The Debate over Organic vs. Chemical Fertilizers

Ask most any gardener whether they prefer organic or chemical fertilizer, and chances are you’ll spark a lively debate. However, if you could ask your plants the same question, you’d find out that at the most basic level, they really can’t tell the difference – nutrients are nutrients.

Yet there ARE significant differences between organic and chemical fertilizers in terms of nutrient availability and the long-term effects on soil, plants, and the environment. So how does a conscientious gardener decide?

Terminology

To begin with, the terminology can be confusing, since labels and gardeners freely throw around words like organic, natural, inorganic, chemical, synthetic, artificial, and manufactured. The good news is that the choice can be reduced to either organic or chemical fertilizers.

Organic Fertilizer

The words “organic” or “natural” in this case simply means that the product is only minimally processed, and the nutrients remain bound up in their natural forms, rather than being extracted and refined. In the case of fertilizer, “organic” does NOT refer to the standards of processing associated with food.

Organic fertilizer is usually made from plant or animal waste or powdered minerals. Examples include manure and compost, as well as bone and cottonseed meal. They are usually sold as “soil conditioners” rather than as fertilizer, because the nutrient ratios are difficult to guarantee. Organic fertilizers may be processed in a factory, or, in the case of manure and compost, at a farm.

There is also a growing selection of more highly processed products now available, with labeled analysis of nutrients and contents. For example, Scotts Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Plant Food is a manufactured product composed entirely of chicken litter and ground up feathers, with an N-P-K ratio of 7-1-2. Garden Safe Organic Plant Food is made of poultry manure with a label very similar to chemical fertilizers.

Advantages of Organic Fertilizer:

    • In addition to releasing nutrients, as organic fertilizers break down, they improve the structure of the soil and increase its ability to hold water and nutrients. Over time, organic fertilizers will make your soil–and plants–healthy and strong.
    • Since they are the ultimate slow-release fertilizers, it’s very difficult to over fertilize (and harm) your plants.
    • There’s little to no risk of toxic buildups of chemicals and salts that can be deadly to plants.
    • Organic fertilizers are renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
  • Although rather expensive in packages, you can make your own organic fertilizer by composting or find inexpensive sources—such as local dairy farms—that may sell composted manure.

96 COMMENTS

  1. What do you think of the “Dead Zones” in our oceans coastal areas? Do you think it’s just the fertilizer runoff from agricultural uses, or do you think John and Jane Q. lawn care are contributing to it? Will using organics help?

  2. To answer Sybil’s question–strictly speaking, coffee grounds from organic coffee would be considered organic. But I use coffee grounds from coffee conventionally grown with litle guilt, since boiling the coffee must certainly remove most contaminants (and deposit it in the coffee I’ve just drunk). So all in alln any coffee grounds should be considered safe. As far as using chemical fertilizers–why do it, when organic fertilizers are about the same price and actually add organic matter to your soil when they break down–as opposed to chemical fertilizers from fossil fuels, that don’t. Break the cycle.

  3. soil degradation,nitrogen leacging,and artificial is artificial not as natural.for further imformation see books of soil physics or soil science in librerys.

  4. Hello Iam from Indonesia
    Before 1970 Indonesian Farmers dont use chemical Fertilizer, because the soil has natural fertility from compost of organism. After 1970, the government give advice to improve their crop production with using chemicals fertilizers and pestisides … at the result the crop production is increase so ‘great’ than before and so advantagous for the farmers. From time to time indonesian farmers like to use chemical fertilizers and pestisides, but the result of crop production after the long time using chemical fertilizer decrease from time to time. the land farming has no fertility, because the organic material in land is lost. and its the big problem now ….
    do you have a solution sir?
    thankyou so much

  5. Hello Jenny-
    As Julie states in the article, there is absolutely a difference between organic and chemical fertilizers in crop production, most noticeably in long term effects. Organic fertilizers are far superior to chemical fertilizers for long term crop production. Here’s the briefest explanation I can give.
    Think about growing in a container. A perennial can last several years being fed chemical fertilizers. But over time, the plant will start exhibiting signs of deficiencies and start to lose vigor. Even if you use the most complete chemical fertilizers containing all the necessary macro- and micronutrients the plant requires, the plant doesn’t continue to grow as healthy and robust as it once did. Toxic salts begin to build up, the soil becomes compact and the aeration and drainage ability of the soil diminishes, the ph balance of the soil changes creating nutrient lock-out, and the beneficial microbial life in the soil will start to die off. Simply transplant the plant into a new pot with new soil and viola, the plant starts growing robustly again! It’s not that you were not providing the proper nutrition to the plant; it’s just that you were not doing anything to maintain the health or tilth of the soil.
    The same holds true for long term crop production. As we’ve heard Danny say many times on his show, healthy soil makes a healthy garden! For long term healthy lawns, gardens, containers, and crop production- remember to feed the soil, not the plant, and you will always be rewarded.

