Organic fertilizers are the most recommended types of fertilizers for a vegetable garden. They are available in various forms. These include the by-products of plants as well as animals. They provide the necessary nutrients that are required by your vegetables. They are easily broken down and do not contaminate the soil or the water. Organic garden fertilizer is valuable for the production of healthy crops.
Whenever you discover that your plants are showing signs of deficiency, the first thing to do is to conduct a soil test. This will enable you to find out the type of nutrients that are lacking. If you do not conduct a soil test, you will be working on assumptions and you could end up buying the wrong type of fertilizer.
Soil test kits are not expensive. They can be purchased at many garden centers or ordered online from gardening supply websites. You can find a one-time test kit that is not more than five dollars. Make sure you read the usage instructions carefully so that you can obtain a result that is accurate. Below are various types of organic fertilizers that you can use to add the necessary nutrients to your garden soil.
Animal manure contains potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus but you will need large quantities if you want your vegetables to have adequate nutrients. Animal manure is usually spread about two inches over the ground and then mixed with the topsoil. In the absence of animal manure, the needed nutrients can be supplied by a water soluble fertilizer mixture.
If your test reveals that nitrogen is lacking in the soil, you may consider animal by-products such as blood meal and bone meal. Blood meal is especially high in nitrogen and is very good for crops such as corn. These types of fertilizers are less bulky than animal manure and they are quickly absorbed into the soil. Blood meal should however be used sparingly because of its high nitrogen content.
Plant based fertilizer is also available in different forms. These are usually easier to make because they can be found readily in your yard or neighborhood. You can use chopped twigs or dead leaves to make green manure. By-products of plants such castor and cotton are also very good alternatives but they are not always available.
Garden compost is usually the cheapest way of getting organic fertilizer for your vegetables. It also gives you a means of recycling kitchen waste. You can use any type of plant material for compost apart from tough leaves or wood shavings. Diseased plants and weeds should also be left out. Composting makes it possible for organic matter to break up so that it can be easily absorbed into the soil.
Another way to get organic garden fertilizer is to practice green maturing. This is done by planting crops such as oats, barley or wheat in beds that are not in use and then tilling those crops into the soil. The decomposition of these plants usually happens over a period of about one month.
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