Natural Fertilizers

Nutrients are essential elements needed by plants to healthily perform its “life processes”. Properly fertilizing the plants is providing it with these “life sustaining” nutrients. Adding fertilizers to soil in any garden will provide lasting benefits. Although, it may take some time to see dramatic results, the soil becomes easier to work with, darker, and requires lesser watering.

There are two main types of fertilizers namely inorganic and organic fertilizers. Inorganic fertilizers or chemical fertilizers are those synthetically made fertilizers such as “superphosphate”. On the other hand, organic or natural fertilizers are those derived from a living animal or plant source.

Natural Fertilizers

So what is a natural fertilizer? An organic or natural fertilizer is a substance containing nutrients taken from the by-products or remains of organisms. They’re naturally rich in phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. However, they depend on the microorganisms found in the soil to “break them down” and release its nutrients.

Advantages

Since its nutrients are released slowly, organic or natural fertilizers are improbable to burn the roots of plants or be seeped by water. Additionally, one application of this type of fertilizer can last for the entire growing season.

Additionally, some natural fertilizers like compost and manures can be made for free or easily obtained. Much of the benefits of this type of fertilizers do not come from nutrients, but from the organic matter it contains. Organic matters such as decomposed materials that were once alive help the soil hold air and water, making the nutrients that are already present in the soil more obtainable, as well as help avoid plant diseases.

Disadvantages

Organic or natural fertilizers dole out its nutrients as a “steady” diet with the needs of plant. Since the nutrients of this class of fertilizer comes from a natural source, a part of it can be temporarily unavailable for plants until it is released through the combinations of moisture, microbial activity, and warm temperatures.

Another downside to natural fertilizers, is that they’re more difficult to transport and “massy” to use than commercially available fertilizers.

Natural Fertilizer Types

One can find different types of organic or natural fertilizers in garden centers and catalogs. A number of them feature a product source, like greensand, while some are a mix of organic materials that create a “complete” fertilizer. Every type of natural fertilizer fit into one of the “basic” categories of animal, plant, compost, manure, or mineral.

Plant Substances

These are often rich in nutrients like nitrogen. They may be measured as “renewable resources”, but one must consider the sources used to grow them, as well as process and transport them. Some plant substances like “cottonseed meal” are other industries’ by-products.

Animal Substances

Industries like fish or meat processing and dairy farming, produce waste materials that are minimally processed or dried into fertilizers. These include blood meal, fish emulsion, and bone meal.

Mineral-Based Fertilizers

These “naturally occurring” mineral fertilizers are only considered “natural” in the sense that they’re not “extensively processed”. These include rock phosphate greensand, and Chilean nitrate.

Composts

These are often referred to as the “Cadillac” of natural fertilizers. Even though, making compost from various raw materials is probable, the “finished products” are excellently similar to final concentrations of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen.

Composts usually contain wide spectrum and good balance of nutrients, as well as they are rich in “humus” even if its actual concentration of nutrients is fairly low. They are obtainable commercially or may also be home made. Composts can be utilized with other types of fertilizers. They also make great “tea” for plants.

Organic or natural fertilizers are great alternatives to chemical fertilizers. The best results in vegetable gardens, lawns, and flower borders start with a fertile soil. Fertilizers help in making the soil “ready” for long-term production.