  6. @jenny… Big advantage because organic fertilizer utilizes microorganisms to produce the needed nutrients of plant so meaning its pro life you don’t have to worry in the future for it is environment friendly…

  7. Trying be organic here in Florida, It’s expensive at first, and I did supplement with Miracle gro at first to try to save struggling plants, mostly I burned them!
    So as I raise the beds and keep buying amendments like compost & manure & peat, the soil on our eroded hill is finally producing decent crops after 4 years & I hope for better & better as I continue. Be patient, organic takes the time of nature, not quite what we humans & especially Americans are good at. Follow my research & adventures at greengardenchef.com

  8. QUOTE “what are other names for organic fertilizer?”

    All natural compost? Life’s debris? Original pooh (and other waste)? I dunno, just brainstorming.

    What could/would you mean by other names for organic fertilizer? A good many are NPK nutrients, so they’re only mixed up chemicals in their own right, sometimes with the source material(s) written on the label…

    I am not sure I understood what you meant, so if that wasn’t a careless post, please elaborate, I’d be glad to help you out with whatever you might be plotting to be potting. Hehheh.

  9. I am a student, and my science fair project is about chemical and organic fertilizers. How do chemical fertilizers affect streams and rivers and cause many sea animals to die?

  10. organic fertilisers are better regardless of them being slow to be used because they improve the soil holding capacity and give nutrients to the plant that it might even take a long time to have top drasing applied.

  11. Organic fertilizers are generally much more expensive than chemical fertilizers, mostly because chemical fertilizers have more concentrated levels of nutrients per weight of product than organic fertilizers do. One needs several pounds of organic fertilizer to provide the same soil nutrient levels that a single pound of chemical fertilizer provides, and the higher cost of organic fertilizer is one of the biggest reasons that organic produce is more expensive than non-organic. (The other big reason being lower organic yields, on average.) Although it is possible to make a lot of one’s own organic fertilizer as well, once the labor, time, and other resources are accounted for, homemade organic fertilizer is usually more expensive than store-bought chemical fertilizer too.

  12. Why no discussion of the crops grown for food in the garden. It seems a no brainer to me that if you provide only three basic chemicals, that’s what you get in the crops. If you fertilize the soil organically, you get a complete balance of all the trace minerals, which are so essential to health. It is clear that artificially grown crops cannot contain these balanced trace minerals, which a so essential to health, so animals and human’s health will suffer.

  13. First of all in many case studies organics failed to yield as much as chemical grown. Secondly,the depletion of sulfer in soils. Plants cannot use Nitrogen for structural growth when sulfer is not available in sufficient amounts. And lastly, it takes a long time to replenish soils after a season where demanding crops have drained all nutrients and minerals.

    When farmers clear the natural vegetation, they at first get very good yields. But ploughing the land and removing the crop residue leaves the land bare. The plant nutrients are washed away. The fine particles, clay and valuable organic matter are eroded first, leaving a poor, hungry soil.

    When the soil is turned, the organic matter decomposes quickly. It turns into lifeless minerals or into carbon dioxide gas, which disappears into the air. Within 10 years after opening virgin land, more than half the organic matter is lost.

  14. organic fertilizers is the best for the sustainability of the soil fertility and the environment. To benefit the plants, Organic solid could be applied some weeks before planting and organic liquid some weeks after planting. However, inorganic fertilizer may be used to solve immediate problem of malnutrition

  15. I believe going the natural way is the best thus the use of organic manures. They are not toxic thus reduce the infections caused by diseases such as ulcers,cancers that are now deadly. They are also cheap. Provide nutrients wholesomely for your crops and also improves the soil structures. Maintain the quality environment.

  16. When I read the numerous comments from young students who have used this source to assist them in the completion of their science projects, I felt compelled to respond to its disturbing inaccuracies and misinterpretations.

    Food that is labeled “organic” in the U.S. is food that is certified by the USDA National Organic Program. Organic products are products that are certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute. “The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is an international nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing. OMRI Listed® products are allowed for use in certified organic operations under the USDA National Organic Program.”

