Fertilizer is food for the garden soil and plants need fertiled soil in which to grow. There are many different types of fertilizer on the market, like organic, synthetic, liquid, and granulated, to mention a few.
Regardless of the type of fertilizer you decide to use, its main goal is to feed the soil. Some types will only provide an instant meal for the soil and others will provide a long-lasting meal and improve soil quality.
Synthetic Fertilizer
This is commonly used and will provide an instant meal for the soil but it will leave nothing behind to improve soil structure.
The numbers on the bag of granulated or bottle of liquid synthetic fertilizer tell you the percentage of the three major nutrients it contains;
- nitrogen (N)
- phosphate (P)
- potash (K)
N, P, and K will always be in this order and the numbers on the bag or bottle will be in corresponding order.
A balanced fertilizer, like 10-10-10, is typically used when using synthetic fertilizer. A soil test will determine if more, or less, of a particular nutrient is needed.
Organic Fertilizer
Organic fertilizers will provide a long, slow meal for the soil and keep plants fed for weeks. It also improves soil structure and is usually much cheaper than synthetic fertilizer.
The only drawback with organic fertilizer is that you won’t know the exact amount of nutrients it contains as you do with synthetic fertilizer.
Compost is a favorite fertilizer with most gardeners because it:
- feeds the soil;
- promotes beneficial microbial activity in the soil;
- improves drainage and air circulation; and
- is free.
Compost is easy to make at home with food waste.
Animal manures are another favorite that provides the same soil and garden benefits that compost does. Cow, horse, rabbit, and bat are ideal organic fertilizers. They allow the manure to decompose before adding it to the garden soil.
Bone meal is a stockyard by-product made of ground animal bones. It’s rich in nitrogen, phosphoric acid and calcium. It also makes an excellent organic fertilizer for garden plants, flowers, shrubs, and lawns.
Fish emulsion, seaweed emulsion, molasses, compost tea, and several other organic liquid fertilizers can be made at home or purchased from a garden supply center.
A Place For Both
In the gardening world, there are different types of garden fertilizer, but there is a place for both synthetic and organic fertilizers. More and more gardeners are moving away from the use of all synthetic products and moving towards more eco-friendly organic products.
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