Afternoon Everyone!

This post is the final in my short series on Organic Gardening.  It will cover Organic Fertilizers and Compost. I have enjoyed writing it for you and I hope you have found it useful.

Organically fertilizing your plants is not quite as simple as it is when you use chemicals in your garden.  Chemical fertilizers are certainly convenient, although not environmentally friendly.  Most of them come in a form that only needs to be mixed with water and sprayed onto plants, yet they still provide a very real danger of toxins for both humans and animals alike.

Organic gardeners need good, organic fertilizers and compost for fertilizing their plants.

So here are some steps you can take to help you in your selection and use of the correct products:

1.         If you’re going to purchase a pre-made organic fertilizer, you need to pay careful attention to the information on the package.  Plants generally need nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash.  Some are high in one of the major plant nutrients, but low in the other two.    You should first research which of these nutrients your particular plants need, so that you purchase the correct type.

2.         Some common types of organic fertilizers include blood meal, fish emulsion, cottonseed meal, compost, manure, and seaweed fertilizer.  Many of these can be purchased, but a lot of them can also be made at home.

3.         You must be mindful that it is best to fertilize when the ground is warm enough.  Organic fertilizers need organisms in the soil to break them down and release the nutrients they contain.  So make sure the soil is warm and moist so the organisms in the soil will be active.

4.         Cottonseed meal is one of the common organic fertilizers. It is a byproduct of the cotton manufacturing process.  It is great for acid-loving plants, because it has an acidic reaction in the soil.  It generally contains about 7% nitrogen, 3% phosphorous, and 2% potash.  Cottonseed meal is usually used for flowering plants like azaleas and rhododendrons.

5.         Fish emulsion is a very popular organic fertilizer.  It is made of a blend of decomposed fish.  It is a high-nitrogen fertilizer, and contains a lot of trace elements which are very beneficial for plants.  Fish emulsion is a nice, balanced fertilizer.

6.         Blood meal is the blood of cattle that is collected from slaughterhouses and then dried and powdered.  This is high in nitrogen, and care must be taken to ensure it doesn’t burn the plants.  Be most careful not to exceed the recommended dose, as this could really harm your plants.  Blood meal is also high in several trace elements like iron.

7.         Manure is a well-balanced fertilizer, however it is relatively low in the nutrients it contains.  Although it is a very popular fertilizer, it just isn’t high enough in these important nutrients to make it a viable or strong choice for home gardeners.

8.         Seaweed fertilizer in the form of a seaweed tea is popular and often used by organic gardeners.  Dried seaweed is added to water and steeped like tea, then applied to plants like other liquid fertilizers.  This can be a very good fertilizer, and won’t burn plants.  It is very high in nutrients.  Use dried seaweed, and be sure it’s not roasted or seasoned.

9.         This one generally raises a few eyebrows.  Some people use sewer sludge for their fertilizer.  It is made from recycled material from sewage treatment plants.  You can purchase activated sludge, which is higher in nutrients, or you can buy composted sludge, which isn’t quite as good.

It is generally found in a granular form. There is some concern over the safety of sewage sludge, because it can contain buildups of heavy metals like cadmium.  This can build up in the soil in potentially harmful levels. So if you are going to include this as one of your fertilizer choices then make sure you are clear about its use and application.

Image by Becoming Green via Flickr

Well, that is about it from me on the Organic Gardening advice train. I hope you have found this little series helpful and if you have any questions….or, hey! if you have any advice you would like to share with us or our readers, please go to our contact page or use our Submit A Post. We would really love to have your input.

On that note, if you enjoy a cold larger or a good pint or,  like Sherry and Margarita, a smooth Sherry or a well mixed cocktail, then this surely is the time to do it.

I am!!  Bottoms Up People!

Related articles by Zemanta

• What is the Best Gardening Advice? (hbb2obm.com)
• VerTerra Dinnerware Made from Fallen Leaves (treehugger.com)

• Must Have Garden Tools It is the tools that make the garden in many cases. Having the right tools for your country garden landscape is vitally important if you...
• Things You Need To Know About Hay For Your Horses Horses should be fed with the grass mostly. As we all know it is very hard to find fresh grass in winter. That is why...
• Five Healthy and Permanent Weight Loss Tips Your weight reflects many things including how many calories you consume, how much you work out, and what your individual metabolic rate is like. The...