    This misinformed author writes that organic fertilizers are the “ultimate slow-release fertilizers, it’s very difficult to over fertilize (and harm) your plants.” Sodium Nitrate is sold as an OMRI-certified organic fertilizer. This product is not slow release and will raise the soil’s ph in proportion to the amount applied. As the ph rises above neutral, your plants will die.

    The author says that “there’s little to no risk of toxic buildups of chemicals and salts that can be deadly to plants.” And yet, two-hundred pounds of manure add about ten pounds of salt into the environment.

    The article also claims that “organic fertilizers are renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, while repeated application of chemical fertilizers “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.” Well, this one is just blatantly false. Azomite is an OMRI certified organic fertilizer. It contains the following chemicals (most of which are EXTREMELY toxic to humans when ingested). They are just as toxic to plants as they are to humans when they are overused.
    Arsenic (As): At high concentrations it is toxic to plants.
    Selenium (Se): Selenium is essential for animals and for bacteria, including the nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Essentiality in higher plants is controversial.
    Tin (Sn): Inorganic tin is generally unavailable to plants, absorbed by root hairs and generally not redistributed elsewhere in the plant. Conclusive studies have not been made.
    Vanadium (V): Essential for the formation of chlorophyll in several forms of algae (lower plants). Its role in higher plants is not yet clear.
    Tungsten (W): Tungsten interacts with molybedum and at < 5 ppm W has been reported to have a positive impact on a variety of higher plants.

    Please stop spreading false information and adding confusion to an already confusing topic.

  17. In response to the following post:

    Mike Maybury Says:
    July 24th, 2014 at 11:01 am
    “Why no discussion of the crops grown for food in the garden. It seems a no brainer to me that if you provide only three basic chemicals, that’s what you get in the crops. If you fertilize the soil organically, you get a complete balance of all the trace minerals, which are so essential to health. It is clear that artificially grown crops cannot contain these balanced trace minerals, which a so essential to health, so animals and human’s health will suffer.”

    I am not sure what you mean by “artificially grown.” Could you please elaborate as to what constitutes an artificially grown plant. If you are referring to “hydroponically grown” plants, then, as a hydroponic grower, let me assure you that my plants receive all the micronutrients and trace minerals they need. This would include the following: Boron, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, Molybdenum, Sulfur, Zinc, etc. They receive these minerals because I buy these minerals at the fertilizer store and then proceed to feed them these minerals. Anyone who tells you that hydroponically/artificially grown plants are only fed three chemicals are misinformed. That being said, I DO NOT feed them “organic” fertilizers/trace minerals like azomite, which contain lead, arsenic, strontium, etc., because those elements are not essential to human health or plant health, and I, personally, would not deliberately add even small amounts of these toxic chemicals to my garden.

  18. Author says chemical fertilizers “don’t replace many trace elements that are gradually depleted by repeated crop plantings,” but then claims “repeated applications (of chemical fertilizers) may result in a toxic buildup of chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, and uranium (which are all trace minerals, btw) in the soil. If chemical fertilizers don’t contain as many trace minerals as organic fertilizers, how ON EARTH can you claim these trace elements build up in the soil to a greater extent when it is fed with chemical fertilizers, as opposed to when it is fed with organic fertilizers(which, according to you, contain MORE trace minerals)??? You don’t need a degree in horticulture to realize that this makes no sense whatsoever.

  19. In Response to:

    ” Corneille Says:
    July 6th, 2015 at 12:47 pm

    Hi, am from Ghana. Please I want at least five advantages of organic fertilisers over inorganic fertilisers.”

    Corneille,

    Organic fertilizers are certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), an international nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing. OMRI Listed® products are allowed for use in certified organic operations under the USDA National Organic Program.

    In order for a fertilizer to be certified as “organic” and marketed as an “organic” product in the U.S., it must first meet a lengthy set of standards set forth by the OMRI. As the author states, the most fundamental of these requirements are that it:

    A. Be composed of natural compounds mined from the earth (like potash or azomite) or produced by recycling waste generated by living organisms (Strangely enough, however, manure would not be considered an organic fertilizer, since it is not a fertilizer at all, but a “soil amendment!” Soil amendments are very different than fertilizers and can be either “organic” or “not organic.” Unfortunately, many people confuse “soil amendments” with “organic fertilizers.”).

