When and Where to Use Liquid Organic Fertilizer

Posted by Cathy England
July 15th, 2009
Filed in Soil and Fertilizer
Tags: compost tea, fertilizer, nutrients, Soil and Fertilizer

While often the fertilizer focus in organic gardening is on compost, manure, cover crops, or the addition of certain minerals, there are also times when liquid organic fertilizers have a place in the yard and garden.  Some of these products can be purchased, and some of them can be concocted by the gardener from items on hand.

There are a number of liquid fertilizers on the market that are approved for organic use.  However, as in all things, there can be too much of a good thing.  Adding more fertilizer to plants than what is needed can cause them to burn or to focus more energy on green growth as opposed to fruit or flowers.

What Liquid Fertilizers Are Available?

Liquid fertilizers approved for organic use have become more popular, thus there are more on the market.  Check labels carefully on these products to ensure that they are used properly and on the right plants.  Generally, stick to liquid products that are made from natural products as they are more gentle, and slow releasing.  Any amendment that you can find in granular form, can generally be found in liquid form.  Here are a few examples:

• Fish Emulsion – This is an effective fertilizer for all plants, shrubs and lawns.  It is just what it says it is.  Ground up fish.  There is a nice balance of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus which most plants require.  This is a good product to use either at the root or on foliage.
• Liquid Kelp – Kelp is a type of seaweed.  It is a good nutrient provider for human and flora alike.  Kelp assists plants in using the nutrients in the soil that are already available.  Best used on flowers and gardens.
• Compost tea – This product can be bought commercially, or can be concocted at home.  This is a brew of compost soaked in water, and sometimes aerated that ramps up the usefulness of compost by concentrating it, and making it available for spraying and watering.
• Manure tea – Very similar to compost tea, this entails soaking manure in water and using the resultant liquid.  Not glamorous, but effective in giving plants a boost.
• Vermicompost tea – This can often be harvested from worm composting bins.  Some bins are set up with a spigot in the lower tray to allow access to it.

When to Use Liquid Fertilizer

• Use liquid fertilizers when transplanting to the garden, or any other times of stress for your plants.
• Use when plants are under attack.  If there are signs of possible disease or pest problems, a foliar application of fertilizer can help give plants the help they need to strengthen and fight off these problems.
• During times of drought.  Organic gardening is about watering only when needed, and during particularly dry times, it is necessary to water.  Using liquid fertilizers at this time give an extra bang for your buck.
• Use once a month during the growing season to help plant and fruit production move along more quickly.  Want a greener lawn, prettier flowers, or faster harvesting, liquid fertilization may be helpful.

Use care when using any of the liquid fertilizers.  Any time that foliage is being sprayed, it should occur early in the morning, or at night when the sun is not likely to promptly evaporate, and possibly burn the foliage.  It is also important to use the correct fertilizer in the correct dilution, or it will be a futile effort.

Liquid fertilizer applications often give quick results.  But the organic gardener should be careful not to rely to heavily on this method.  The nutrients in the soil are still the most important, and perhaps, digging in a little compost will provide for a plant’s needs as  effectively, if not as quickly as spraying them will.