Organic Dilemma: Comparing Organic Fertilizers
Soil needs the
addition of organic fertilizers to help keep it fertile
and healthy. Organic fertilizers are made
from decomposed plants, animals and natural minerals. The
nutrients in organi c fertilizers are released gradually during high
temperatures, moisture and microbial activity, which
are the same conditions plants require in order
to grow. This puts organic fertilizers in perfect sync
with plant
growth.
The fact that organic
fertilizers contain organic matter is one of the major
advantages it has over chemical fertilizers. Orgain
matter is comprised of dead bio-matter, the ones
responsible for keeping water and air trapped in the soil,
and thus making nutrients available to plants while
preventing plant-related diseases.
Types of
Organic Fertilizers
There are several types
of organic fertilizers available in catalogs or garden
centers, most of which are a combination of organic
materials, although some only have one source. There are four
separate and basic organic fertilizer categories –
plant, animal, mineral and
compost.
Plant organic
fertilizers have a rich storehouse of specific
nutrients such as nitrogen. This type of organic fertilizer is considered to be a
renewable source of nutrient. A good example of a plant
organic fertilizer is the alfalfa
meal, which is made of green manure crops.
Although the alfalfa meal contains a small percentage of
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, it benefits the soil best for it contains
Triacontanol, the growth hormone for
plants.
Cottonseed meal is another
great example of a plant organic fertilizer. This organic
fertilizer contains 7% Nitrogen, 2% Phosphorus and
another 2% of Potassium content. With its 7%
Nitrogen, this organic fertilizer is second only to blood meal
in providing the most organic nitrogen to plants.
Plant organic fertilizers can
also come from seaweeds and algae. Organic fertilizers
made from kelp meal contains very high potassium and trace
elements. This plant organic fertilizer is also a great source
of plant hormones that help regulate growth. Seaweed
organic fertilizers have almost the same
characteristics as kelp meal. This type of organic fertilizer
is excellent for greening the plant foliage and this will
also stimulate growth.
Organic
fertilizers can also come from by-products of animal
processing.
Industries, such as dairy farming and meat or poultry
processing, produce materials that are a rich source of plant
nutrients and minerals. These materials are dried and
processed into organic fertilizers, such as bone
meal, blood meal and fish emulsion.
Perhaps the best
source of quick-acting nitrogen is the organic fertilizer that
is blood meal. This type of organic fertilizer is completely
soluble and can be applied by watering it down the soil.
Another organic fertilizer that comes from animals is the bone
meal, a rich calcium source. This organic fertilizer contains
a high percentage of lasting phosphorus as well as some small
amounts of nitrogen ad potassium. Bone meal organic fertilizer
best suits young plants because it releases its nutrients very
slowly.
Mineral-based organic
fertilizers aren't really organic, but are considered
to be so because they're not extensively processed. Rock
phosphate, Chilean nitrate, sulfate of potash magnesia and
green sand are only a few examples of this type of organic
fertilizer.
Composed is
considered the “Cadillac” of organic fertilizers. This
type is the cheapest and most widely available (in fact,
you can make it in your backyard!).
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