Buy Organic fertilisers
The recent controversy on using chemical or inorganic fertilisers and its harmful effects on the environment has brought about the organic movement in the agricultural sector. For environmental and health reasons, more and more farmers and home growers have turned to organic fertilisers as the solution. As a result, the organic fertiliser industry has experienced a boon in their profits.
People, from the regular backyard growers to the big-time farmers, are buying organic fertilisers for their gardens and farms. But with all the attention shifting to organic fertilisers, buying them has become a confusing task, especially since there are several factors involved: N-P-K, organic matter content, moisture content, etc. To the average home grower, all these numbers and percentages in an organic fertiliser bag tend to become perplexing. This article is aimed to help you, the home grower, make an informed decision before buying organic fertilisers.
What to look for in an organic fertiliser
What does N-P-K mean? There are three major nutrients that plants need in order to grow. These are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). Organic fertilisers tend to have low percentages of these three elements (although some organic fertiliser manufacturers have supplemented this by placing additional nutrients). So when buying organic fertilisers, it is important to take note of the N-P-K analysis first.
For instance, a bag of organic fertiliser has an N-P-K analysis of 5-2-2. This means that the organic fertiliser has 5% Nitrogen, 2% Phosphorus, and 2% Potassium.
The second thing to consider when buying organic fertilisers is the ingredients stated in the label. If you find that the organic fertiliser bag contains ammonium, muriate, urea, nitrate, or phosphoric acid, don’t buy it. This means that it is not an organic fertiliser you are holding, but an inorganic fertiliser.
Organic fertilisers are valued for their organic matter content. Organic matters in organic fertilisers are important in developing the soil structure and encouraging microbial activity. Also, organic matters in organic fertilisers help improve the soil’s nutrient and water holding capacity. Therefore, if you want your garden to be healthy, then look for organic matter content before buying an organic fertiliser.
Other important ingredients to look for in organic fertilisers are the amount of trace elements present in the bag. Plants need trace elements in organic fertilisers in order to sustain growth. Trace elements found in organic fertilisers are generally comprised of Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Copper, and Zinc.
It is also important to look into the raw materials used in making the organic fertiliser. The richest source of trace elements among organic fertilisers is marine products, like sea grass and fish by-products. This type of organic fertilisers is practically a storehouse of trace elements and is also high in Nitrogen content. Other types of organic fertilisers are bone meal and blood meal, which are excellent sources of calcium, protein, and soluble organic Nitrogen.
Where to buy organic fertilisers
Organic fertilisers are available anywhere from your local garden center to even online sources. Here are three examples of online stores where you can purchase organic fertilisers at reasonable prices. Of course, these stores aren’t the be-all and end-all of organic fertilisers.
Agriseek.com is an online marketplace for organic fertilisers and other products. Some of their organic fertilisers products are bone meals, cottonseed meals, dung fertilisers, plant hormones, and others like liquid foliar and fertirrigation organic fertilisers from hemoglobin and bat guano.
Bizrate.com is an online store where you can compare prices on several organic fertilisers and products. Buyers are allowed the option to browse through a list of organic fertilisers according price ranges.
Shopping.com is another online resource that will direct you to the best places to buy organic fertilizes.
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