Good Organic Food Needs Good Organic Fertilizers

There is more information out there than you can shake a stick at about what to feed your plants. The direction I go is organic because it's good for the soil (chemical fertilizers will eventually kill the soil), and the way I make it is cost free..

Lets explore some of those methods in detail. Method number one involves what we always ate on Fridays attending public school-fish. Pretty much everywhere that garden supplies are sold, you will find fish emulsion fertilizer. This stinky stuff is made from fish guts and trash fish that would ordinarily be thrown out, but is processed to create a fertilizer that plants love to gobble down. The way fish emulsion fertilizer is made would be an excellent program candidate for the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs". Why? Because fish emulsion fertilizer stinks to high heavens. I can't imagine what a nightmare working in one of those plants would be. But I'm glad somebody does, because that nasty brown slime works really well. You can do a search on the internet to find companies that make this stuff if you're interested in the process. If you decide to go the fishy route to fertilizing remember this; if you use it, don't get any on your hands. It does not like to be washed off.

The next method of fertilizing I recommend is something called greensand. Greensand comes from sediments or sandy rock that contains a high amount of a mineral called glauconite. It's called greensand because, well, because it looks like green sand. It's been used for over a hundred years as an organic fertilizer, and is really good for the soil. It has a slow release rate so your tender veggie or fruit plants won't get burned plus has the added bonus of retaining moisture-always a good thing. And there's trace minerals to boot.

A radical type of fertilizer that is used by organic gardeners (but not me, as of yet) is something that is available every day and free for the taking. If fact, most folks just throw this stuff out. But, it does take a certain mind-shift to consider using it. What is it? "Urine" for a shock (sorry for the bad pun; sometimes I can't help myself). Yes, I'm talking about wee-wee, tinkle, pee, number 1 or any of the other fun and cute names we use for when we take a leak. Some organic gardeners use their own and, for all I know, friends and family's urine as fertilizer. In fact, this is actually pretty common out there in the world and is more acceptable that it is here in the good old US of A. Think China. There is a lack of hygiene fastidiousness involved with using urine as a fertilizer that turns most Americans off. If I were to use urine as fertilizer, I don't know if I would even tell people about it. Who wants to eat something that someone else has peed on. But the fact is, urine, for the most part, is completely sterile and safe to use. Just kind of gross. And it's full of those things that plants just love, love, love to eat. A few rules are in order if you want to start using your urine as a fertilizer. Number 1: keep it fresh. The longer it sits, the less nutritional for the plants it is. And it also stinks more. Number 2 (not to actually be confused with "number 2", if you know what I mean): Always dilute 5 to 1 with water. If you're using it on tender vegetation or seedlings, dilute it 10 to 1. Number 3: don't mix it up with the other bodily waste (back to that "number 2 thing". I'm starting to feel like I'm in the third grade now). Using excrement is a big time no no. Sure, it's used in other countries routinely (again, think China), but you're asking for real trouble with diseases being introduced into the food chain. Think e-coli on the spinach, if you know what I mean. 'Nuff said. And don't ever put dog or cat's waste in the garden for the same reason. Which leads me to another type of fertilizer.

Manure. Farmyard critters like chickens, cows, goats, sheep and horses produce manure at an alarming, prodigious rate. Which is good for your garden. But first it must be properly composted. Which means never put fresh manure in the veggie beds. Once again, e-coli. If it just fell out the backdoor, leave it alone. But if it's been left outside and dried out and has broken down to a nice composty-like texture, it's great. If you decide you're going to raid Farmer Bob's cow pasture for manure, just harvest the completely dried patties. Never the fresh. Break it up and work into the soil-presto!-happy, healthy plants. Then go wash your hands. Throughly.

Another source of fertilizer also comes from the sea. It's kelp. Kelp is a brown seaweed that is harvested along coastlines around the world. One of the benefits of using kelp meal or emulsions for fertilizer is that it adds trace minerals back into the soil. The soil that is used in the big agri-corps' mega-farms is, for the most part, depleted in minerals. Why? Chemical fertilizers leach them out of the soil, and those corporate farmers don't bother replacing the minerals. They don't need no stinking minerals! That actually costs money and cuts into shareholder dividends which is what it's really about for them. They just throw more fertilizer at the problem and call it a day. It's important to have trace minerals in the soil, because we need them in order to stay healthy ourselves. Things like copper, boron, manganese, iron, etc. are essential to your health. People used to get those from the foods they eat which were grown organically before modern commercial farming practices became the norm.

These are just a few of the many, many choices you can make for providing the nutrients your veggie and fruit plants need to thrive and provide you with organic food. Growing organically is really no more difficult that standard farming with chemicals, except they are safer for everything up and down the food chain. You just need a little more forethought and research on what to use instead of those chemicals.

Now get out there and plant your future.

I refer to myself as a microfarmer for one simple reason-I grow a significant amount of food every year on a very small plot of land. I call it my micro farm. My family and I live on what was euphemistically at the time called a "cottage lot" when we bought our home. In reality, the lot is a postage stamp. But, by using intensive techniques, I'm able to grow a great deal of the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat every day. If you want to know how I set up my micro farm, you can go to my website- [http://www.themicrofarmer.com] and download my free e-book "Step By Step Guide To MicroFarming" to begin your journey of "Planting Your Future".

