Every gardener knows that any of the cultivated plants need fertilizing. Today, you can meet many different types: bacterial, mineral, dietary supplements, etc. An important place in this list is occupied by organic fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers their types and characteristics
The products of vital activity of living organisms or their remains are natural top dressings. There are such kinds of organic fertilizers:
- Manure. This is the most valuable fertilizer. In its composition, approximately 75% of water, 21% of organic substances, 0.5% of nitrogen, 0.25% of easily digestible phosphorus, 0.6% of potassium oxide. The quality of feeding depends on the type of animal, its nutrition, litter and even the way of storage of fertilizer.
- Bird droppings. The pigeon and chicken droppings are considered the most valuable, and goose and duck are of lesser value.
- Peat. It does not contain a lot of nutrients necessary for plants, but it improves the structure of the soil and increases its humus content.
- Il (sapropel). Accumulating at the bottom of water bodies, it contains a lot of phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, humus.
- Feces. The sewage from the latrines preserves the mineral substances easily assimilated by the plants.
- Sawdust. This organic soil improves the fertility of soils, increases their air permeability and moisture capacity, but it is necessary to apply fertilizer only in the form.
- The Ciderates. It is a green mass of legumes, sunflowers, buckwheat, phacelia and other plants.
- Compost. Prepare it from various organic waste: bird droppings, feces, manure, plant debris, etc.
What is the difference between organic fertilizers and mineral fertilizers?
In order to feed plants, mineral and organic fertilizers are used, which have significant differences:
- Since organic fertilizers are a natural element of the natural chain, they do not contain any harm to the soil, which can not be said about chemically made mineral fertilizing.
- The most valuable organic material is produced in much smaller quantities (which is quite understandable) in comparison with mineral produced by industrial enterprises.
- The effect of organic is complex and lasting, but the effect of mineral fertilizing is achieved more quickly.
- To fertilize a certain area, fewer mineral fertilizers are required than organic.
- To increase the fertility of organic matter is introduced into the soil evenly. Mineral top dressing is used taking into account various factors, for example, sowing a certain type of plant, soil condition, etc.
Ways of introducing organic fertilizers
Fertile soils are the key to healthy plants and high yields. Therefore, the introduction of organic fertilizers into the soil is a mandatory agrotechnical measure. There are several basic ways of introducing organic matter:
- Preseeding or basic. Fertilizers are introduced before the autumn or spring planting. This method allows to provide plants with the necessary nutrition for the entire period of their development. The average consumption of organic fertilizers is about 6-8 kg per 1 sq. Km. m. On clay heavy soils, the organic material is embedded to a depth of about 15 cm. On chernozem and light soils, the depth of embedment can reach 25 cm.
- The sowing season. Fertilizers are introduced during sowing seeds or planting seedlings. Such feeding gives young plants food at the beginning of their development, they have powerful roots. In the future, they better resist unfavorable weather conditions and pests.
- After the seed. Organic is introduced during the growing season. It supplies plants with useful elements during their intensive growth.
The best organic fertilizers
Inexperienced truck farmers often are interested in what organic fertilizers are best used in growing various plants. After all, among the many types of dressing it can sometimes be difficult to choose the fertilizer that is necessary for your soil. In addition, their different types are unequal in their effectiveness. The effect of organic influences many processes occurring in the soil:
- Enriches the substrate with the necessary components for plants.
- Improves soil structure.
- Regulates the acidity of the soil.
- Carries out aeration and improves water permeability of the earth mix.
- It stimulates the reproduction of bacteria useful for the earth.
- Carbon dioxide, which is released during decomposition, participates in plant photosynthesis.
Organic fertilizers for indoor plants
Among specialists, there is no general opinion on the advisability of using organic materials for top dressing of indoor flowers. Such fertilizers will make the soil mix more air-and moisture-permeable and will stimulate the growth of green mass. However, for organic and bulbous flowers organic feeding is not suitable, and bright and variegated leaves of some plants with an excess of such fertilizers can become simply green. The best organic fertilizers for flowers are wood ash and humus.
Organic fertilizers for the garden
To get excellent harvests from the infield, you need to regularly feed the land. To do this, you can choose the best organic fertilizer for the garden:
- cow dung;
- compost;
- ash;
- sawdust;
- peat;
- green fertilizers - siderates;
- bird droppings.
Organic fertilizers with own hands
For those who want to grow fruits and vegetables without the use of chemicals, we can advise you to make organic fertilizers in your own home:
- Banana peel. It should be buried near the plant. Decaying, it will become a real fertilizer. And if you soak the peel for a couple of days in the water, you get a liquid dressing that is suitable for fruit trees and flowers.
- Epsom salt. It enriches the soil with sulfur and magnesium and can be used for tomatoes and roses. 1 tbsp. lies. the salts are dissolved in 1 liter of water and this plant is watered by the plants.
- Mowing grass. From it you can prepare a fertilizer containing nitrogen. To do this, fill the tank with grass and fill with water. Infuse 3-5 days, and then water the plants, mixing the tincture with water in a ratio of 1:10.
- Infusion on the compost. It is prepared according to the same recipe, and any plants can be fertilized by it.
- Coffee grounds. It will saturate the soil with nitrogen and increase its acidity. This fertilizer is suitable for indoor and outdoor flowers.
Minuses of organic fertilizers
The use of organic fertilizers in growing various plants has many advantages, but there are also negative aspects to their use:
- The concentration of nutrients in the soil is low.
- In fertilizers, and especially in manure, there is a large number of weeds.
- Organic and complex fertilizers are of high cost.