    B. It must not excessively harm the existing natural ecosystem.

    The main benefit of using an organic fertilizer or, for that matter, any organic product, is the peace of mind which comes in knowing that the product you are using has met more rigorous standards than another non-organic product. Additionally, they:

    They tend to be less acidic than non-organic fertilizers. As a result, the natural runoff that is generated should not be as toxic to the rivers, lakes, and oceans.

    They tend to do less damage to the beneficial microorganisms in the soil, thus contributing to a more balanced ecosystem. In a balanced ecosystem, the beneficial organisms should naturally keep the destructive ones from getting out of control.

    They tend to be less dangerous, with less risk associated with handling them. Highly combustible fertilizers, like ammonium nitrate, do not meet “organic” standards.

    Finally, since the compounds are not synthesized in a laboratory, they don’t tend to be associated with as many dangerous, chemical byproducts.

    I think that’s five 🙂 Hope it helps!

  20. I wonder if there a way I can safely use my dog’s end product to fertilize my garden. My dog is healthy and eats only organically grown food.

  21. I bought organic fertiliser. On the bag it says n.p.k.3.3.5.2.5. wants to know in general, what % of this are available to the plants. This fertiliser is made out of algae. Chemical fertilisers indicate on their bags per example, 22%. nothing on the bags of these fertilisers are indicated. Can you perhaps advise me?

  22. Organic fertilizers DO NOT contain micro-nutrients unless the feed that the animals ate were fertilized with micro-nutrients. Most fodder (plants meant for animal food) is not. So the statement that “organic” fertilizers contain all those important minerals (which themselves are inorganic) is total falsehood.

    “Organic” farming produces runoff that causes algae blooms and “dead zones” in rivers, lakes and the ocean.

    Outdoor agriculture grown in dirt of any kind takes 70% of the fresh water used by humanity but does nothing to reduce agricultural water use (it simply can’t because the water drains out of the soil, just as with conventional agriculture). And “organic” farming takes place in the same places that “inorganic” farming does so the food is shipped thousands of miles to get to the table. New York in the winter months, for example, brings in all greens by airplane! Organic greens result in massive amounts of fossil fuel use.

    The future of agriculture is local and the only way to do that in most parts of the world is by growing inside greenhouses located in or close to the population centers where the produce will be consumed. Vertical Farms are sprouting up all over the world and that trend will accelerate each year as farmers learn that the higher yields and higher quality (and higher nutrition) crops grown grown in Vertical Farms are MORE PROFITABLE than organic growing, use up to 95% less water, less fertilizer is needed, no pesticides or herbicides are ever needed, and the non-food parts of plants can be turned into electricity and fed back to the grid as a source of additional income as well as helping to control temperatures inside the greenhouse or Vertical Farm.

  23. Clarification: By “Organic fertilizers” I meant manure and compost.

    A blanket statement such as the one made in the article is hugely misleading. It depends on what went into the compost and how long it has been allowed to turn into compost. Most “compost” bought in home centers and “big box stores” are not very old at all — you can tell by the number of twigs and pieces of wood.

    Compost that has been allowed to process for at least 2 years could reasonably be called humus. That is the best soil to grow in. But — again — it will only contain the nutrients that were put into the component materials.

    The article said a great truth — you will never know what minerals and micro-nutrients are in your manure or compost. So how can you rely on it to provide nutrition for your family? You have no idea what is in there and in what percentages.

  24. “However, if you could ask your plants the same question, you’d find out that at the most basic level, they really can’t tell the difference – nutrients are nutrients.”

    Yea right. Why don’t you ask the people in India who have doubled their rate of cancer after the introduction of chemical fertilizers if chemical and organic fertilizers are the same. We live in a world where every day we are forced to shove food down our throat that is laden with chemicals then have scientists debate and attribute cancer to an increase in a fatty diet. I’ve traveled the globe and when I look at American tomatoes I just laugh at how far we have really come from “real food” and understand why at least 1 in 4 American will develop cancer over the course of their lifetime. Leave our food supply alone and stop doing things that reiterate that other organisms besides humans in this world are the only things that matter.

  25. Some inorganic fertilizer was put in my raised beds 2-3 springs ago. How long does it take for the chemicals to leach out so I have my organic beds back?

