Fertilizers: Organic Fertilizer Type

Home growers are recognizing the need for supplying the nutrients in a timely fashion in order to promote vigorous plant growth in landscapes and gardens. Application of nutrients may be done using either inorganic fertilizer type or organic fertilizer type.

Because of the increase in environmental concerns, many home growers have preference in using the organic fertilizer type over the inorganic fertilizer type. This is due to the fact that inorganic fertilizer types contain possibly harmful chemicals and a concentrated amount of nutrients that may leach into the soil.

However, a common misconception in using organic fertilizer types is that they are safer for plants. Inappropriate or improper application of organic fertilizer types can be as harmful to plants as chemicals are. Organic fertilizer types, if not properly applied, may contribute to ground water pollution, cause nutrient deficiency and toxicity, or induce salt burn.

Nutrient needs of plants vary according to soil conditions, previous inorganic or organic fertilizer types used, and the plant type grown. In order to find out what specific nutrients are needed in an organic fertilizer type, a soil test must be conducted.

Most nutrient deficiency in soil is Nitrogen-based so organic fertilizer types are specifically designed to contain high amounts of Nitrogen. Lawn and turf grass grow very slowly if soil is deficient in Nitrogen. The same thing can be said of vegetable and fruit gardens. To increase vigor in law grass and improve crop yield, seaweed extracts and fish emulsions are the organic fertilizer types to use. These organic fertilizer types are rich in soluble Nitrogen and trace elements.

The labels of organic fertilizer types have numbers in them that stand for the concentration of the three major nutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). For instance, an organic fertilizer type with a formulation of 6-12-0 contains six percent Nitrogen, twelve percent Phosphorus, and zero percent Potassium.

Other ingredients found in organic fertilizer types are sulfur, iron, and zinc. Aside from supplying plants with the necessary nutrients for their growth, organic fertilizer types also contains organic matter (Inorganic fertilizer types do not have this in their formulations). The organic matter in organic fertilizer types augments the water retention of soil and also improves drainage and tilth.

If the result of the soil test indicates that some nutrients have high or excessive content levels, select an organic fertilizer type that has lower concentrations of these nutrients. An excess of nutrients in an organic fertilizer types can cause leaching and imbalance that reduces plant growth. However, if a soil test report indicates that Nitrogen is needed, then select an organic fertilizer type with high Nitrogen content like blood meal or kelp meal. If you find out that your soil is deficient in both Phosphorus and Nitrogen, then an organic fertilizer type rich in both nutrients is advisable. If none is available, then using two organic fertilizer types, each rich with either specific nutrient, can be done.

Many organic fertilizer types contain high levels of salt which could cause "burning" of plants. Organic fertilizer types may be broadcast on the surface or applied directly into the soil by tilling or watering. Using a spreader may be helpful in making sure that you do not over apply organic fertilizer types into your soil.

Spreaders for organic fertilizer types are adjustable to suit different fertilizing needs. When broadcasting organic fertilizer types via a spreader, it is important to note the width of the spread path and the distance traveled.