How to Choose an Organic Fertilizer

By braniac, eHow User

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Granulated Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizers are becoming more commercially available as consumers move towards sustainable practices for their yard and Garden. Many organic fertilizers provide plant nutrients and benefits to the soil that synthetic fertilizers do not. However, some products on the market provide little benefit to plants and can do more harm than good. This article will assist you in making a smooth transition to an organic program.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions
Things You'll Need

Time to Shop Around

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Meat & Bone Meal

Know what you are looking for - Organic fertilizers are made from a wide variety of natural sources. Consider the various base materials before you buy. Some common materials include: Plant meals, animal meals, manures, composts and mined minerals among others. Composts and naturally occurring minerals will be the easiest to handle and will have minimal odors as compared to animal meals and manures. Non-decomposed substances can be detrimental to the soil. Microbial activity will begin to break these materials down. This process robs the root zone of much need oxygen and consumes nitrogen that could be utilized by the plant. Try to find a composted product as this process insures that the material has already been decomposed and that it is free of harmful pathogens and weed seeds.
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Nutrients - NPK - the three numbers on the front of the bag represent the primary nutrients plants need to grow (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). Nitrogen promotes growth, Phosphorus promotes root development and potassium encourages budding and fruit development. Choose your fertilizer analysis based on what you want to accomplish. Use a higher nitrogen formula (5-10%) on turf grass and heavy feeding plants such as corn. Use a more balanced formula such as 5-5-5 on flowers, fruits and vegetables. Use a high phosphorus formula when establishing new plants.
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Get more than just NPK - Check the label for micro nutrients. There are many more nutrients plants need other than N, P & K. Organic fertilizers often contain these "micro" nutrients. Some important

micros include Calcium (Ca), Sulfur (S), Magnesium (Mg) and Iron (Fe) among others - Organic fertilizers also contain many beneficial qualities other than plant nutrients. Some of these include beneficial microorganisms, humic acids and mycorrhizae among others.
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Organic Material Review Institute Logo

Be sure the product is "Approved for Organic Growing" - There are two different definitions for the word "Organic." The chemical definition means "bound with carbon." The more common consumer definition means "naturally occurring and produced in a sustainable way." The problem with this is that a product may be labeled organic but is not allowed for organic production. Look for either the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) logo or the Washington State Department of Agriculture Registered Material seal to verify that the product is in fact approved for organic use. One rule of thumb when trying to identify if a fertilizer is truly organic is to add up the 3 NPK numbers. If the total adds up to over 15, the fertilizer most likely contains synthetic nutrients.
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Shop Around - Most home and garden centers now carry organic choices and all of the big box stores carry at least one organic option. Shop around to find the best product for the price. Remember to think about beneficial substances such as micro nutrients, humic acids and microorganisms comparing prices. Many products include these for the same price as an NPK only alternative. Use the total weight of the bag and the amount of nitrogen to accurately compare prices. The area the bag will cover depends on the nitrogen content and the weight of the product in the bag.

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Tips & Warnings

Use the following formula to determine the coverage of the bag: weight X %nitrogen X 1,000 = Sq Feet of Coverage

Sterilized products do not contain beneficial microorganisms because they have been killed during the sterilization process. Check the particle size and consistency - some organic products can be quite dusty or inconsistent. This can cause problems during application. Many organic fertilizers contain a foul odor. Keep this in mind when considering different materials. Fully composted materials have minimal odor.

Non Composted manures often contain weed seeds that have been consumed by the animal.

Non composted manures may contain harmful pathogens unless the material has been sterilized. Some organic fertilizers are made from the same material as dog food(blood and bone meal). Keep these products away from pets

Read more: How to Choose an Organic Fertilizer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5210829_choose-organic-fertilizer.html#ixzz1VpAk5Ri1

How to Compare Organic Fertilizer

Larry Parr has been a full-time professional freelance writer for more than 30 years. For 25 years he wrote cartoons for television, everything from "Smurfs" to "Spider-Man." Today Parr train dogs and write articles on a variety of topics for websites worldwide.
By Larry Parr, eHow Contributor updated September 09, 2010

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With all the choices out there, how do you pick the organic fertilizer that's perfect for your needs?

