How to Choose Organic Fertilizer
Test your soil., Research the nutritional needs of your plants., Pick a type of fertilizer., Compare fertilizers., Locate the product that meets your nutrient needs., Discuss your options with a store employee., Buy supplies for applying the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Test your soil.
In order to choose the right organic fertilizer for your garden, you need to know the composition of your existing soil.
There are a variety of tests that you can do, such as tests for pH, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
These will let you know the status of different components of your soil.Soil test kits for specific aspects of your soil are available at garden supply centers.
Private laboratories and state cooperative extension services test all aspects of your garden soil for a small fee.
Contact your local extension service for more details. -
Step 2: Research the nutritional needs of your plants.
In order to choose the right organic fertilizer, you will need to know what chemicals the plants you are growing need in order to thrive.
Do some research about the plants you are growing and what type of soil they like.
These conditions differ for all plants.
For example, if you are growing blueberry bushes, you will want to make the soil acidic.If you are growing dahlias, you need to pay attention to the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in your soil., Figure out what fertilizer can supply the right nutrition.
Different fertilizers will supply different nutrients to your soil.
Some common organic fertilizers include:
Bird and animal manures:
Good source of nitrogen and microorganisms.
Needs to be well-aged or composted before applying directly to the garden.
Blood or bone meal:
A slow release source of nitrogen.
It also has trace minerals.
Needs to be applied just before planting and used sparingly.
Fish meal:
Source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements.
Releases quickly into the soil.
Greensand:
Rich in potassium and micronutrients.
Used to break up clay soils.
Shellfish meal:
A good source of calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients.
Rock phosphate:
Great for flowering plants.
Provides long term phosphate addition. , Read the packages of different fertilizers available to you to assess how much of certain nutrients they have.
You will want to look at their ingredients, the pricing, claims made on the labels, and special instructions for application.Different gardening and home improvement stores will have different products.
If you don't like what you see at one, go to a different store. , The numbers on an organic fertilizer label refer to the percent of three key nutrients in the product: nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potassium (K).
For example, a fertilizer that is marked 6-12-10 will be 6% nitrogen, 12% phosphate, and 10% potassium.
These nutrients are always listed in the same order.Other nutrients will be listed separately.
You will want to pick whatever product you think will supply the right nutrients, is sold in the right amount for your purposes, and is a good price. , If you are having a hard time picking between specific fertilizer products, discuss your options with a store employee at your local garden center.
They should be able to steer you towards a product that will be right for your specific needs.
Employees at gardening stores may be more helpful than those at more general home improvement stores, as they deal exclusively with gardening needs. , Some fertilizers are easily mixed into the soil with a shovel.
However, there are some that need to be spread evenly across the surface of the soil before being mixed in.
This assures that you get an even application.
This type of fertilizer should be applied with a spreader.Fertilizer spreaders can be found at your local garden supply store.
In some cases, they can be rented temporarily instead of being bought outright. , How much fertilizer you use will depend on the health of your soil and the amount of space you are fertilizing.
The more unbalanced the soil, the more fertilizer your soil will need and the larger space you are fertilizing, the more fertilizer you will need.Follow the directions on the packaging to figure out how much to use for the space you are fertilizing.
In most cases, you will need to do a small amount of math to figure out how much fertilizer to use.
The packaging will likely suggest the amount of fertilizer to use on a specific amount of garden space.
You will need to divide or multiply to figure out the suggested amount for your specific size of garden. , Once you have applied the fertilizer according to the package directions, it may take some time to see any results.
If the chosen fertilizer isn’t performing as expected, then you can try a different product.
However, you should give the fertilizer some time to make an impact.
Read the instructions on the product container to find out how long it takes for the fertilizer to make an impact.
You can also speak to a professional gardener or garden store employee if the fertilizer isn't working as desired and you are not sure why. -
Step 3: Pick a type of fertilizer.
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Step 4: Compare fertilizers.
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Step 5: Locate the product that meets your nutrient needs.
-
Step 6: Discuss your options with a store employee.
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Step 7: Buy supplies for applying the fertilizers
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Step 8: if necessary.
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Step 9: Decide how much fertilizer to use.
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Step 10: Evaluate the results.
Detailed Guide
In order to choose the right organic fertilizer for your garden, you need to know the composition of your existing soil.
There are a variety of tests that you can do, such as tests for pH, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
These will let you know the status of different components of your soil.Soil test kits for specific aspects of your soil are available at garden supply centers.
Private laboratories and state cooperative extension services test all aspects of your garden soil for a small fee.
Contact your local extension service for more details.
In order to choose the right organic fertilizer, you will need to know what chemicals the plants you are growing need in order to thrive.
Do some research about the plants you are growing and what type of soil they like.
These conditions differ for all plants.
For example, if you are growing blueberry bushes, you will want to make the soil acidic.If you are growing dahlias, you need to pay attention to the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in your soil., Figure out what fertilizer can supply the right nutrition.
Different fertilizers will supply different nutrients to your soil.
Some common organic fertilizers include:
Bird and animal manures:
Good source of nitrogen and microorganisms.
Needs to be well-aged or composted before applying directly to the garden.
Blood or bone meal:
A slow release source of nitrogen.
It also has trace minerals.
Needs to be applied just before planting and used sparingly.
Fish meal:
Source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements.
Releases quickly into the soil.
Greensand:
Rich in potassium and micronutrients.
Used to break up clay soils.
Shellfish meal:
A good source of calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients.
Rock phosphate:
Great for flowering plants.
Provides long term phosphate addition. , Read the packages of different fertilizers available to you to assess how much of certain nutrients they have.
You will want to look at their ingredients, the pricing, claims made on the labels, and special instructions for application.Different gardening and home improvement stores will have different products.
If you don't like what you see at one, go to a different store. , The numbers on an organic fertilizer label refer to the percent of three key nutrients in the product: nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potassium (K).
For example, a fertilizer that is marked 6-12-10 will be 6% nitrogen, 12% phosphate, and 10% potassium.
These nutrients are always listed in the same order.Other nutrients will be listed separately.
You will want to pick whatever product you think will supply the right nutrients, is sold in the right amount for your purposes, and is a good price. , If you are having a hard time picking between specific fertilizer products, discuss your options with a store employee at your local garden center.
They should be able to steer you towards a product that will be right for your specific needs.
Employees at gardening stores may be more helpful than those at more general home improvement stores, as they deal exclusively with gardening needs. , Some fertilizers are easily mixed into the soil with a shovel.
However, there are some that need to be spread evenly across the surface of the soil before being mixed in.
This assures that you get an even application.
This type of fertilizer should be applied with a spreader.Fertilizer spreaders can be found at your local garden supply store.
In some cases, they can be rented temporarily instead of being bought outright. , How much fertilizer you use will depend on the health of your soil and the amount of space you are fertilizing.
The more unbalanced the soil, the more fertilizer your soil will need and the larger space you are fertilizing, the more fertilizer you will need.Follow the directions on the packaging to figure out how much to use for the space you are fertilizing.
In most cases, you will need to do a small amount of math to figure out how much fertilizer to use.
The packaging will likely suggest the amount of fertilizer to use on a specific amount of garden space.
You will need to divide or multiply to figure out the suggested amount for your specific size of garden. , Once you have applied the fertilizer according to the package directions, it may take some time to see any results.
If the chosen fertilizer isn’t performing as expected, then you can try a different product.
However, you should give the fertilizer some time to make an impact.
Read the instructions on the product container to find out how long it takes for the fertilizer to make an impact.
You can also speak to a professional gardener or garden store employee if the fertilizer isn't working as desired and you are not sure why.
About the Author
Melissa Peterson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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