  26. I have been applying synthetic pesticides for approximately 18 years and I totally disagree with the comments that synthetic fertilizer depletes trace elements or micro nutrients. I conduct a soil sample of every customers yard annually and some of the yards I’ve maintained with my lawn care program are going into there fifth year plus, and have yet to see a soil sample where trace elements and micro nutrients were depleted. Keep in mind, if a soil sample shows low percetages of any trace elements or micro nutrients, they will be applied accordingly. The biggest problem that I have seen in the last 20 years is the misuse of pesticides by homeowners and incompetent lawn care operators and owners. If synthetics are applied according to the label, equipment calibrated properly, and you have an experienced lawn care operator applying pesticides, you would not have all the problems this site claims synthetics are responsible for or towards the environment. Apparently, there are many on this site that have no idea what your local county, state and government are dumping in the ground or the millions of gallons of toxic, caustic, poisons that are being washed down the drain of every household in this country, in order to keep there homes clean and sanitized, quote, unquote.

  27. Here is the absolute truth to the organic process. I have a book that was written at the time when petroleum fertilizers were just starting to come around. The organic process is very simple. According to the book of organic v. inorganic is this. Microbes that live in the soil defecate. The acids form the microbes feces breaks down the micro tiny soil particles of calcium and potassium and other minerals so that the plant may now be able to absorb them. Farmers use mega amounts of manure to help in this process in addition to adding urea, (nitrogen). However, over time the soil particles will become as fine as dust and eventually the tiny mineral particles will be totally gone. The organic process still makes inorganic food for the plant. It’s a slower process. The so called petroleum fertilizer is immediately available to the plant. It’s fast food for the plant and not in any way toxic to the vegetable or fruit or you. So when you see organic labels in the market what it’s truly saying is preservation of the soil ecosystem and nothing else.
    The use of inorganic fertilizers over time will lock up the soil with salts, that is why it is a good idea to let the soil rest for a couple years to wash out the salts from the use of inorganic fertilizers. The salts are very acidic. High amounts of acidity will deplete proper amounts of certain nutrient uptake thus making the plant sick. Therefore, we must at times amend the soil with lime. Dolomite lime is almost effective immediately where other types of lime takes up to six months before it has an effect on the soils PH. So there you have it. Organic food only means without pesticides and preservation of the soil eco-system. I don’t believe the 1930’s book I received this information from is lying, in fact to a sensible person it sounds plausible. Happy Gardening! P.S. Sometimes I too cheat and add an inorganic fertilizer for emergencies.

  28. I totally agree that organic fertilizers are better. I have 110 acre farm in Wisconsin. The last 5 years i been doing organic composting on my farm and fired my commercial fertilizer co op.
    We have been doing are farm for 20 years. 5 years ago are soils were showing signs of deficiencies of nutrients. I blame the co op we hired for that. The reason why is because when he was applying the fertilizer in our fields he was putting NPK and no micronutrients or macronutrients in the soil. We discovered that the cost was extra for those products to be added to soil. When buying commercial or synthetic fertilizers make sure it has the extra nutrients added to it. Some of those fertilizers you buy do not have all the nutrients that plants require. It will say NPK on the bags but no other nutrients. What commercial or synthetic fertilizer companies are adding to their fertilizers is nothing but fillers like wax, plastics, wood particles, metals. and other things they can add for filler. Now are farm is nothing but organic compost as fertilizer.
    I notice some of people posting on here are buying organic fertilizers. You do not have to buy organic fertilizer when you can get it for FREE! On are 110 acre farm we do composting of leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, manure, food scraps, ashes from our fireplace and charcoal ash from our grill. Just about anything that we can make a compost pile out of. If you do not feel like wasting time composting you can go to your city recycling centers. Some of the city recycling centers have compost piles for the public to come take for FREE! All the nutrients that in your organic fertilizer you are buying is the same nutrients that is in compost piles. When you add the compost in your soil it also give soil structure and nutrients for your plants.
    I hope i stated this correctly for you to read and stop wasting your money buying fertilizer when you can get fertilizer for FREE!

  29. Whilst doing a project on which is best for elephants, I stumbled upon this article. It was rewarding to see the timeless debate.

    Thank you, this made my day. XD

  30. While wondering about which fertiliser I should use for my new Purple Rocket Gibraltar I happened to locate this article :- it helped me thoroughly and this year I shall be using organic fertilisers while doing my gardening. If you are going to use chemical fertilisers after reading this you are a MONSTER.

    Thank you,
    Janice.