Many people prefer using organic fertilizer rather than chemical fertilizer for a variety of reasons. For one thing, organic fertilizer, unlike chemical fertilizer, will not burn your plant's roots. The question then becomes how do you choose between the various kinds of organic fertilizer? How do you know which fertilizer is right for you and for your particular gardening needs?
Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions
Things You'll Need

Soil test Fertilizer Spreader

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Have your soil tested. Collect one or two samples of your soil and send them to a soiling-testing lab or take them to your local nursery or home improvement center and ask how you go about getting your soil tested.
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Read the report that you get back on your soil. Pay special attention to the nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium levels in your soil.

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Read the labels that are attached to the bags of organic fertilizer. The labels will have a notation similar to: 20-10-15. Notations such as this tell you how much nitrogen is in the fertilizer (20%), how much phosphorous (10%) and how much potassium (15%). Buy the organic fertilizer that has the best blend of nutrients for your soil, based on your soil test. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the quantity you need.

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Tips & Warnings

Composted fertilizers have a lower nitrogen content than "raw" fertilizers but they are easier to spread, they smell better, and they seldom, if ever, over-fertilize your plants. Different organic fertilizers, such

as fish oil, worm castings, horse manure, cow manure, or chicken manure fertilizer will have differing levels of nitrogen. Buy the one that best suits the needs of your particular soil. Be patient. Organic fertilizers must combine with the microbes in your soil before they begin to work. This could take several days to a week.

Always wash your hands after handling organic fertilizers.

Read more: How to Compare Organic Fertilizer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6971557_compare-organic-fertilizer.html#ixzz1VpBGG9I7

Organic Fertilizer * Give your garden some real life! * Use organic fertilizer to build rich fertile soil, * Grow healthy plants - and be more healthy too!
Take courage and do the other gardening thing with organic fertilizers. These pages show you how organic gardening works its wonders. Give it a go and you'll discover how care for your garden earth delivers great results with fewer problems.

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Today > Chicken Manure > Tomato Feed

> Fish Fertilizer Reduce and re-use is really possible with organic gardening. But organic fertilizers still have an important role. This is because harvested fruit, vegetable and flower gardens take a lot out of the > Bone Meal > Blood, Fish, soil. And you need to maintain soil nutrients for your fruit and Bone vegetables to provide you with essential nutrition.

When You Need To Use Organic Fertilizers

Most garden soils contain the bare essentials. But that may not be enough and many cultivated plants need more to fully develop.

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When growing nutrient demanding crops Brassicas, potatoes... modern varieties of some plants are more demanding -

composted or dried manure is essential - and it's available here in easy to handle - poultry manure pellets and buttons,

clean

For continuous cropping season to season with no breaks in your crop rotation organic fertilizers are very useful as supplements see pelleted poultry manure again.

When growing in containers you can make good earth for containers from garden compost, loam, leaf mold, perhaps comfrey leaves and fed with specialised organic fertilizer blends,

For plants growing on the same site for long periods e.g. lawns, shrubs, hedges, trees... garden compost and manure is still a great provider - Find more here on lawn and shrub fertilizer,

When growing on thin unfertile ground work in manure - continue to use organic fertilizer to make better quality compost, and grow clovers and beans as green manures to dig in. See organic base fertilizer and re-mineralizing rock dust on link here.

Harvest Organic Tomorrow > Chicken Manure > Tomato Feed > Fish Fertilizer > Bone Meal > Blood, Fish, Bone

In fact, I always add organic fertilizer for important crops and flowers. But I recycle the green waste through compost and also build moisture retentive, increasingly

fertile soil. And the important extra organic fertilizer that I use does no damage and saves waste.

Provide Complete Fertilizers - Keep It Simple And Whole

Growing plants need all the major nutrients and more. Don't focus on N for leaves, P for roots, etc... Remember that you are growing whole plants, not leaves without roots, or flowers without leaves. So avoid single nutrient plant foods.

Correct Problem/Deficient Soils

Move the complete range of nutrients from bagged composted manure and organic fertilizers through your plants and into garden compost. Made from living plants, compost contains all the essential nutrients at an ideal ph and so eventually your garden soil will come right. Manure and garden compost dramatically improve soil condition too. So I can grow more kinds of plants with fewer worries about drainage and water shortage. And as the earth gets richer and deeper I can grow plants with closer spacing and look forward to bigger harvests and more flowers still.

Discover how dried chicken manure helps break open stiffer clays soils.

