Tired Of Harmful Chemical Fertilizer In Your Garden? Find Out About Organic Alternatives

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If you have a backyard garden, you understand the important of using fertilizer. Even if you don't have rocky, clay-like soil, you will need to use fertilizer in order to grow the biggest, best flowers possible. The problem with many commercially produced fertilizers is that they are made with chemicals.

There are two drawbacks to using chemical fertilizers. First, chemical fertilizers dissipate very fast. The soil doesn't retain the nutrients. This means you have to add chemical fertilizer multiple times through the season. Secondly, chemical fertilizers are harmful to the soil. They end up killing many microorganisms that are actually beneficial. These organisms naturally help native soil. When they are killed off, you create a system that will die out without the constant feeding of chemicals.

Here are three examples of organic fertilizer for grass that might help you: 

Kelp

Kelp is a seaweed that is very popular in the gardening community. It can be used as a fertilizer in two ways. The first is in a liquid form; the other is in a dried powder. It is rich in potassium and nitrogen. It does not have much phosphorus, so it is often combined with wood ash.

One of the great things about kelp is that it is renewable, and vegan friendly. Kelp grows incredibly fast in the ocean and there is an abundance of it, so there is no risk of it being over farmed. Secondly, it is a plant-based fertilizers. Many organic fertilizers are made from animal material, so this makes kelp an ideal pick for vegetarian gardeners who don't want to use animal products in their garden.

Bone Meal

Bone meal is made from the pulverized bones of animals from slaughterhouses. Most often it will be cow bones, but it could also be pig bones. Bone meal fertilizer is one of the richest sources of phosphorus. It also contains some nitrogen, but it completely lacks potassium. Because of this, many gardeners mix bone meal with potash in order to boost potassium levels.

Bone meal is an excellent,slow release fertilizer. It takes time for it to break down and be absorbed into the soil, so it won't flood the plants with minerals all at once. A word of caution if you have pets. Bone meal should be used with caution around dogs. Dogs are attracted to the scent and may try and eat it. If they do they can develop a hard mass in their bowels which would require an operation to fix.

Alfalfa Meal

Alfalfa meal is an excellent organic fertilizer because it is easily broken down and provides an excellent food source for the microorganisms in the soil. This will ensure that your soil remains healthy year round.  One of the truly amazing properties of alfalfa is due to a chemical in it called triacontanol. Studies have shown that this chemical can stimulate the growth of plants even when they are deprived of photosynthesis.

Alfalfa is another good choice for people who are uncomfortable using animal based fertilizers. Alfalfa has an excellent ratio of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous.  


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