Pelleted Organic Fertilizer

Going organic is the way to go if you want to make a wonderland out of your backyard. But choosing the right organic fertilizer can be such a headache, especially for those who have just taken up gardening as a hobby. This article will help you decide on what type of organic fertilizer you might want to use for your plants.

There are many types of organic fertilizers available in the market, such as fish emulsions, seaweed extracts, corn meal, bone meal, kelp extract, etc. These may come in different forms, e.g. liquid, powder, granular or pelleted organic fertilizers.

The liquid organic fertilizer is basically applied via foliar spray while the powder form can be applied like tea. These two forms have their own advantages and disadvantages and many plant growers debate over the merits of one or the other.

The third form of organic fertilizer is the granular or pelleted organic fertilizer. Late to come into the market (the pelleted organic fertilizer technology is quite new), the pelleted organic fertilizer is becoming more and more the superior organic fertilizer form over the other two -liquid and powder. This is because pelleted organic fertilizers are cheaper compared to foliar liquid organic fertilizers or the powdered teabag forms. Pelleted organic fertilizers also have the slow-release capability.

The slow-release property in pelleted organic fertilizers allows them to gradually release the nutrients into the soil, allowing the plants time to absorb and use them extensively throughout the growing season. In this regard, the pelleted organic fertilizer also helps prevent leaching (a common side-effect of liquid-based fertilizers) and soil erosion.

Because it is organic-based, pelleted organic fertilizers contain only a minor amount of chemicals (minor because no commercially produced pelleted organic fertilizer is one hundred percent natural). The pelleted organic fertilizer's low chemical content makes it an ideal nutrient-source not only for plants but to the soil microorganisms as well.

Pelleted organic fertilizers may come from different sources of organic materials. Most pelleted organic fertilizers in the market today are produced from by-products of the sea.

Fish emulsion pelleted organic fertilizers are highly valued for its rich trace element content. Pelleted organic fertilizers made from seaweed extract are also a popular favorite among plant growers because it is virtually a powerhouse source of trace elements and nitrogen.

Another pelleted organic fertilizer that is based on sea-produce is the crab shell pelleted organic fertilizer. Rich in plant vitamins and minerals, this pelleted organic fertilizer is also valued as a potential pest-controller with its high chitin content.

Pelleted organic fertilizers may also be made from poultry litter, farm manure, and bat guano. Chicken farms have been using organic fertilizer plants to convert their farm wastes into pelleted organic fertilizers for plant use. Another pelleted organic fertilizer is the bat guano. Commonly comprised of 10 percent nitrogen and 2 percent phosphoric acid, the bat guano pelleted organic fertilizer is a high-protein, slow-release, and soluble type of pelleted organic fertilizer.

There are various other sources of pelleted organic fertilizers. Samples of these pelleted organic fertilizers are bone meals, corn meals, magnesium and potash from grounded ancient bedrock, and several others.