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Countless people love to garden. It’s a great hobby that allows you to enjoy the outdoors. Plus, gardening has been proven to improve individuals’ mental health.
But all of the joy and peace that people get from gardening doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily an easy or simple task. A lot of decisions go into crafting the perfect garden or planting the best trees.
One of those choices that you have to make is what type of fertilizer to use. Some people might say that it doesn’t really matter. However, for the most natural and best fertilizer possible, try organic fertilizer.
With so much talk nowadays about organic products and their importance, it can be hard to know exactly what the difference between organic and non-organic is.
This is especially the case for fertilizer. What’s so different between the types? What makes one better than the other?
Read on to learn more about what exactly organic fertilizer is and why it’s perfect to use for your garden, lawn, or trees.
The basic two choices that everyone has for fertilizing their garden, trees, or lawn are chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer.
The main difference between the two is that the organic one typically comes from single ingredients. These ingredients can be plant, animal, or mineral sources.
Fertilizer is considered organic when the materials it comes from occur naturally within nature. These ingredients are not in any way synthetic or man-made like the materials in chemical fertilizer are.
Plant-based fertilizers include cottonseed meal, molasses, and kelp seaweed. Some animal-based ones are manure tea, fish emulsion, and milk. Two mineral-based ones are calcium and Epsom salt.
If you choose to use an organic fertilizer, you must be patient. This type of fertilizer is not a quick, easy fix.
Unlike chemical fertilizers, organic ones take their time when it comes to providing plants with the nutrients they need.
Organic fertilizers use about half of their nutrients within their first year. The rest of those nutrients are then steadily released over the following years.
However, the slow and steady release of the nutrients feeds the soil. This process creates a healthier environment in which your plants can grow strong and protect themselves from pests.
How do people handle pests and diseases when using organic fertilizers? There are a few tips.
Personally, inspect all of your plants. If you find an area that is heavily diseased or has an extensive pest problem, physically remove it.
A row cover can be a great tool. Use this light fabric to cover your plants and protect them from diseases and pests before they can even get into your garden.
For the most part, leave any insects near your plants alone. Most insects are either totally benign or, in some cases, even beneficial to your garden.
If your pest problem is extensive, these methods might not be enough. In cases like this, look for pesticide products that are organically certified.
Do you have more questions about gardening or landscaping? Are you about to start a big project and think you might need some assistance?