A Closer Look At Farm Organic Fertilizers
March 7, 2009 by Organic Farmer
Filed under A Closer Look At 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.
