Lauren and Zora
What minerals differ between organic and non-organic
fertilizers?
Simply put, fertilizer is plant food.
Fertilizer contains combinations of nutrients that plants
need to grow.
Think of your body; it's a vessel for all the organs and
parts it sustains.
Plants accept the proteins they receive each day, and
unlike your body, they have no way to get harmful foods
out of their system, the plant dies, while humans have
the ability to throw up.
Plants have been known to need sixteen different
chemical elements, which are then divided into mineral
and non-mineral categories.
Non-mineral nutrients are hydrogen, oxygen and carbon.
The mineral nutrients are dissolved in water and enter
the plant through the roots. There are not always enough
of these nutrients in the soil, which is why many farmers
use fertilizers. Mineral nutrients are divided into two
groups; macronutrients and micronutrients.
Macronutrients can be further divided into primary and
secondary nutrients.
For natural plants to grow and thrive they need a number
of chemical elements, but the most important are
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Most packaged
fertilizers contain these three macronutrients. Fertilizing
plants causes rapid and efficient growth.
pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen in soil.
An acid soil is soil that has a pH of less than 7.0. Alkaline
soils are clay soils that have a high pH level of 8.5 or
greater.
Below a pH of 6.0, nutrients such as nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium, are less available. When pH
exceeds 7.5, iron, manganese, and phosphorus are less
available.
Soil acidity and alkalinity (soil pH) is important because it
influences how easily plants can take up nutrients from
the soil.
Plant roots absorb mineral nutrients when they are
dissolved in water. If the mixture of water and nutrients
in the soil is too acid or alkaline, some nutrients won’t
dissolve easily, so they won’t be available for uptake by
roots.
A too low or high soil pH is toxic to grass roots and if
there is too much chemical build up, the chemicals can
make way into the plants and permanently ruin the pH of
the soil.
Organic matter is anything that contains carbon, such as
living or dead plants and animal material.
Organic matter ranges from kitchen waste and shredded
leaves to well-rotted manure and compost.
Some forms of organic matter are mulch, soil and
compost.
Adding organic matter to your soil can supply nutrients for
plants by providing surfaces where nutrients can be held,
facilitate better drainage by loosening soil structure, store
water and help increase air drainage.
Macronutrients can be further divided into primary and
secondary nutrients.
Primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium. They usually are lacking from the soil, as
plants use large quantities for growth and survival.
Secondary nutrients are calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
Soil usually has a high enough amount of these nutrients,
so fertilization is not always needed.
Sulfur is found in sufficient amounts from decomposition
of organic matter, which is an important reason for not
throwing out grass clippings and leaves.
Micronutrients are the second division of mineral
nutrients, and are essential for plant growth and
only needed in small quantities, hence the prefix
'micro'.
They are sometimes called minor elements or
trace elements. The micronutrients are boron,
copper, iron, chloride, manganese, molybdenum,
and zinc.
An N-P-K ratio encompasses the amount of
N – Nitrogen
P- Phosphorus
K- Potassium
that is in a package of fertilizer.
Nitrogen is a primary nutrient in plant growth. Every
amino acid in plants contains nitrogen as it an essential
component for plants to manufacture new cells. Nitrogen
helps plants make proteins they need to produce new
tissues. Plants have evolved to take up as much nitrogen
as possible, even if it means not taking up other
necessary elements. If too much nitrogen is available, the
plant may grow abundant leaves but not produce fruit or
flowers. Growth may actually be stunted because the
plant isn't absorbing enough of the other elements it
needs.
Phosphorus is a primary nutrient in plant growth.
It stimulates root growth and helps plants grow
buds and flowers, improves vitality and increases
seed size.
It does this by helping transfer energy from one
part of the plant to another.
To absorb phosphorous, most plants require a
soil pH of 6.5 to 6.8.
Potassium is a primary nutrient in plant
growth.
It improves the overall vitality of the
plant.
It helps plants make carbohydrates. It also
helps regulate metabolic activities.
Chemical fertilizers (also called inorganic, synthetic, artificial,
or manufactured) have been refined to extract nutrients and
bind them in specific ratios with other chemical fillers.
* They’re inexpensive.
* Standardized labeling
makes ratios and chemical
sources easy to
understand.
* Long-term use of chemical
fertilizer can change the soil pH,
upset beneficial microbial
ecosystems, increase pests, and
even contribute to the release of
greenhouse gases.
* Chemical fertilizers are primarily
made from nonrenewable sources,
including fossil fuels.
* Repeated applications may result in
a toxic buildup of chemicals such
as arsenic, cadmium, and uranium
in the soil. These toxic chemicals
can eventually make their way into
your fruits and vegetables.
Organic or natural fertilizer in this case means that
the product is minimally processed and the nutrients
remain bound up in their natural forms rather than
being extracted or refined.
* Organic fertilizer is usually
made from plant or animal
waste or powdered
minerals.
* Organic fertilizers are
renewable, biodegradable,
sustainable, and
environmentally friendly.
* Nutrient ratios are often
unknown, and the overall
percentage is lower than
chemical fertilizers.
However, some organic
products are actually higher
in certain nutrients.
* You may see a deficiency in
your homegrown plants
during the first couple of
months until the first
application breaks down.
Make your own compost! Keep track of what foods you add to make
sure that your soil has all the nutrients it needs to keep your plants
healthy.
Compost is a form of humus, which means that it enriches the soil
by using organic matter.
It's not fertilizer in the sense that fertilizer is nourishment for your
plants, whereas compost is used to increase the fertility of soil.
In compost, you can use egg shell, coffee grinds, fruit and other
natural components.
Compost
Chemical Fertilizer
Organic Fertilizer
Sources
"Pros and Cons of Organic vs. Chemical Fertilizers | Today's
Homeowner."
"Understanding PH." Organic Gardening."
"Soil PH."
"Fertilizer Basics: Organic Fertilizer, NPK Ratio | Gardeners.com."
Gardeners Supply.
"What Are Chemical Fertilizers, and Why Do We Use Them?"
"The Five Types of Fertilizers." ------