Organic-Fertilizer.info - Organic Fertilizers and Their Properties</table> <meta name="description" content="A list of commonly used organic fertilizers with descriptions of thier properties"> <meta name="keywords" content="Organic Fertilizer, Fertilizer, Meal, Guano, Compost, Manure"> </head> <body> <center> <h1>List of Organic Fertilizers and Their Properties </h1> <table width="800"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"> <a href="http://organic-fertilizer.info">Organic Fertilizer Home<a><p> <a href="organic-fertilizer.php">Why Choose Organic Fertilizers?<a><p> <a href="nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium.php">An Introduction to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium</a><p> <a href="organic-fertilizer-list.php">A List of Commonly Used Organic Fertilizers</a><p> <a href="organic-fertilizer-recipes.php">Recipes for Organic Fertilizer Mixes</a><p> <a href="organic-gardening-news.php">Organic Gardening News</a><p> </td> <td> Below is an alphabetical list describing some of the more commonly used organic fertilizers. N-P-K percentages, when given, are approximate. <p> <b>Alfalfa Meal (3-2-2)</b><br> Alfalfa meal is made from the crop famous as a "green manure", and it provides a quick release of all 3 major nutrients, as well as the plant growth regulator hormone, Triacontanol. As alfalfa meal tends to ferment quickly, it can provide a great boost to the microbial population in soil or compost. Roses love it. <p> <b>Bat Guano</b><br> Bat guano - the droppings of bats, collected from caves, can come in both high phosphorus and high nitrogen mixes. Bat guano also contains a wide array of trace elements. It can be applied in granular form, or dissolved in water and applied as a liquid. The dissolved form is often used in hydroponics. <p> <b>Blood Meal (12-1-1)</b><br> Blood meal - dried animal blood - is rich in nitrogen, and can be broken down quickly by soil bacteria for quick delivery of nitrogen to plants. Mixed with water, it can be used as a liquid fertilizer. It can also be mixed with compost materials to accelerate the composting process. Vegetables such as corn and lettuce respond well to blood meal. <p> <b>Bone Meal (1-13-1)</b><br> Bone meal is high in phosphorus, and also contains calcium and trace minerals. Bone meal releases nutrients very slowly, and is therfore quite safe to use on young plants and in sensitive soils. Bone meal is an excellent fertilizer for bulb plantings, and also useful in reducing transplant shock. <p> <b>Compost</b><br> Compost is often the most available organic fertilizer to home gardeners, and is a pillar for maintaining healthy, rich soil. Compost is very high in organic matter and is host to a wide variety just the kind of micro-organisms that you want living in your soil. <p> <b>Compost Tea</b><br> Compost tea is a liquid derived by steeping compost in water, together with molasses. Air is blown through the solution to keep it agitated and oxygenated. In this environment, the beneficial bacteria and microbes from the compost multiply as they feed on the molasses. The resulting brew is nothing less than a living micro-biotic concoction, which can be used to boost the bio-activity of soils, or sprayed directly onto plant leaves where it can help fight disease. <p> <b>Cotton Seed Meal (6-1-1)</b><br> Cotton seed meal is made from ground cotton seeds, and is high in nitrogen. Unlike blood meal, it breaks down slowly and releases its nitrogen over time. Cotton seed meal is very acidic, so it may need to be applied with lime to neutralize the pH. <p> <b>Crab Meal (5-2-0.5)</b><br> Crab meal is a byproduct of the crab meat industry. After crabs are harvested and picked for meat, their shells and other remains are kiln-dried and pulverized into a beige meal. Crab meal provides slow release nitrogen, as well as excellent food for micro-organisms. <p> <b>Epsom Salt</b><br> Epsom salt is used to relieve a magnesium deficiency in soil, and is a common ingredient in organic fertilizer mixes. <p> <b>Feather Meal (12-0-0)</b><br> Feather meal provides a very slow release of nitrogen, and is often used in organic fertilizer mixes to provide a "slow release" nitrogen element that will last a while. <p> <b>Fish Meal or Fish Emulsion (8-12-2)</b><br> A fast-acting source of nitrogen and phosphorus, fish meal is a solid form, while fish emulsion is a liquid that can be drenched over plants. The odor of fish emulsion tends to dissipate, while the smell from fish meal might stick around longer - best to bury it under a layer of soil or compost. <p> <b>Granite Meal</b><br> Powdered granite can provide slow-release potassium and trace elements to soil with minimal effect on pH. <p> <b>Greensand (0-1-8)</b><br> A soil conditioning, moisture absorbing sand that contains potassium. Often used in potting mixes. <p> <b>Gypsum</b><br> Provides calcium and sulphur. It has been shown to be effective in fighting lawn pests such as grubs. <p> <b>Kelp Meal (1-0-2)</b><br> Kelp meal is an excellent source of potassium and trace elements, and if processed correctly may contain biologically active plant growth hormones. It is often added to organic fertilizer mixes - frequently in conjunction with fish meal. <p> <b>Manure</b><br> Horse or cow manure can be an excellent source of organic matter for your soil, though it may contain seeds and can be high in salt. It is recommended that the manure be composted prior to application if applied during the spring and summer. Fresh manure can be applied in the fall or in the winter, as long as it has enough time to mellow out prior to planting. Chicken manure is very high in nitrates, and needs to be fully composted prior to any application, or it will burn the plants and soil. <p> <b>Peat Moss</b><br> Peat moss is an excellent soil conditioner because it absorbs copious amounts of water, making it excellent for moisture retention and creating good soil structure. Though it has no nutrient value of its own, it has excellent nutrient retention properties and prevents nutrients from leaching into the soil. <p> <b>Phosphate Rock</b><br> Rock phosphate provides very slow release of phosphorus that does not burn roots. Useful in transplanting and soil conditioning. <p> <b>Snow</b><br> Snow - that white, cold stuff that falls from the sky in winter - is high in nitrogen. Farmers in New England have been known to till it into the soil so the nitrogen doesn't simply flow away with the melt-water. <p> <b>Wood Ash</b><br> Ordinary wood ash is an excellent source of potassium, but it must be used lightly because it is very alkaline and will also burn the soil if used in too great a concentration. It can either be spread across a lawn or garden, or added to a compost heap. <p> <b>Worm Castings</b><br> Worm castings are essentially worm manure; they are what worms "cast" after they eat organic material in the soil. Worm castings are an excellent soil conditioner and a source of nitrogen. The best way to get worm castings is to have worms living in your soil. The next best way to raise worms - feed them newspaper and table scraps and they will provide a steady supply of castings. Castings may also be bought commercially. <p> - <a href="mailto:spike2131@hotmail.com">Bobby Williams</a> </td> <td width="180" align="center" valign="top"> <script type="text/javascript"> google_ad_client = "pub-1266148779782625"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; google_ad_channel =""; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "000000"; google_color_url = "336699"; google_color_text = "000000"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>