Advantages of Organic Fertilizers

This page talks about using Advantages of Organic Fertilizers in the vegetable garden. These are fertilizers that provide nutrients to vegetable plants without using chemicals.

What are some examples of Organic Fertilizers: seaweed, fish emulsion, humates, molasses, bone meal, corn gluten meal, greensand, lava sand, epsom salt, compost, mulches, worm castings, chicken manure, gypsum, hydrogen peroxide, lime, minerals, and more.

Another of the Advantages of Organic Fertilizers is using seaweed. Seaweed is a saltwater plant, when grounded, will stimulate root growth and has over 60 trace minerals needed by plants. This organic fertilizer when combined with fish emulsion will make the best complete fertilizer for growing our plants.

Also, if you are on a farm and have a pond, that pond may have organic material growing in it. This can be harvested and added to the garden.

Earthworm castings are also another great addition to Advantages of Organic Fertilizers. Some people will grow Earthworms just to get these castings. However, I prefer to just put my earthworms in the garden. This way they make castings but also break up my soil.

In the areas where I have put the earthworms my soil is not compacted and seems to be very fertile.

Organic Gardening is using only animal or vegetable fertilizers rather than man made chemicals. It also means natural pest control instead of industrial insecticides.

This includes using Organic Insecticides and Organic Fungicides along with Composting to include using organic materials like CowPots.

Advantages of Organic Fertilizers is a theology that stresses increasing the natural health of the soil, choosing appropriate plants that are suited to your area, and working with nature to produce a healthy and productive garden.

p> Advantages of Organic Fertilizers is they are approved by the WSDA which stands for Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic Program.

The mission of the WSDA is to protect consumers and support the organic food industry by ensuring the integrity of organic food products through establishing organic standards and certifying organic producers, processors, and handlers.

The WSDA's Organic Food Program has put together reference material to assist applicants with the organic certification process.

The WSDA's Rules and Regulations Book contains the USDA National Organic Standards, WSDA Organic Standards and Regulations, and WSDA Organic Certification Fee Information.

The WSDA's Guide to Organic Certification provides answers to frequently asked questions about certification, and provides details and references about organic production and handling requirements.

May 2010

Below is a video on using the organic fertilizers.

The following are Gardening Organic Fertilizers that Vegetable Garden Made Easier would like to recommend:

Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizer 2-4-1 Organic, pictured at right.

OMRI approved, high phosphorus transplant solution.

Manufactured using a cold hydrolysis process, this liquid fish fertilizer with high phosphorus (the middle number in the analysis) helps to reduce transplant shock and to promote vigorous growth.

Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish Fertilizer gives you fish hydrolysate which ensure a complete fertilization program.

Growers who use fish fertilizer on a regular basis have reported increased marketable yields and improved shelf life on fruits and vegetables. Organic Fish Fertilizers are known to build the natural sugar in plants. Flowers and foliage will be stronger and more colorful. Blooms will be more plentiful, fragrant and longer lasting.

As you read product labels you may come across these initials: OMRI. An Advantages of Organic Fertilizers is they have been review by the OMRI.

OMRI stands for Organic Materials Review Institute.

OMRI provides organic certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing.

OMRI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. When companies apply, OMRI reviews their products against the National Organic Standards.

Advantages of Organic Fertilizers are they are OMRI Listed® and appear on the OMRI Products List. OMRI also provides subscribers and certifiers guidance on the acceptability of various material inputs in general under the National Organic Program.

This product is an all organic formulation.

For plant raising and foliage feeding. A blend of kelp seaweed extracts for micro-nutrients and ocean fish solubles for macro-nutrients. Easy-to-use liquid for foliage spray, transplanting solution and regular feeding.

Included in Advantages of Organic Fertilizers is Fish Emulsion which is mainly used for its quick high organic nitrogen and available soluble P and K benefits as a foliage feed. Fish Meal is mainly a great soil conditioner and great bacterial food to help feed the soil micro-herd.

Even though there may be 4-5% organic N, 1% soluble P, and 1% soluble K in fish emulsion, there may be up to 6-8% total N, and 2-3% total insoluble P or K in it, that gets broken down later by the soil micro herd.

Most commercial fish products are made from the trash products of the menhaden fish. This fish is a relative of the herring, sardine, and anchovy fishes.

Most commercial fish emulsions contain up to 5% sulfuric acid in order to preserve the fertilizer on the shelf, but also it supplies needed sulfur to the plant and soil.

Most economical fish products do not contain any fish oils in it, which supply extra beneficial soil fungi. Most also do not contain much fish bones which supply extra calcium.

Seaweed/Kelp has a low NPK = 0-0-1. However, just like the fish products and all other natural fertilizers, there are more insoluble NPK nutrients and other trace elements in the product than meets the eyes.

There may be up to 1-3% total N, 1-2% total insoluble P, 3-5% total insoluble K in seaweed products. The real benefit of seaweed is not in its NPK amounts but it can contain 60 trace elements, many growth hormones, and disease control properties in it! Basically every nutrient that any surface plant can ever need!

Advantages of Organic Fertilizers is that seaweed products are mixed with high N products like fish, you have an excellent complete natural fertilizer and soil amendment that will supply every NPK and trace element need of the soil and plant.

Seaweed and other algae plants are some of the most powerful plants in the ocean. Seaweed is also an excellent food source for beneficial fungi in the soil. Advantages of Organic Fertilizers is using SeaCom-PGR Seaweed Concentrate 0-4-4.

A highly concentrated seaweed product for the health of your plants.

Provides micro-nutrients and hormones that stimulate growth, increase plant flowering and fruiting, and increase disease tolerance.

Apply by sprinkling on soil or spraying. Key times for application are seed sowing, transplant, bud set, and flowering.

Helps germination of difficult seeds like some perennial herbs and flowers.

There are about seven micro-nutrients essential to plant growth and health that are only needed in very small quantities. These are manganese, boron, copper, iron, chlorine, molybdenum, and zinc. Though these are present in only small quantities, they are all necessary.

Boron is believed to be involved in carbohydrate transport in plants; it also assists in metabolic regulation. Boron deficiency will often result in bud dieback.

Chlorine is necessary for osmosis and ionic balance; it also plays a role in photosynthesis.

Copper is a component of some enzymes and of vitamin A. Symptoms of copper deficiency include browning of leaf tips and chlorosis.

Iron is essential for chlorophyll synthesis, which is why an iron deficiency results in chlorosis.

Manganese activates some important enzymes involved in chlorophyll formation. Manganese deficient plants will develop chlorosis between the veins of its leaves. The availability of manganese is partially dependent on soil pH.

Molybdenum is essential to plant health. Molybdenum is used by plants to reduce nitrates into usable forms. Some plants use it for nitrogen fixation, thus it may need to be added to some soils before seeding legumes.

Zinc participates in chlorophyll formation, and also activates many enzymes. Symptoms of zinc deficiency include chlorosis and stunted growth.

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