Everything You Need To Know About Organic Fertilizers
Putting together your own garden is like going on a journey that never ends. A journey with lots of peaks and valleys, where you see everything from beautiful gardens to bad setbacks and everything in between.
But the health of the soil is something that every gardener needs to pay attention to. We all want a garden that is full, healthy, and full of fruit, but how we get there is important.
First of all, a beautiful garden depends on a healthy soil, and how we make the soil good for the plants is what will make or break our gardens. Organic fertilizers are one of the best ways to make sure that your soil is getting all the nutrients it needs. Chemical fertilizers are hard to make at home, but organic fertilizers are easy to make with things you already have.
It's easy and cheap to make your own organic fertilizers. This article will help you understand how organic fertilizers help your plants grow.
First, Find Out What They Are.
People can't live without proteins and carbohydrates. In the same way, plants need nutrients to grow well. You should know that Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, and some other nutrients are needed for plants to grow. But you should also know why plants need these nutrients and when they need them.
Potassium:
Plants that are high in potassium are great for helping people deal with stress better. Dandelion, Comfrey, and alliums are some potassium-rich plants that can be used to help other plants grow (garlic, leek, and chives).
Nitrogen:
Nitrogen should be used when a plant's leaves and stems are just starting to grow, and again when the plants start to bloom. Some plants that are high in nitrogen are mallow, stinging nettle, and comfrey.
Phosphorous:
Phosphorus helps roots grow strong at the beginning of the growing season, especially when root crops or new transplants are being grown.
Different kinds of Organic Fertilize
Dry Fertilizers
Plants that are grown in pots and plants that are grown in the ground both use dry organic fertilizers. The nutrients in these dry fertilizers, like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micro nutrients, give plants a wide range of things they need to grow. These are mostly added to improve the plants' long-term health.
Liquid fertilizers
Plants can take in liquid fertilizers through their roots or through the pores in their leaves. It works well on plants like vegetables that are growing quickly. They make these fast-growing plants grow faster and help them take in more nutrients. During the time your greens are growing, use liquid fertilizers every two weeks to give them a boost. Liquid fertilizers are very helpful for plants that produce fruit or flowers.
Stimulants for Growth
Growth enhancers are things that make it easier for your greens to get nutrients from the soil. Kelp, which is a type of seaweed, has been used by farmers for a long time as a growth enhancer. A growth enhancer has nutrients and enzymes that help growth.
Here is a List of Natural Fertilizers that are Easy to Find.
1. Fertilizers From Kitchen
Things that can be used to make organic fertilizers are easy to find. The most important food waste you can save is peels from fruits and vegetables. Keep nuts, eggshells, over-ripened fruits, and vegetables.
But don't put oils, grease, or dairy products in your composting materials. They can make your compost pile soggy and stinky.
Here are some easy-to-make fertilize recipes that you can make right in your kitchen.
Banana Peels
You can eat the banana and keep the peel, which is full of potassium, which plants need to grow. Just put these peels in the soil before planting or bury them under the mulch. This helps make the soil more fertile. Roses are a type of plant that loves potassium.
Epsom Salt
Epsom Salt is another thing you have in your kitchen that will help the plants. It helps the flowers bloom and makes the plant look more colourful. The magnesium and sulphur in the salt help the plant grow bigger and bushier. Epsom salt is good for plants like roses, tomatoes, and peppers. Mix two tablespoons of Epsom salt with three liters of water and spray it on your plants every now and then.
Garbage Tea
Compost tea is a great source of nutrients for the soil. It helps the plant grow and gives the soil what it needs. When compost tea is used often, the soil's ability to hold water gets better. The old-fashioned way to make compost tea is to put all of the finished compost of tea into a bucket. Fill the bucket up to a few inches from the top with water, and let the mixture sit for two to three days. Use a rough cloth to strain the tea, and use the water to water your plants.
Grounds for Coffee
Coffee grounds have a lot of nitrogen in them, which is good for plants like tomatoes, blueberries, and roses.
To help the plants grow well, just sprinkle the liquid or powdered coffee grounds on top of the soil. Mix together 5 gallons of water and 6 cups of coffee grounds well. Let this mixture sit for three to four days before you put it on the soil.
