If you’re a gardener who wants a beautiful garden using organic ingredients, these tips on fertilization will be helpful. There are a variety of organic options to give you the beautiful garden you’ve always wanted. Sorting through these options can be confusing. That’s why the team here at Chris James put together some resources to help you.
Organic Fertilizers
First, what organic fertilizers are available? There are many options for organic fertilizers and each will have different characteristics. One con of organic fertilizers is that many will not have convenient labels that show simple step-by-step instruction on how to use the product.
Fortunately, if you are a gardener, this is just as much an art as it is science. Organic fertilizers do not always need an exact science to be used effectively. However, it does help to know some things. Also, organic fertilizers are sometimes not sold at local gardening stores. Look for an online gardening retailer.
Common Organic Fertilizer Options
Here is a list of some common organic fertilizers that will be effective on your garden:
- Alfalfa Meal is often called “hay” and is ground up alfalfa, which makes it compost faster in the soil. Best tilled in early spring long before planting new grass.
- Bat Guano is best used during late spring right before planting.
- Corn gluten meal is best used in preparation for winter.
- Cow manure is probably the most common organic fertilizer used in the western world. While it might contain some weed seeds, cow manure is high in nutrients and effective and reliable fertilizer.
- Chicken manure is similar to cow manure.
- Greensand is ground green limestone and contains many nutrients from the ocean.
- Compost varies upon what is used to make it and can be used at any time on your garden.
- Soybean meal depends on conditions for its uptake but is a good fertilizer with long-lasting results.
- Blood meal is usually poured over the roots of plants struggling to survive and covered in mulch.
- Bone meal is usually for soils with high amounts of nitrogen producing nitrogen-burnt plants.
- Feather meal helps prep the soil for planting.
Top Choices For Organic Fertilizer
If you are overwhelmed by these choices, the three that you can most rely on to be great fertilizers are compost, manure, and fish meal.
Compost is the best option because it makes the biggest difference in soil health. Usable to nearly everyone in agricultural or urban environments, compost is one of the best and most easily accessible options.
Manure
Manure (both cow and chicken) is also very effective. However, it may be better to purchase it at the store since when aging and composting manure on your own often leads to a ton of weeds.
Meal
Fish meal is also one of the best options because it is very versatile usable in vegetable gardens, flower gardens, and container plants.
Lastly, these three options can be used simultaneously to yield the best results! Compost can be mixed into the soil, manure added when planting, and fish emulsion can be added for ideal nutrients sporadically every few weeks.
Organic Blends to Consider
If you are looking for organic fertilizer, but don’t want to do all the work of figuring out how to use these various homemade fertilizers, there are pre-made options available for your lawn and garden. There are many options for all-purpose organic fertilizers available online to purchase.
Here are a few options:
- Dr. Earth Organic Blend All Purpose Fertilizer
- Fishnure Organic Fertilizer
- Dr. Earth Premium Gold All Purpose Granules Organic Plant Food 4 lb.
With these options, you are certain to have the beautiful lawn and garden you want.
Call Chris James For Fertilization Options
Our team here at Chris James can come out and manage your fertilization. We’ll take care of this for you so that you will have a fabulous lawn. Get in touch with us today so we can help you.