Last week I pointed out that the concept of a balanced fertilizer did not make sense. When scientists measured the amount of nutrients in plants they found that the levels of N, P and K were not equal.
This is the first in a series of posts on fertilizer nonsense. I’ll look at some traditional fertilizer myths and explain why some recommendations for commercial fertilizers do not make much sense.
I just got my favorite gardening magazine and a reader asked the question, “The leaves of my roses are yellowing but the veins are green. What causes this?” The given answer is, “This is called chlorosis and is caused by a deficiency of iron”. The answer might be true, or it might not be true. It is certainly an incorrect statement. Find out the truth about chlorosis.
Rock phosphate is a recommended phosphorus fertilizer that adds phosphorus to your organic garden. As one web site says, it breaks down slowly but you have time–don’t you!
Is rock phosphate good for your plants?
Fish fertilizer is very popular. It is reported to be a good source of nutrients and a good source of proteins, amino acids and oils – for your plants. Can plants use fish proteins and oils? Is fish fertilizer a good source of nutrients?
Before I go any further let me say that there is nothing wrong with using fish fertilizer. It will help make your plants grow. I have two problems with fish fertilizer; it is extremely expensive compared to other sources of fertilizer and many of the claims for it have no basis.
Vitamin B1 is that miracle drug that makes all plants grow bigger especially after transplanting. It is added to several different kinds of fertilizer and plant additives. Guess what – it doesn’t work. Photo Source: Farmer Fred Rant The history of this myth is quite interesting and told in detail here. In 1930 a scientist … Read More
You have probably heard that humus is an important part of your soil, but few people know what it is and why it is important. There are many myths about humus that need to be cleared up.
It turns out that humus may be the most important thing in soil: more important that dew worms, and organic matter, but it gets so little attention. This post will have a closer look at humus to better understand how we should be gardening to create and maintain humus rich soil.
In my last post What is Organic Fertilizer I explained why the nutrients in organic fertilizer and synthetic fertilizer are the same. Plants can’t tell the difference between the two because there is no difference. However, organic fertilizer is better for the garden. In this post we will look at why this is true.
If you read a number of web sites, especially organic gardening ones, you quickly realize that there are two basic kinds of fertilizer. There is the ‘synthetic fertilizer’ which you buy in bags. This fertilizer is clearly BAD! Then there is the good stuff; organic fertilizer.
What is the real difference between organic fertilizer and synthetic fertilizer? Is there a difference? The answer may surprise you.
In may last couple of posts on manure tea and compost tea I explained why there is little or no reason to brew the tea. I am sure that I have not convinced all of you since the web is full of stories promoting manure tea as a good thing for your plants. If you want to brew some tea it probably will not harm you or your plants, but it could; see the bottom section of Compost Tea.
If you must brew some tea, please do it intelligently. Don’t use commercial products!
Brewing manure tea is a sin. Not a religious sin, but an organic gardening sin.
