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.

Safe Organic Fertilizers

Home growers are beginning to understand the need for providing nutrients quickly in order to promote abundant plant growth in gardens and landscapes. Application of nutrients may be accomplished by using either organic or inorganic fertilizer.

Due to increased environmental concerns, many growers prefer to use organic fertilizers over the inorganic type. This is because inorganic fertilizers are known to contain chemicals that may be harmful and concentrated nutrients that may leach into the soil.

Most people who buy organic fertilizers use them because they believe they are safer for plants. However, if the fertilizer is improperly applied, it can be just as harmful to plants as chemicals are. If not applied, they may contribute to ground water pollution, induce salt burn, or cause nutrient deficiency and toxicity.

The nutrient needs of plants vary with soil conditions, previous fertilizers used, and the type of plants that are being grown. If you want to know specifically what kinds of nutrients are needed in organic fertilizer, you must conduct a soil test.

Nutrient deficiency in soil is most often Nitrogen-based, that is why organic fertilizers are produced with high amounts of Nitrogen. Most grasses simply will not grow, or will grow very lowly if there is a Nitrogen deficiency. The same can be said of vegetable and fruit gardens. If you are looking to increase the growth of lawn grass or improve crop yields, fish emulsions and seaweed extracts are the organic fertilizers you should use. These fertilizers are high in soluble Nitrogen.

The labels of organic fertilizer have numbers in them that represent the concentration of the major nutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). For example, a fertilizer with a label that read 5-10-0 contains 5 % Nitrogen, 10% Phosphorus, and 0% percent Potassium.

Other ingredients commonly found in organic fertilizers are iron, sulfur, and zinc. Besides supplying plants with the essential nutrients for growth, organic fertilizer also contains organic matter. The organic matter allows for greater water retention in the soil and also improves drainage.

If a soil test informs you that some nutrients are at high or excessive levels, you should choose an organic fertilizer that has lower concentrations of these nutrients. Any excess of nutrients in the fertilizer can lead to leaching and imbalance which will inevitably slow plant growth. But if a soil test informs you that Nitrogen is needed, you should choose a fertilizer with high Nitrogen content. If you discover that your soil is lacking in both Nitrogen and Phosphorus, then a fertilizer with high levels of both nutrients is best for you.

One possible problem with organic fertilizers is that many of them contain high levels of salt, which can cause “burning” in plants. Organic fertilizer may be applied either on the surface or directly into the soil by tilling or watering. It may help to use a spreader to be certain the fertilizer is appropriately applied.