2. Fertilizer from Animal Manure
Animal waste has been used as an organic source of fertilize for a long time. The soil is made more fertile by chicken, cow, horse, goat, and other animal manure that has broken down. The nutrients that plants need to grow are in animal manure. The people who raise these animals will be happy to give you their composted animal waste. For best results, use manure that has been aged and broken down. Let the manure sit in the shade for three to four days before you put it on your soil.
3. Seaweed as Plant Food
Seaweed helps to improve the soil's structure and makes it better at keeping water in. You can usually find these near the shores of beaches. This seaweed is full of nutrients and helps good bacteria grow in the soil. This makes the soil rich and healthy for your plants. Before you till it into your garden, use fresh seaweed and let it dry out well. You can just grind up the dried seaweed and sprinkle it on your greens.
4. Fertilizer Made from Other Plants and Weeds that are Rich in Nutrients
There are lots of nutrient-rich fertilizers right there in your garden, and you don't have to pay for them.
Common plants and even weeds that you don't want can be a quick source of micronutrients and macro nutrients for your plants because their leaves are full of vitamins and nutrients. Among others: Weeds like chickweed, burdock, and comfrey are great sources of vitamins for other plants.
How Organic Compost is Made is Similar to How Grass Fertilizers are Made:
Fill the bucket with two-thirds fresh grass clippings and weed plants that are full of nutrients, and top it off with two to three inches of water. Let the mixture sit for about two to three days and stir it at least once a day. The compost needs to be covered so that it stays moist and so that mosquitoes don't start breeding in it. The mixture can be sprayed on your plants to help them grow. Make sure you don't use weeds that have gone to seed, because they could stay alive and spread in the garden.
Inorganic Fertilizers Vs Organic Fertilizers
Just like people, plants need extra nutrients to grow well. Most of the time, these nutrients are already in the soil. But if they are not there, the plant can't grow as well. Fertilizers help plants grow in the right way and give the soil all the nutrients it needs.
Your plants don't know the difference between chemical fertilizers and organic ones, but you do. The salts in the chemical fertilizers are made from nonrenewable resources, and plant roots can quickly take them up. The salts in these fertilizers, unfortunately, do not feed the earthworms and microorganisms in the soil. Over time, these fertilizers make the soil more acidic and kill off all the organisms that are good for the soil's health. Because of this, the soil starts to lose its structure and its ability to hold water, which makes it harder for plants to grow.
This kind of soil crisis doesn't happen when people use organic fertilizers. Plants and animals can use organic products as both fertilizer and food. This is the most important difference between using chemical fertilizers and using organic ones.
Advantages Of Organic Fertilizers
Inorganic or synthetic fertilizer might get the job done today, but organic fertilizers will keep your soil healthy even tomorrow. Organic fertilizers make sure that the soil is safe and healthy for a long time. Here are the reasons why organic fertilizers are better than synthetic ones.
Organic Fertilizers are Good for the Plants and Safe to Use.
Organic fertilizers are safe for both your plants and the environment. They are also safe for your pets. Chemical fertilizers are made with a lot of fossil fuels, but they are bad for the soil and often run off into nearby water sources like ponds and lakes, where they pollute them.
Organic Fertilizers Take a Long Time to Work, But they Always Come Out on Top.
Organic fertilizers break down slowly in the soil, giving the soil and plants all the nutrients they need. Chemical fertilizers work quickly, but they can burn the plants if they give them too much food. This is bad for the health of the soil and can hurt the plants by making them sick.
The Soil does Well with Organic Fertilizers.
Using organic products changes the texture of the soil, which lets it hold water for a longer time and encourages the growth of fungi and bacteria. Not only do they help your plants grow, but they also make the soil healthier. Chemical fertilizers, on the other hand, make the soil less productive over time by taking away its nutrients.
It's Easy to Use Organic Fertilizers.
You can add them to your soil or spray them on your plants' leaves to use them. No matter how you use them, organic fertilizers help your plants and garden in a lot of ways by giving them all the nutrients they need. Chemical fertilizers, on the other hand, can be dangerous not only to your plants but also to your pets. You need to be careful when you use it on your greens.
There are a lot of other natural ways to give your plants what they need. Chemical fertilizers help the plants grow quickly. Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, are cheap, good for the environment, and healthy.
IFFCO BAZAR has high-quality heirloom seeds that you can use to start your own gardening journey.