and brands of sea weed fertilizer, the applications are simple. A fertilizer sprayer can apply the organic material directly on the plant using foliar spray. This application tends to produce healthier plants because the plants soak up most of the nutrients through the leaves and stem.

Besides liquid fertilizer, sea weed fertilizer also comes as a powder. In order to use this properly, read directions on the container. Most of the powder varieties need to be added to water to dispense properly. The powder is concentrated sea weed and turns the water green when added.

Sea weed organic fertilizer can be used for soil watering, foliar feeding and even hydroponics. For the best results, the fertilizer can be used in combination with other organic soil and water treatments.

The following technique of preparing sea weed organic fertilizer using the tea bag method.

Add one quarter pound of seaweed organic powder to one gallon of water.

Stir mixture thoroughly and let stand, or steep, for 24 -72 hours.

After the third day, shake mixture gently and strain. Old panty hose, sack cloth, or any other old clean rag will work as a strainer.

The seaweed organic fertilizer is now ready to apply on plants.