Using Organic Fertilizers

Posted by Chris Molnar
May 18th, 2009
Filed in Product Reviews
Tags: compost tea, fertilizer, humic acid, nutrients

Sometimes, your garden needs a quick boost of nutrients, but you don’t want to resort to using synthetic fertilizers, and your compost still needs time to cook. There are good organic fertilizer options out there to jump start your garden. To find and use the best organic fertilizer for your garden, you first need to understand the different types of fertilizers available. Here are some common organic fertilizer types that you will encounter, and a bit of information about them.

Compost Tea: Compost tea is exactly what it sounds like. A tea mixture brewed from compost steeping in water. For the most part, the benefits of compost tea lie not in the nutrients they give to plants, but in the beneficial fungi and bacteria in them that you add to your garden when applying compost tea. These tiny microorganisms help break down the organic matter in your soil, making the nutrients more available to plants.

Kelp Based Fertilizers: You can buy kelp meal, and liquid fertilizers made with kelp. These types of fertilizers are usually high in micro-nutrients. If your plants are demonstrating signs of micro-nutrient deficiencies, you will want to test your soil, and then, potentially apply a seaweed-based fertilizer that includes kelp to help restore those nutrients to the soil.

Humic Acid: Humic acid is difficult to describe, but an essential element in the soil. Humic acid is the organic matter from compost distilled down to the essential nutrients in their elemental forms. If soil has a low fertility and does not hold nutrients well, making them available for plants, adding humic acid is a great way to improve the soil. The best way to add humic acid is by mixing compost into your soil.

If your soil needs a kick to help your plants grow, consider adding one of these organic fertilizers to grow a bountiful harvest.