Organic fertilizers
are made from plant matter and animal byproducts.
For healthy growth and development, plants need adequate supplies of 13 mineral nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which they glean from the soil. Gardeners and farmers use fertilizers to replenish these nutrients in the soil.
Determine Nutrient Needs
Before applying fertilizer, whether organic or synthetic, have your soil tested so that you know the current nutrient content in your soil. With this knowledge, as well as consideration of the specific nutrient requirements of the plants you plan to grow, you can select the most appropriate ingredients for making your organic fertilizer.
Ingredients
Organic fertilizers are derived from plants and animal byproducts; examples include animal manure, bone meal, old leaves and peanut hulls. Mother Earth News provides a simple recipe for an organic fertilizer mix that includes seed meal, agricultural lime gypsum, dolomitic lime, kelp meal and either bone meal, rock phosphate or high-phosphate guano. If growing vegetables, also spread either 1/4 or 1/2 inch of steer manure or finished compost, depending on the nutrient demands of the specific plant.
Other Considerations
Organic fertilizers take longer to break down and release nutrients. Although more time is needed to see positive effects, this slow-release process builds healthier soil and decreases loss of nutrients to leaching.
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