Skip to main content

Organic Fertilizers for Your Home

Organic garden fertilizers consist of decomposed plant and animal compounds that are broken down by microbes into a form that living plants can use, usually dissolved in water and taken up through the roots. They are naturally occurring chemical compounds, unlike chemical fertilizers that are compounds created in a lab. Some organic fertilizers contain mostly one main nutrient, for example bat guano has high nitrogen content and very small amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Organic fertilizers also contain other nutrients and trace elements. When you select an organic fertilizer, you need to know where it falls on the N-P-K range so you know on what plants it should be used and when in the plant’s life cycle it will offer the most benefit.

What makes good fertilizer?

“N” = Nitrogen, “P” = Phosphorus, “K” = Potassium.

Represented in that order, these are the numbers you find on fertilizer packages. 10-5-5 is an example.

Some plant based organic fertilizers are Compost, Humus, Alfalfa meal, Cottonseed Meal, Corn-gluten meal, Soybean meal, and Kelp/Seaweed products. Check labeling information to be sure that the source plants were raised organically. Some meal crops such as cotton are heavily sprayed with pesticides, and traces of the poisons may be retained in the meal. Compost and humus should be finished, soil-like products when applied to your garden.

Want to make your own compost? Check out our guide here

Animal based organic fertilizers are Manure, Guano, Blood meal, Bone meal, and Fish Emulsion products. Guano may come from bats or seabirds, and is available in pellets or dried powder. Its high nitrogen value makes it quite potent, and it can easily burn plants if not used properly. Fish emulsion is my personal choice, because it is diluted and used when watering plants, or it may be used as a foliar feed. Fish emulsion is gentle enough even for tiny seedlings. It provides all the nutrients they need for a strong start, and is well-rounded enough to use all season. Blood meal is the dried and powdered blood from slaughterhouses, and is a real benefit for green leafy vegetables. Some people say that blood meal attracts dogs; it is also known as a deer repellent. Bone meal is powdered bones and is very high in phosphorus and calcium. Root crops benefit from bone meal, as do flowering bulbs and roses. Broccoli is one vegetable that is reportedly high in calcium, and the only way broccoli plants can get calcium is if the soil they are grown in contains calcium. I dust bone meal in the soil when I set out broccoli plants, and I feel like it increases the health value of my broccoli by increasing the calcium content.

Plants also need minerals. Most mineral fertilizers contain additional micronutrients. Epsom salt is a very good source of magnesium and sulfur. It can be used directly in the soil in granular form, or you can dissolve one Tablespoon of Epsom salt in one gallon of water and spray it on plants for a foliar feeding. Tomatoes, peppers, and roses will really respond to Epsom salt feeding. Greensand, Gypsum, Hard-rock phosphate, Soft-rock phosphate, and Limestone are other mineral fertilizers. A soil test should be done before you add mineral supplements, since some can affect the pH balance of the soil.

The post Organic Fertilizers for Your Home appeared first on Downtown Homestead.



from Downtown Homestead http://downtownhomestead.com/organic-fertilizers-for-your-home/
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fragrant Winter Shrubs: Perfuming Your Garden: Slideshow

Although sweet floral fragrances are usually associated with spring and summer flowering plants, there are a goodly number of shrubs, bulbs and bedding plants that   perfume   the air all through winter.   Fragrant Winter Plants Fragrant Winter Shrubs Best known of all winter fragrant shrubs is probably Daphne Odora – the flowers may be pink or white – the foliage dark green or green with a silver edge. It should be planted in a semi-shaded area along with another excellent shrub, Sarrococca, which has spicy, small white blooms and glossy pointed leaves – a plant of neat growth habit. Fragrant viburnums are a mid-winter favorite – nurserymen will have a selection of varieties. The Fragrance of lemon blossoms is most delightful in a winter garden – as is that of other citrus. For many months honeysuckle provides a favorite scent and holds great allure for hummingbirds. For a camera buff, what a picture with a humming bird drawing nectar from a garden flower. Insofar a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Advantages to Community Gardening: With limited gardening space, consider a community garden.

You might live in a townhouse with a postage stamp-sized yard. Perhaps you live in an apartment building without a balcony or access to green space. Perhaps you have a large yard, but it is completely shaded by large trees, or the soil in your yard is not hospitable to growing edible plants such as tomatoes, herbs and peppers. If this is the case, a community garden plot may be just the solution. Advantages of Community Gardening Good Soil and Sun Exposure Community gardening allows individuals and families to cultivate plants and grow food when otherwise they may not be able to due to conditions at their own home. Many community gardens are located in areas with mostly sunny exposure, perfect for growing vegetables and many varieties of perennial and annual flowers. Tools and Storage are Shared Many community gardens are equipped with garden tools such as shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, buckets and watering cans, all of which are available for members of the garden to use. Member g...
Post a Comment
Read more

22+ Tips for a Greener Life

It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to start living green, and with a few simple changes, you can start small and build new habits that will lead to a more eco-friendly life. In honor of Earth Month, here are a few easy and inexpensive ways to tread lightly on the earth this year. Protect both the environment and your pocketbook with these 22+Tips for a greener life: Inside the Home 1) Install a Programmable Thermostat A programmable thermostat allows you to decrease run times when you are away or asleep. This way energy isn’t wasted. 2) Set the Thermostat Higher in Summer, Lower in Winter When you are home, set your thermostat a little higher in summer or lower in winter. Lowering the thermostat in winter can reduce energy usage by 3 percent, for instance. http://www.pnm.com/save/energy_tips_winter.htm http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/consumptionbriefs/recs/thermostat_settings/methodology.html http://www.ccetompkins.org/energysavings/factsheets/thermostat.html http://www.warma...
Post a Comment
Read more