Alternatives To Fertilizer

Simply water your plants when dry to bring existing soil nutrients to your plant's roots, Grow your plants with a strong healthy root system, Maintain healthy soil that's well-aerated, free draining and moisture holding and you'll help most garden plants to bare flowers and fruit in plenty, Soil micro-organisms are important for feeding your plants too, The organic gardening term 'feed the soil not the plant' recognises all of these benefits. So add organic matter.

Advantages To 'Feeding The Soil'

You'll be able to grow more types of plant successfully - more free draining, more moisture holding, organically rich, diverse soil micro-organisms support plant growth and condition your soil so it's easier to work,

Does it really work? Of course it does! Most things that go wrong in gardens are something to do with not keeping the natural connection with soil. And without chemicals it's really simple - here's what you do.
Now Here's The Brainy Bit About Organic Gardening:- The aim of organic gardening is to be sustainable and reduce external inputs. Plant nutrients are recycled from waste garden plants, fallen leaves, grass cuttings, prunings... through compost... back to the soil and your plants. And there's more...

In addition, natural methods are used to reduce losses and 'mop up' extra soil

nutrients before they are lost. Soil micro-organisms are naturally recruited to incorporate additional free nutrients such as soil nitrogen from N fixing soil microorganisms. Green manures and cover plants are important too. Micro-organisms can be inoculated into the soil to boost nitrogen fixing and help plants access extra soil nutrients. Your plants always used these natural fertilizers until cultivation and chemicals degraded the soil. Find more on natural fertilizers. But many productive crops remove considerable amounts - some that we eat for example - then we usually need to add some fertilizer on top of garden compost. Remember - the nutrient value of your food will suffer if you don't replenish soil nutrients. Composted animal manure is the most important organic fertilizer.

Which Fertilizers Are Acceptable In Organic Gardening And Which Are Not?
My Favourite Organic Fertilizers

Pelleted Chicken Manure and 6X, use carefully - details on this link..., Fish, Blood & Bone, a compound organic or semi-organic fertilizer - varying release rates & usage details on this link..., Bone Meal, - pure form is not complete organic fertilizer, details on this link..., Seaweed Meal and Liquid Seaweed, find out more...,

Some products are not suitable as organic fertilizers. Consider these:

Where does the fertilizer come from? e.g. is seaweed under threat from commercial exploitation? Does mining calcified seaweed destroy marine life? Does your fish fertilizer come from fish waste or fish exploitation? Does manufacture use vital resources or involve pollution? e.g. carbon from natural gas burnt for producing chemical nitrogen, How does it get to you? e.g. transporting a big load of fresh manure? Is it excessive or wasteful? Use of Bat Guano and Urea has attracted many supporters but they are both considered bad for organic gardening, Does it destroy soil fertility-building micro-organisms? Is it a danger to your plants in its content or by your method of use? e.g. blood meal can be fast acting in warm conditions and with ill-effects on your plants.

I've read the analysis on chemical fertilizers. Do chemicals provide more nutrients? In my experience plants get sufficient from organic materials. The extra in chemicals is either

not needed or is damaging and wasted. Big farming and gardening are different things. You can find more on chemical fertilizers here but I suggest you try the links below to grow a healthy organic garden.

Table 1. Nutrient Content of Natural Materials. Materials Ashes, unleached Ashes, leached Blood (dried) Bone meal, raw Bone meal, steamed Coffee grounds Compost Cottonseed meal Greensand Hair Kelp or seaweed Lawn clippings Peanut hull meal Oyster shells Sawdust, wood shavings Sewage sludge Sewage sludge, activated %N 0 0 12 to 15 3.5 2.2 2.1 0.3 6 to 7 12 to 16 1.5 1.2 1.2 0.2 0.2 2.6 6.0 %P 2.0 1.2 3 22 28 0.3 0.2 2.5 1 to 2 1.0 0.3 0.5 0.3 3.7 3.0 %K 6.0 2.0 0.6 0.2 0.3 0.4 1.5 5.0 4.9 2.0 0.8 0.03 0.2 0.2 0.2

Table 2. Nutrient Content of Manures.