6 Of The Top Organic Fertilizers

Organic Fertilizers

Some of the most important organic fertilizers are fish emulsion, seaweed, earthworm castings, bone meal, kelp meal, and rock phosphates. These natural fertilizers will improve your plants, especially yield plants, and are great for the soil. Not only do they nourish your plants but the soil as well so that it is healthy enough to support whatever you decide to plant. It is quite easy to match the organic fertilizer to the plant you need it for thus improving the plants and making them healthier. They also tell you how often to use them so that you don't overdo. Some fertilizers are longer lasting and do not have to be applied as often.

Fish Emulsion and Seaweed

This combination of organic fertilizer is just about as good as one can get. They are high in trace minerals that plants need and help to establish root growth. The joining of the two makes the best complete fertilizer so there is no need to add anything else. Fish emulsions made from fish or fish by-products along with seaweed, a saltwater plant can give you a very healthy plant or plants.

Earthworm Castings

Earthworms are burrowers. While burrowing in the soil they swallow the soil that contains organic matter. It is then ground up in the gizzard and expelled as castings. These castings aerate the soil and have over 60 trace minerals that are needed by plants. Do not use chemical fertilizers near earthworms as it is toxic to them.

Bone Meal

Due to the slow release of this organic fertilizer it is safer when transplanting new plants and lowers transplant shock. It promotes a healthy root system. It contains calcium, nitrogen, and phosphorus and is one of the best plant foods.

Kelp Meal

This fertilizer is made from dried seaweed and is used as an additive with other organic fertilizers. It is high in plant food growth hormones which will help your plants to grow bigger and stronger. It is also thought that plants that this is used on develop a resistance to pests and disease.

Rock Phosphates

It is not only a natural source of calcium, phosphates, and trace minerals but it improves the soil and is one of the best fertilizers for transplanting young plants since it does not burn roots. It is also a slow dissolver in water which makes it last a lot longer than most others.

Organic fertilizers are the best for your garden, flowers, and your lawn. They provide natural elements to the soil and plants which is very beneficial to the environment. Today when everything we eat and use is chemically altered in one way or another it is refreshing to know that we can get back to the basics and perhaps be healthier in the future. After all most of these elements have been around for centuries.

Jim's articles are from extensive research on each of his topics. You can learn more of organic and natural fertilizers by visiting: Organic Fertilizers

How to Choose the Right Organic Fertilizer

Are you thinking of going organic? Going organic is the way to go to protect yourself from harsh chemicals, to help the environment, and make a wonderland out of your backyard. But choosing the right organic fertilizer can be a real headache, especially for those who have just decided to take up organic gardening as a hobby. After reading this article, you will help be able to decide on what type of organic fertilizer you might want to use for your plants, whether vegetables or flowers.

There are several types of organic fertilizers available in the market, such as fish emulsions, seaweed extracts, bone meal, kelp extract, corn meal, etc. You can purchase them in a liquid or pelletized form. Some require being sprayed on, powdering the foliage, or spreading pellets around the base of the plant. These may come in different forms, e.g. liquid, powder, granular or pelleted organic fertilizers. The liquid organic fertilizer is basically applied via foliage spray while the powder form can be applied like tea. The liquid version gives your plants an instant feeding, while the pelleted is more of a slow release or longer lasting version.

Organic based pelleted fertilizers contain only a minor amount of chemicals and is mostly natural. The low chemical structure makes it ideal for a great nutrient-source for plants and for the soil. I usually use kelp meal and fish emulsion, which are both bi-products of the sea. This way I get a liquid and a pellet. Using both versions during the growing season has its advantages.

One of the best sources of organic fertilizers is Yardiac. Don't put that nasty chemical laden fertilizer on your garden even if you think you will save a penny or two. Stick with the organic fertilizers.

And now I would like to offer you a Free copy of my Gardeners Journal so that you can easily document your gardening experience and track what you do. Go to my blog at [http://www.mastergardenergirl.com] and click on "Subscribe to Master Gardener Girls' Gardening Blog by Email" and I will send you a copy of this file.

Happy Gardening from Master Gardener Girl!

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Gardening With Organic Fertilizers

WHAT IS ORGANIC FERTILIZER?

Basically, inorganic fertilizers are made from synthetic, manufactured chemicals, and organic fertilizers are made from naturally occurring organic material. This is a bit of an oversimplification, however, and sometimes the line between organic and inorganic fertilizers can get a bit blurry. For example, naturally occurring minerals such as limestone, saltpeter, and mine rock phosphate, although technically inorganic (they come from rocks, after all), have been used as fertilizers for centuries and are just as safe as organic fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers are generally created as other organic material that rots and decays. As plant and animal matter rots, the organic material breaks down into its component water and minerals. The resulting biomass is very high in nutrient quality.