  31. Thanks!!! for the information. I am working on a food sustainability project in the area I live in (Zimbabwe) and I needed information that clarifies the long term benefits of using manure (organic matter). It is a cost effective way of growing food since we have the ability to make our own compost. Unfortunately composting is not too popular and yields from fields have been depleting over the years, mainly due to lack of money for adequate inputs (using the synthetic fertilizers). I believe spread of such important knowledge might result in a sustainable alternative for feeding plants and coming up with really good yields and overly eradicating extreme poverty. Thank you once again.

  32. I have been totally Organic for 7+ years. I have followed Howard Garrett for years. For those concerned about Climate change, goole synthetic fertilizers and CO2 rise correlation. Lost of studies over the last 20 years. The rise in CO2 can be directly attributed to the use of synthetics.
    Of course, the rise of better farming and mega farming, has resulted in feeding the world and less starvation using synthetics.

  33. Well, for just going back from the past our ancestors have lived in hundred years like Abraham, Seth many others unlike today in the age of 40 and above we are now prone to any high risk of diseases like heart attacks, attritis and many others. So what do you think is the reason for this? Because of the food we take where in it ate an inorganic fertilizer/chemical. The inorganic fertilizer on the food we it is killing us softly and slowly. If you also observe the quality of the vegetable or fruits that was sprayed with organic it is more sweeter and easy to cook. As an Agri-organic farming student, its better to ferment, decompost or make your organic fertilizers .

  34. I practically noob in farming and i doing self learning maybe this is out of the box question to the topic but i kinda wondering using both will it damage the soil or destroy the plant. Just to find solution that problem in fertilizer. Do you have idea or solution for that lack in each fertilizer

  35. The key is soil health and that comes from good composting. It takes time but you end up with healthier soil. Chemicals short-circuit the process and often cause problems in waterways. Groomed lawns are just a really bad idea, don’t do it.

  36. We have to be realistic in this time in history. Organic fertilizers and organic gardening will not sustain our population. We have to plant crops that will provide enough food for our population. Farmers need to plant cover crops to put back organic material in the fields and use all means of soil conservation. We need to use organic and commercial fertilizers together to survive.

  37. This very important we must use natural composite if we are to conserve the nature.Am trying it and it is working . improvement in the soil structure change of soil coour shows its working

  38. Great reading this article. Our team is in Cambodia and we are propagating what is known as the System of Rice Intensification. The farmers who join this program have to commit themselves not to use chemical fertilizers but to make their own compost. They have already experienced a great increase in their harvest and report that the rice is actually tastier than before. Thank you again.

  39. My question is that since chemical fertilizers are as well good, how long do they have go be in the plants before harvest. Also, in my home town I discovered they don’t allow the fertilizer to stay in the crops for a little while before harvest instead they just wait for the slightest change which when consumed can lead to immediate diarrhea. How can this diarrhea be prevented after eating these crops?

  40. we use chemical fertilizers at our farm for the first 4 months of the crops growing and chemical fertilizers aren’t bad because we are other chemicals to even the soil out and we also have a great crop with this fertilizer with no till as well so organic is not the best fertilizer out there is i would suggest doing more research other than read to make a decision about fertilzers

  41. AS I understand,chemical fertilizers are harmful IN THE LONG RUN, Hence, as soil can be changed frequently in growbags would it be to use chemical fertiliser in grow bag farming.?

  42. hello! I am working on a research essay and want to cite my sources. Does anyone know who specifically wrote this article? Thank you very much for your help in advance. This article gave me just the information I was searching for!

  43. Hi Steph just a quick question I have 3 i want to kill should i force feed them organic or synthetic fertiziler please rsepond really urgent.

  44. BA Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
    Personally I never fertilize the yard because it makes the grass grow faster, which means more MOWING!

    Use mowed grass to make organic fertilizers and sell to organic farmer at your local place.

  45. Organic fertilizer is the best but inorganic fertilizer can be become more better with follow appropriate using methods.
    Thanks for sharing information on organic and inorganic fertilizer.

  46. Thanks for helping me understand what organic fertilizers are. My uncle is thinking of starting a farm and he’s trying to understand more about organic fertilizers. The idea of using a sustainable form of nutrients for plants is very interesting!!!

  47. I am using Espoma fertilizer on my lawn and on the bag it say’s Ammoniacal (0.2%), Soluble (6.9%), Urea (4.5%) and Insoluble ( 3.4%). Can you tell me if the Insoluble N is coated Synthetic or Organic? Your blog is a fabulous source of info on lawn and garden care.

  48. Many chicken producers are injecting a lot of antibiotics into these fowls. Don’ you think that these chemicals are carried on into their manure? How then poultry manure would be organic?

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