Manures Bat Beef (fresh) Beef (dry) Chicken (fresh) Chicken (dry) Hog (fresh) Hog (dry) Horse (fresh) Rabbit (fresh) Turkey (fresh) % Nitrogen 6.0 0.6 1.2 0.9 1.6 0.6 2.2 0.6 2.4 1.3 % Phosphate 9.0 0.4 2.0 0.5 1.8 0.3 2.1 0.3 1.4 0.7 % Potash 3.0 0.5 2.1 0.5 2.0 0.4 1.0 0.5 0.6 0.5

Table 3. Recommended application rate for various granular fertilizers to apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000, 100, and 10 square feet.
Application rates per 1,000 Square Feet Pounds 10 12.5 8 6 20 8 Cups 20 25 16 12 40 16 100 Square Feet Pounds 1 1.2 .75 .5 2 .75 Cups 2 2.5 1.5 1 4 1.5 10 Square Feet

Source 10-10-10 8-8-8 12-4-8 16-4-8 5-10-10 12-6-6

Tablespoons 4 5 3 2 8 3

Table 4. Conversion of fertilizer weights to approximate volumes.

Fertilizer Ground limestone Nitrate of soda Potassium sulfate Calcium nitrate Superphosphate 10-10-10 5-10-10 Ammonium nitrate Epsom salts (MgSO4) Aluminum sulfate Hydrated lime Cups per Pound 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 2 2 1/4 2 1/4 2 1/2 2 1/2 2 1/2 2 3/4 4 Tablespoons per Pound 24 24 24 32 36 36 36 40 40 44 64

Table 5. Pounds of Fertilizer Needed per 1,000 Square Feet to Supply Various Amounts of Nitrogen.
N-P-K 1 Pound Actual Nitrogen 2.2 3.0 1 1/4 Pound Actual Nitrogen 2.7 3.7 11/2 Pounds Actual Nitrogen 3.3 4.5 3 Pounds Actual Nitrogen 6.5 9.1

45-0-0 (urea) 33-0-0 (ammonium nitrate) 27-7-7 21-0-0

3.7 4.8

4.6 5.9

5.6 7.1

11.1 14.3

(ammonium sulfate) 20-20-20 16-4-8, 16-8-8 15-5-5 12-4-8 10-10-10 5-10-10, 5-10-5 5.0 6.2 6.2 7.8 7.5 9.4 15.0 18.8

6.7 8.3 10.0 20.0

8.3 10.4 12.5 25.0

10.0 12.5 15.0 30.0

20.0 25.0 30.0 60.0

Consumer Horticulture | Trees | Plant Fact Sheets

Prepared by: Erv Evans, Consumer Horticulturist, NC State University 2000 NC State University - All Rights Reserved

Natural and Organic Fertilizers

by Erik Schimek on April 15, 2010 Its that time of year again spring! And that means its time to fertilize your lawns, plants, and gardens. But before you reach for the old stand-by chemical fertilizer, read this article and learn about the many natural and organic fertilizing options that are available, and even preferable over synthetic fertilizing agents.

Chemical fertilizers contain many nutrients for plants, but the three main nutrients they contain are: nitrogen for foliage development, phosphorous for root development/flowering, and potassium for the overall health of the plants. Harvesting of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium for use in synthetic fertilizers is helping to deplete the earth of precious natural resources. Massive amounts of natural gas are used in the harvesting of nitrogen for chemical fertilizers. Phosphorous for fertilizers has to be strip-mined. Phosphorous fertilizers can also cause run-off into ground water and waterways, which causes overgrowth of algae in ponds and water bodies. The overgrowth of algae depletes the oxygen in the water and suffocates the underwater life. Potassium for fertilizers is also mined. Another drawback to using chemical fertilizers is that the plants become dependent upon them, and require and more and more in order to be able to thrive. The natural tilth and balance of the soil becomes disrupted and depleted. Fortunately, there are many natural ways to infuse nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium into our plants and lawns. Plus, natural fertilizers are capable of performing many other functions that chemical fertilizers cannot like retaining nutrients, cleaning up chemical residues, creating a neutral pH balance, et cetera. Natural and organic fertilizers reduce the draw of natural resources, reduce energy usage, and reduce soil destruction. Below is a list of some of the most common natural and organic fertilizers. Even if you use natural fertilizers, be sure not to over-fertilize. Over-fertilizing can promote run-off and it can also burn and even kill the plants. Remember: fertilizer is not plant food; it is a soil-enriching agent that will help your lawn and plants to thrive. List of some natural and organic fertilizers

