Organic fertilizers: How and when to use them?

Published on : 06 May 20203 min reading time

For organic gardeners and farmers, it is essential to create living soil, rich in humus and nutrients, to grow quality fruits and vegetables, abundant flowers and perennial ornamental trees and shrubs. The overall fertility and viability of the soil, rather than the rapid application of fertilizers, is at the heart of organic gardening and farming.

What fertilizer choice to start with

But like all gardeners and organic farmers you all have to start somewhere. What choice of organic fertilizers could you use, the soil can be deficient in certain nutrients. It may not have excellent soil structure. Its pH may be too high or too low. If you are not fortunate enough to have the perfect soil, you will have to work to make it ideal for gardening and cultivation.

Liquid manure is an old-fashioned trick that can help you get the most out of your garden. It provides a rich supply of nutrients and also contributes to the formation of organic matter compounds that strengthen soil structure. The result is big, beautiful and plentiful vegetables.

Liquid manure is the safe bet for soil fertilization, providing potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Opt for organic rather than chemical materials

Many organic materials serve as both organic fertilizers and soil conditioners: they nourish soils and plants. This is one of the most important differences between a chemical and an organic approach to soil treatment and fertilization. Soluble chemical fertilizers contain mineral salts that plant roots can absorb quickly. However, these salts are not a food source for soil microorganisms and earthworms, and they will even repel earthworms because they acidify the soil. Over time, soils treated only with synthetic chemical fertilizers lose organic matter and living organisms that are essential to the development of good soil.

As soil structure deteriorates and water holding capacity decreases, more and more of the chemical fertilizer applied will leach through the soil. In turn, more and more chemicals will be needed to stimulate plant growth. When you use organic fertilizers, you avoid throwing your soil into this kind of critical situation.

How do you do it?

If you are a gardener or farmer switching from chemical fertilizers to organic fertilizers, you may be concerned that using organic materials is more complicated and less convenient than using pre-mixed chemical fertilizers. You’re wrong, blended organic fertilizers can be as convenient and effective as blended synthetic fertilizers.

With liquid manure, you don’t need to feed your plants organically unless it’s something you enjoy. For example, while some experts will spread a little blood on their tomatoes at planting time, and then wheat paste at flowering time, most gardeners will settle for one or two applications of general purpose organic fertilizer throughout the garden.

When using a new batch, put it on the ground in the fall after everything has died. Spread evenly about 3 cm thick. You can then bury it in the soil if you wish, but leaving it as it is during the winter is also suitable until spring before planting. For a well-decomposed batch, apply to the soil about a week before planting… until it penetrates well into the soil so that it can really work its magic.