The most common example of this is compost, which many backyard gardeners make themselves from organic waste, dead leaves, grass clippings, leftover food, etc. Another example is animal manure, which is also very high in nutrient content and has been used in agriculture as a fertilizer for thousands of years. Finally, some plants are used directly as fertilizers, like seaweed and peat moss.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH INORGANIC CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS?

Many inorganic fertilizers contain synthesized chemicals that do not occur naturally in nature, and thus can become harmful. The introduction of such chemicals, if used extensively over time, can throw off the local environment and ecosystem.

The most common form of chemical pollution occurs when it rains, and the synthetic chemical fertilizers get washed out of the soil into the rainwater runoff. This agricultural runoff flows into the ponds and streams, where they frequently kill the fish and other water life. These chemicals also eventually leech down into the groundwater that people and animals drink.

Finally, some crops will absorb these synthetic chemicals into their plant matter as they grow. When people buy such produce and eat it, these chemicals are introduced to their bodies. One meal of such produce may be harmless, but over a lifetime of eating such produce, these synthetic chemicals can build up in the body.

IS ORGANIC FERTILIZER REALLY BETTER?

Obviously, the introduction of unnatural chemicals into the local environment is not a problem with organic fertilizers, which are made from other naturally occurring organic plant and animal matter.

In terms of encouraging crop grow, however, organic fertilizers are just as good as synthetic fertilizers. Whereas synthetic fertilizers are concentrated, organic fertilizers are more diluted throughout a large amount of biomass. On the one hand, this means you have to use more organic fertilizer to achieve the same effect as a smaller amount of synthetic fertilizer. On the other hand, however, this means that the nutrients are released into the soil gradually, at a slower, more consistent rate over the course of the crops growth cycle. This prevents the boom-and-bust cycle that some synthetic fertilizers can create in crops.

Finally, a 32-year study in Sweden between organic and synthetic fertilizers found that, although both greatly encouraged crop growth over unfertilized fields, organic fertilizers encouraged a higher yield than synthetic fertilizers (65% compared to 50%).

We hope this article has answered some of your questions about organic fertilizers. This article, however, is just the tip of the iceberg, there is much more to learn. If you want to try using organic fertilizers, we suggest doing more research so you can find just the right fertilizer for your garden.

Disclaimer:This article is intended for information about organic fertilizers, farming and gardening only. It should not be regarded as scientific or expert advice in its own right. The information has been taken from secondary sources and is given here in good faith. We recommend you conduct your own research with expert & scientific sources prior to making purchases or applying any technique mentioned here.

Visit Organic Farming Fertilizer [http://www.organicfarmingfertilizer.com] for more information on Organic Gardening, Organic Farming, Organic Lawn Care and Organic Fertilizers.

So Many Healthy Reasons to Use Organic Fertilizers on Your Garden

With the growing concern for healthy eating the use of organic fertilizer has gained its way. We all know the harmful effects of using chemical fertilizer both to the plants and the consumers as well. It is possible to maintain beautiful lawns, gardens and parks without the use of these harmful pesticides. These chemicals are also harmful to the environment.

In organic fertilizer the nutrients contained are derived solely from the remains or a by-product of an organism. Examples of organic fertilizers are cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, manure and sewage sludge etc. Urea is a synthetic organic fertilizer which is an organic substance manufactured from inorganic materials.

Three major nutrients required in a good fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorous and potash. Some fertilizers have one of them but low in the other two and some are low in all three. When packed these fertilizers have the fertilizer ratio stated on the package label. So, when buying fertilizers for your lawn it is advisable to check this data. Some of the fertilizers particularly composted manures and sludges are available as soil conditioners but do not have a nutrient guarantee stated on the package, although small amounts of nutrients are present. For a higher nutrient analysis you can buy fortified organic products where an organic material such as rock phosphate is used to increase phosphorus, or greens and to increase potash.

Organic fertilizers can be most effective when the soil is moist and warm for the microorganisms as to act as these fertilizers depend on them to release nutrients. Nutrient release otherwise in general takes occurs after a long time and thus organic fertilizer may not release enough nutrients and may affect the plants growth.

The most common used organic fertilizer is manure. It is a complete fertilizer but the amount of nutrients it supplies is not sufficient. The nutrient content depends upon the animal source and thus may vary. A fertilizer ratio of 1-1-1 is typical. Manures of horse, cow, pig, chicken and sheep are mainly used. Best is to use the manure when it is fresh to get the highest nutritional concentration. When kept for sometime, exposed to weather, or composted, the nutrient content is reduced. Gardeners prefer to use composted forms of manure to ensure lesser amounts of salts, thereby reducing the chance of burning plant roots. Manure is popularly used as a soil conditioner instead of a fertilizer due to its low concentration of plant nutrients. A moderate rate of 70 pounds is used per 1000 square feet to as much as one ton per 1000 square feet.

Some of the advantages of using organic to chemical fertilizers are:

o Help in maintaining soil health and improving the soil structure

o Mobilizes existing soil nutrients, so that good growth is achieved with lower nutrient densities while wasting less

o Helps to release nutrients at a slower, more consistent rate

o Helps to retain soil moisture

Jeffrey Meier at Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.thearticlehome.com blog offers even more detailed information on a wide variety of topics.