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Cornell University : Cornell Cooperative Extension
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Organic Fertilizers |
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Some home gardeners choose to grow fruit and vegetables with organic sources of fertilizer. There are many benefits to the addition of organic matter to the garden soil. This organic matter aids in moisture retention, helps reduce compaction and buffers extremes in pH. It also helps maintain the structure and nutrient-holding capacity of the soil. Most organic materials have a lower level of nutrients than traditional synthetic fertilizers. The rate of release is slower and levels of minerals vary. Many are not balanced as in a synthetic fertilizer. Fruits and vegetables often have high nitrogen demands at certain times during the growing season. Too much nitrogen late in the season can make certain perennial plants susceptible to winter injury. It is difficult to have enough nitrogen available in the early part of the growing season and not too much available at the end of the season. Some organic materials used include: fish scrap, bone meal, kelp or seaweed, cottonseed meal, cattle manure, horse manure, chicken manure, activated sewage sludge, tankage, peat, compost, sawdust and dried blood. Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association |
