Natural Fertilizer
The lifeblood of any fertile soil is organic matter.
It's what allows the soil to better retain water and also
hold the nutrients in. Porosity of soil makes it more water
absorbent and the more water the soil absorbs, the less chance
your plants will die from a shortage of water. Plus,
the soil’s ability to hold nutrients can very well
mean the difference between a scraggly, sickly looking plant
and a lush, green shrub.
 Using natural fertilizers in your
garden or farm will help improve the soil
“tilth” which means the condition or health of the soil.
That’s because natural fertilizer is less likely to burn the
lawn or leach down through the soil and into groundwater.
Natural fertilizer doesn't destroy the
naturally occurring organic matter in soil, rather, it
enhances it. A large complement of minerals ranging
from nitrogen to phosphorous for plant growth is contained in
natural fertilizer so your plants can grow and stay
healthy.
However, when you use natural fertilizers, you should keep in mind that
they contain relatively low amounts of nutrients, especially
if you compare them with other fertilizers with more
concentrated nutrients, such as 10-10-10. So, when you do use natural
fertilizers on your plants, be prepared for the extra long
time it will take and the effort you will have to exert in
order to incorporate the fertilizer in your
garden.
You see, natural fertilizers are often
made of all-natural biodegradable materials, such as chopped
vegetable peelings, compost, dried blood and the like. These
materials will decompose over time, during which the
bacteria and fungi that help in the decomposition process
develop.
It takes awhile for the bacteria and fungi to
break down natural fertilizers, and it takes them even longer
to convert these organic materials into nutrients that plants
require for their food. That’s why you should plan
ahead when you decide to use natural fertilizers.
Here's another thing, natural fertilizers tend to be
more expensive than the conventional products available.
That’s just how it goes. Even organic foods are considerably
more expensive compared to the alternatives. That’s
why most people prefer to use chemical fertilizers as opposed
to natural fertilizers because the former has more
concentrated nutrients for a lesser
price.
However, price shouldn't be your
only criteria when buying fertilizers. There are several
advantages to using natural fertilizers instead of
chemically processed ones. Though natural fertilizers
may produce slower results and are not cheap, they are
more cost effective, as you will quickly find
out.
When you apply natural fertilizers, it's essential
that you test first the soil. This is needed because it's
important that you know what type of soil your garden or farm has, whether it'is loamy, sandy
or clay.
After soil testing, you should also try to
bring nutrient levels up to adequate levels before even
attempting to add natural fertilizers. This is so because the
natural fertilizers should only serve as supplemental
nutrients.
Every year goes by, the soil will
lose its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as these chemicals
will be quickly absorbed by your plants. When
that happens, it's time for you to add some more natural
fertilizers.
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