Compost is good for the garden, in part, because it adds nutrients for the plants. That sounds like a fertilizer. But almost everything you read says that compost is NOT a fertilizer. Something doesn’t make sense—let’s have a closer look at this myth. Is compost an organic fertilizer?
Last week I showed that it does not make sense matching a fertilizer formulation to a plant type. For example, a 1-2-1 fertilizer for tomatoes does not make sense. In part this is true because every manufacturer has their own recommendation. But there is a more important mistake being made by anyone who recommends a certain formulation for a specific type of plant–read on.
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.
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
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.
Deep root fertilization is a recommended procedure by many arborists. Does it work? Is it the best way to fertilize trees? Do trees need to be fertilized?
