Why We Need Organic Fertilizer?

Organic fertilizer is considered a greener option, it is an essential source of plant nutrients and soil. Different from chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers can provide nutrients for your plants while creating healthy soil.

There are large amounts of organic matter in the soil. Remaining the soil loose, and light, with adequate moisture and nutrients, thereby promotes the growth of soil microorganisms and improves root health and root development.

Organic fertilizers are widely used for vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber; fruits like strawberries, grapes, and citrus; and cash crops like grass, flowers, and cannabis.

Another name for organic fertilizer is "organic manure". The definition of organic fertilizer is simple: it mostly refers to compost made from animal waste or animal and plant residues that are rich in nature by-products, such as guano, dried and powdered blood, ground bone, crushed shells, finely pulverized fish, phosphate rock and wood.

The nutrient elements contained in organic fertilizer are mostly inorganic state, which means the nutrients can not be used by crops directly. However, through the action of microorganisms, a large amount of nutrient elements can be released slowly and provided to plants continuously.

With the development of modern agriculture, the function of organic fertilizer become more and more important in agriculture production. Agriculture products with organic fertilizer have good taste and can effectively maintain the nutrients and taste of fruits and vegetables, and at the same time, they also have a good effect on soil protection and improvement. Therefore, it is necessary for us to use and understand organic fertilizer.

There is a phenomenon existing in today's agriculture. On the one hand, excessive utilization of chemical fertilizer causes soil acidification and eutrophication of water bodies; On the other hand, incorrect accumulation of livestock manure causes pollution. We use organic fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizer which makes the combination of agriculture and animal husbandry more closely, the utilization of livestock manure also improves the quality of agricultural products, which is a multi-benefit good.

1. Animal-Based Fertilizer

Bone Meal

Bone meal is made from crushed bones of animals. There are rich phosphorus and calcium in the bone meal and can provide some nitrogen. It can promote the growth of plant seedlings and help flowers grow, and increase the yield.

Blood Meal

Blood meal is the dry form of animal blood. It can improve the nitrogen content of the soil which can make the plants denser. The release of nitrogen can improve flowering and repel natural pests.

Attention: the usage and application should be made sparingly, over-application can contribute to the burning of the plant root.

Animal Manure

It can come from different kinds of animals. For example, the manure of cows can control weeds, and increase the moisture-holding capacity and air penetration of the soil. Seabird guano is a kind of organic fertilizer for lawns, It can be used as a natural fungicide and control the nematodes in the soil.

Fish Meal

Fish meal is a kind of fertilizer that can be released quickly and it is a rich source of organic nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium. Fish meal can improve soil health, increase fertility, and make the plants thrive. (Fish Fertilizer)

Fish Emulsion

Such a blend of crushed and decomposed fish can deliver a big dose of nitrogen. It acts as a soil conditioner. Attention: Fish Emulsion is highly acidic, and over-application can burn plants.

Shellfish

Shellfish are made from the broken shells or bones of shellfish and crabs.

Shellfish organic fertilizers have plenty of calcium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals. It means shellfish organic fertilizer can help stimulate flowering and the growth of robust roots. Besides, it has chitin, which can inhibit the growth of some pests. (Chitosan Products)

2. Plant-Based Fertilizer

Compost

There are rich nutrients in the compost, it can be used as an excellent soil amendment to improve the organic matter and soil fertility. It provides rich growth nutrients for plants and can maintain the moisture in the soil for a long time.

Cottonseed Meal

Cottonseed meal contains rich nitrogen and a small amount of phosphorus and potassium. It is an excellent organic fertilizer grass. It is mainly used to cover the soil of the garden and regulate the soil environment.

Alfalfa and Soybean meal

It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and neutral PH.

Soybean meal is a kind of functional additive, it has longer-lasting results during soil maintenance.

Seaweed

Seaweed is a kind of immediate-release fertilizer and also is an excellent source of zinc and iron. It is suitable for high-potash crops. (Seaweed Fertilizer)

3. Mineral Fertilizers

Greensand

Greensand is a kind of olive-green sandstone containing glauconite. It contains rich iron, potassium, and magnesium.

It contributes to the stimulation of flowering and fruition of fruit trees. It can also loosen the soil, increase the moisture of the soil and improve the rhizosphere.

Rock Phosphate

Phosphate is extracted from mineral rocks and clay.

It contains phosphate over 30%, and high concentrations of trace micronutrients. It can be used to increase soil acidity and promote the growth of plant seedlings.

4. Pros & Cons Organic Fertilizer

Pros

It can boost nutrient efficiency and organic matter content in the soil.

It improves water movement into the soil and adds structure to the soil in time. Organic feed beneficial microbes, making the soil more comfortable to work.

Increased soil fertility, and improved soil texture, drainage, and aeration.

It can help the soil to constantly condition and renew, thus improving soil texture, drainage and aeration.

Improve the quality attributes and yield of products.

It contains a large number of nutrients required by plants, providing relatively smooth and durable nutrients for plants, with a long after-effect.

Total Environmentally friendly

They are renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

It does not contain harmful chemicals that help to pollute and contaminate water and land.

Cons

Before the nutrients are released into the soil, the microorganisms need to decompose the organic components. The effectiveness of organic fertilizer is limited by some factors because organisms need appropriate temperatures and sufficient water to do their jobs.

So it may take much longer time for organic fertilizers to take effect than chemical fertilizers.

But just be patient, when microbial populations re-establish themselves, organic fertilizers will be faster and more efficient.

Conclusion

Organic gardening emphasizes nurturing your garden to maintain fertile soil, plants, and beneficial insects.

This is achieved by avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and by using products that nurture the garden soil and the organic matter within it.

Proper use of organic fertilizer can bring you a harvest of vegetables or flowers that will be the envy of your neighbors.

When you adopt the concept of organic fertilizer, your plants and crops will experience a balanced, nutrient-rich ecosystem that can work according to natural expectations.