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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.

Plants Producing Organic Fertilizers

Today’s health conscience society has warmed up to the benefits of organics. Food grown organically has been known to be healthy and natural with no harmful side effects of chemicals. The same holds true with organic fertilizers.

A drastic increase in demand for organic fertilizers have shown the environmentally safe techniques and compounds can prove to be beneficial and inexpensive.

Many organic fertilizer factories and plants have been erected all over the world. They produce organic fertilizers using manure, seaweed, and other natural compounds. With the increasing popularity of organic fertilizer, a rise in the number of fertilizer plants will follow, giving a farmer many choices of fertilizer.

Organizing organic fertilizer factories and plants was a very logical step in increasing the productivity of the environment. Many means of producing fertilizer comes directly from the waste of other organic materials that rot and decay.

One example of using waste to produce organic fertilizer is in the usage of chicken feces. Chicken farmers collect a tremendous amount of chicken waste and this can in turn affect the environment. Instead, by turning something that is potentially harmful into an organic fertilizer can use this to produce wonderful, abundant crops.

China has recently erected the most up to date organic fertilizer plant in the world. The plant is located in Dalian City, which is in the northeastern province of Liaoning. The plant was built by Han Wei, and it produces about 100,000 tons of organic fertilizer a year.

Along with some of the most intelligent researchers from Shenyang Applied Ecology Research Institute, Han Wei studied the effects of organic fertilizer plants could be mass produced. The studies of scientists in the provinces of Liaoning and Heilongjiang showed that they could not only be produced under controlled environments, but they would also increase crop production drastically.

This plant is a 65,000 square foot enclosed plant that utilizes the use of organic materials to make fertilizer. They use a method to extracting the nitrogen and phosphorus to preserving the organic materials in poultry feces. This method allows companies, such as Perdue AgriRecycle to convert potentially harmful pollution to healthy organic fertilizer capable of double the amount of crops. The plant in china can produce 80,000 tons of fertilizer pellets.

Although animal manure is a very popular way of creating organic fertilizer, another common way of creating fertilizer is by the use of compost made of plant materials. Compost has become a very popular way to fertilize organically. Some service areas have green waste and collect food for composting. Many local farmers also use the technique as an expensive way to fertilize crops naturally.

Composting is a process of raw plant materials breaking down. Over time the materials break down leaving behind waste water as the by product. The richness of the compost is well known for its high quality nutrient content. This process also includes the extracting and separating of the nutrients from the waste water from the soil.

Although the rise in demand for organic fertilizer has increased, the need of more and different organic fertilizer plants are still needed. There will be a steady increase in the demand for this environmentally safe way to fertilize crops that produce better and stronger plants.

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.

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.