Not All Soil is Created Equal: Know Your NPKs

Today organic is the new black and fertilizer is making its way into the organic trend. “The only way to grow your own garden is with organic fertilizer,” says Mark Boyko. The word organic describes anything that is produced naturally without chemical or synthetics. When it comes to making the switch to organic fertilizer, you will realize that going organic can make all the difference in the world creating lush, colorful, long-living, better tasting plants to brighten up your garden.

Organic fertilizers are created in a number of ways with various natural elements combined to make a “living soil supplement.” Fish, kelp, bone, manure, and decomposing plants can all be used to create a fertilizer. Each provides different properties and benefits to the plants.

Fertilizers are graded on the N:P:K (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) system since plants require these elements to live. Nitrogen promotes foliage growth, phosphate encourages healthy root growth and flower production and potassium promotes the overall health of the plant by building disease resistance. Periodic feeding with iron will also help to prolong plant life and enhance performance.

More and more gardeners are turning to organic fertilizers in order to preserve the natural way of life and to reduce environmental decay. By using a non-chemical approach, water usage can be reduced up to 75% in four years.

HG Edible Landscapes is proud to partner with Organics Alive in order to provide an all-in-one package nutrient solution which contains approximately 50% worm casting, 42% vegetable compost, 5% fossilized kelp, 3% rock mineral. This blend is great for vegetable gardens, fruit trees, ornamentals and re-vitalizing stressed out, undernourished, diseased trees.

To Replenish Soil Biology and Organic Matter:

• Cover soil with ½” layer of Organics Alive Premium Mix (pure worm castings and compost with rock and kelp).  Organics Alive Premium Mix can be applied up to 1” deep. Add sufficient composted chicken manure to equal 1/8” to increase the natural nitrogen. Be cautious about using chicken manure alone. It can burn plants unless added with the worm castings and compost.
• If the soil is bare, then till mixture in the top 2.”
• If plants are in place.
  • Put the mixture under all plants and around the drip line of trees.
  • Turf requires multiple thin layers to achieve the full inch. Mix up the combination and apply less than 1/8”. Water weekly. Soil will be fully treated in eight weeks.
• Apply Organics Alive Bioponics Tea at 5 gallons/acre once per month as long as the soil temperature is above 50 degrees F. Use Organics Alive Extractors and cartridges.

Water Use Reductions

• After two years of building up the soil compost, the water usage will decrease. Usually the water can be reduced 30%. Roots will grow longer to capture more water.
• Flow restriction heads can be installed to cut the flow. Hunter MP Heads cut the flow ~32% .
• After the fourth year, the flow can be reduced up to 75%.

Here’s a list of the most popular organic fertilizers to help your garden grow greener!

Bone: High in phosphorus, low in nitrogen. Bone based fertilizers are great for annual plants as they are slow releasing with their nutrients. The high phosphate levels in bone-based fertilizers ensure that sugars made in the leaves get sent down to the roots. This makes it great for root-based vegetables such as carrots.

Fish: High in phosphorus, nitrogen and trace elements essential for plant growth. There are two types of fish-based fertilizers, fish emulsion and fish meal. Fish emulsion is created from fish food industry waste. (Fish are not caught for the sole purpose of making fertilizer.) Fish emulsion has a rapid release rate and is great for giving plants a much-needed boost during cold winter months. Fish meal, on the other hand, is created from raw fish and is turned into a compost or a dry-spray protein. Fish meal works best in the spring and summer months for a greener lawn, leafy crops, and nitrogen-hungry vegetables.

Kelp: Small amounts of phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium provide a growth stimulant when utilized in conjunction with a fertilization regime. Kelp has great reproducing abilities. A single leaf floating in the ocean can grow an entire stalk of kelp and can grow up to half a meter per day. Organic gardeners harvest the power of kelp knowing that it is packed with plant growth regulators, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids that help plants flourish and thrive.

Animal Manure: Manure from an animal varies greatly depending on the specific animal, size, health, and on the diet of the animal. Generally speaking, vegetable-fed animal manure is preferred to the manure from meat-eating animals due to sanitation reasons. Animal manure is high in micro-nutrients and can be used as the sole fertilizer in any garden.

Soil Amendments: Soil amendments are anything you add to the soil to improve its physical properties. Organic amendments adjust the soil for water retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration and structure. Common organic amendments include compost, manure, peat, wood chips, grass clippings, and sawdust. Organic amendments also contain some nutrients, which can act as a fertilizer for your crops.