Awesome Organic Fertilizer Recipe
Steve Solomon is an author of several organic gardening books and his organic fertilizer recipe works like gangbusters: Tips on Organic Fertilizer Ingredients
I mixed up a batch of this fertilizer using small boxes bought locally and the cost came out to $.33 a cup.
Use 2 cups per 10 square feet of garden or 3 cups per 10 feet of garden row. Apply every 3-4 weeks during the growing season. Why Use Organic?Organic fertilizer will not burn your plants. The main reason is because the nitrogen concentrations are too low. Another factor is because these fertilizers are made of natural ingredients, not chemicals.Many organic fertilizers are made from waste, and when you use them, you are helping to recycle. Waste-based fertilizers include compost, processed sewage, manure, and blood meal. Natural fertilizers create no runoff or contamination of groundwater or other water bodies. Mass scale farming has created nitrogen pollution in many water bodies which are the cause of deadly bacterial outbreaks and contribute to the destruction of natural water systems. Vitamins Versus Eating RightA way to think of organic versus chemical fertilizers is vitamins versus a well-rounded, healthy diet. If a person takes a lot of vitamins, thinking that it will make up for a poor diet, they are fooling themselves. The body cannot absorb concentrated amounts of vitamins in a short amount of time. What the body cannot absorb at one time, goes down the toilet. As well, the vitamin pills do not provide fiber, good fats and oils, and other elements which comprise a healthy diet.It's the same for plants. Chemical fertilizers provide a concentrated rush of a small spectrum of nutrients. What the plant cannot absorb, runs off or leaches away. This can cause problems in the environment. As well, plants, like us, need trade minerals, and bacterially active soil. Chemical fertilizers cannot provide this. How to Use Organic FertilizersYou may have to use natural fertilizers more frequently than commercial chemical fertilizers. This is due to their low nitrogen content. However, if you have a super rich organic soil mix, you will greatly reduce your need for fertilizers altogether.Compost is your number 1 soil amendment. Compost provides vital microorganisms and a suitable environment for them. It is these microorganisms which help make nutrients available to plant roots. Put compost in the hole when you plant seedlings. Cover seed with it. Continue to top dress your plants with it throughout the growing season. Mix some in your soil mix at the end or beginning of the season. Compost provides not only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but other trace minerals and nutrients your plants need and love. If you make your own, the cost is nearly free. A quick and easy way to make compost fertilizer is from old pallets . You can create compost right in the garden using worm towers .
Related topics:How to Build a Compost PileComposting With Worms return from organic fertilizer to organic raised bed gardening.com
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