Seaweed and kelp contain potassium and over 60 trace minerals. They also have small amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous. Mulch, grass clippings, and leaves are a good source of nitrogen. Many lawn mowers have a mulching mechanism that will distribute the lawn clippings back over the lawn as it mows. You can also make mulch from raked leaves, by processing them through a hand-held leaf mulcher (leaf mulchers usually double as leaf blowers). For plant beds, place a nice layer of mulch or leaves around the plants. This will allow the nutrients to seep into the soil. This is a great do-it-yourself way to fertilize. Plus, it keeps all that yard debris out of the landfills. Commercial organic fertilizers can be purchased at virtually any store that carries fertilizers, and of course they can also be purchased online. They cost more than the do-it-yourself ways of fertilizing, but they can be well-balanced and easy ways to naturally fertilize your lawn and plants. As with all fertilizers, be sure not to use too much, and read the instructions on the package. The package should also contain a ratio of the nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). The ratios should be displayed somewhere on the package in the following order: N-P-K. Animal manure is rich in nitrogen, and also contains good amounts of phosphorous and potassium. It should be worked into the soil, and placed away from the roots of plants. Any chemicals that were present in the diet of the animal will be in the manure. Can be used directly, but better if composted first. It can usually be purchased at a nursery or feed store. Wood ash contains a good amount of potassium, as well as some calcium and trace minerals. Wood ash is good for acidic soils, but should never be out on alkaline soil. Compost Blood meal is rich in nitrogen and also contains small amounts of phosphorous and potassium. It is derived from slaughterhouse by-product. Bone meal is a good source of phosphorous and it is a good slow-release fertilizer.

How to choose the right fertilizer: Get soil tested Getting your soil tested is the most accurate way to go about choosing which fertilizer is most needed for your lawn or plants. The soil test will reveal the nutrient content, so you can pick a fertilizer that is appropriate for your situation. It will also tell whether your soil is more acidic or alkaline.

Choose based upon characteristics Another good way to go about fertilizing is to look at the characteristics of your plants and lawn then match up the characteristics with the appropriate fertilizing agent. Plants that are slowgrowing, abnormally small, yellow, etc. will benefit from nitrogen-rich fertilizers. If your plants need help with root growth, flowering, seeds, etc., then phosphorous-rich fertilizers would help. Potassium helps to overall strengthen the health of plants it can be used to help water assimilate better into the plants, and to increase hardiness for facing droughts and harsh winters. Here is a link to a North Carolina State University table of nutrient percentages in natural fertilizers. Wing it The least scientific way to go about fertilizing your lawn naturally, is by winging it. And quite frankly, this is what many people do. Just be sure not to over-fertilize. You may want to fertilize twice in the spring eight weeks apart. And once in the fall.

How to Compare Inorganic & Organic Fertilizer

Helen Jain has been writing online articles since December 2009 for various websites. She has studied English and psychology and hopes to get a Ph.D. in English in the future.
By Helen Jain, eHow Contributor

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Fertilizing the soil helps plants grow.

Organic and inorganic fertilizers are both meant to improve the growth and health of plants. There are differences that should be considered when looking at the type of fertilizer that is best for any plant. Though the ways that plants ultimately react to the fertilizers is similar, there are differences in the ways that the fertilizers work that can make one type of fertilizer more appealing than the other.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions
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Compare soil health improvement. Organic fertilizers stabilize and improve the soil over time, while inorganic fertilizers do not improve the stability. This factor should be considered when trying to improve the health of plants and, over the long term, the soil they are grown in.

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Pay attention to the nutrient availability. Inorganic fertilizers have nutrients that are available immediately to plants, while organic fertilizers can take months before the nutrients are available to the plants. Organic fertilizers must be broken down into nutrients the plants can use, but the inorganic fertilizers are already broken down.

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Watch for chemical imbalances in the soil. Inorganic fertilizers can result in a buildup of salts and other chemicals over time, which leads to imbalances. Organic fertilizers will not often have chemical imbalance problems due to the natural materials that make up the fertilizer. Organic fertilizers do not have added chemicals.

Look at the amount of nutrients available to the plants. Inorganic fertilizers have known nutrient amounts. Nutrients in organic fertilizers are less clearly specified and are not as easily calculated. The materials used can alter the type of nutrients available to the plants.
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Compare the prices and availability of fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are often more expensive and less available than inorganic fertilizers. Some areas might not have organic fertilizers available through stores, which can be inconvenient.

Read more: How to Compare Inorganic & Organic Fertilizer | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6648888_compare-inorganic-organicfertilizer.html#ixzz1VpDKa2NF