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Organic Fertilizer

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 greensand 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:
•    Help in maintaining soil health and improving the soil structure.
•    Mobilizes existing soil nutrients, so that good growth is achieved with lower nutrient densities while wasting less
•    Helps to release nutrients at a slower, more consistent rate
•    Helps to retain soil moisture

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Liquid Organic Fertilizer

Using organic fertilizers is a widely accepted practice in the agricultural industry. Farmers use them to cultivate their field and row crops, winemakers utilize them for growing grapes, and horticulturists apply a liberal does of these during the landscaping of their orchards or turfs.

Liquid organic fertilizers are a safe and effective way of providing your plants with the best nutrient supply without harming them or increasing the soil’s acid content. Liquid organic fertilizers act as agents to effectively increase the content levels of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium. Because these three substances are the three major nutrients that plants need, liquid organic fertilizers thus provide plants with an abundant food supply essential for their growth.

Liquid organic fertilizers are especially important in helping the plants overcome the tension involved in transplanting, cold weather, or dry season. Because liquid organic fertilizers help enrich the soil, they assist in removing the risk of soil nutrient-deficiency.

There are two basic methods of application for liquid organic fertilizers – through spraying or through direct application to the soil around the plant. Spraying is the more commonly used method of applying liquid organic fertilizers. This is because plants usually take in nutrients through their leaves and stems where their stomata are located. Liquid organic fertilizers sprayed on plant leaves and stem allow them to absorb the nutrients faster.

The other method used for applying liquid organic fertilizers are called direct or tea application. Liquid organic fertilizer direct application is like adding tea to the soil around the plant. Liquid organic fertilizer direct application still has the same nutritional component as the spray type. The only difference is that with the liquid organic fertilizer direct application method, nutrients such as nitrogen and potash may be wasted because they are not easily absorbed by the plants.

There are several types of liquid organic fertilizers available in the market. The most common liquid organic fertilizer is fish emulsion. Made from ground up and liquefied fish parts, fish emulsion liquid organic fertilizer contains trace elements essential for plant growth. Fish emulsion liquid organic fertilizer also has high content level of nitrogen, the nitrate source for plants. Fish emulsion liquid organic fertilizer may be sprayed on the plant’s foliage or applied directly as tea.

Liquid organic fertilizers can also be made from earthworm castings. Earthworms play a major role in providing the soil with minerals and vitamins that help plants grow and this is what led scientists to manufacture earthworm-based liquid organic fertilizer.

Another type of liquid organic fertilizer is the bat guano. Several more manufacturers have produced liquid organic fertilizers containing any combination of the following: fish meal, soybean protein extract, rock phosphate, bone ash, potassium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sea kelp, and humic acid.

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