Organic-Fertilizer.info - Why Choose Organic Fertilizers?</table> <meta name="description" content="An explanation of why organic fertilizers are a better choice than chemicals."> <meta name="keywords" content="Organic Fertilizer, Fertilizer, Synthetic Fertilizer"> </head> <body> <center> <h1>Why Choose Organic Fertilizers?</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> There are sound philosophical and environmental reasons for using organic fertilizers over chemical fertilizers, but many smart gardeners choose organic fertilizers simply because they know that its the best choice for the long-term health of their soil. <p> Both chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizers can be used to deliver potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other trace elements, which are the nutrients that plants need to grow and be healthy. However, an important difference is that chemical fertilizers tend to be concentrated and quick acting, while organic fertilizers release their nutrients more slowly. Thus, the application of chemical fertilizer can be a much bigger shock to the soil than the application of organics. And that's where the problem lies. <p> Remember, good soil is more than lifeless dirt. A cubic foot of good soil is a home to millions of microscopic fungi, bacteria, microbes and tiny invertebrate animals. These living things thrive on the organic matter present in the soil, and in doing so provide great benefits. They aerate the soil, breaking up hardpan and providing room for water to circulate. They release nitrogen that would otherwise be inaccessible to the roots of garden plants. And when they die, the remains of these "microbial fertilizers" provide organic matter which will be host to the next generation of soil micro-organisms. A healthy, thriving ecosystem within your soil is therefor about the best thing you can have in your garden. <p> Like all ecosystems, the soil can be very vulnerable to shocks from the outside - such as the quick release of chemicals from a chemical fertilizer. We've all heard how a heavy application of fertilizer can "burn" young plant roots by dessicating them with chemical salts. Well, these chemical salts can be equally toxic to the micro-organisms in your soil, and it doesn't take a lot to do damage. <p> You might not even notice the damage at first. That tomato plant you are fertilizing might be big and tough enough to absorb the rush of phosphate that comes with an application of a chemical fertilizer - but the microbes in your soil will be overwhelmed. By applying quick-releasing chemical fertilizers, you can easily end up killing off the natural, microbial fertilizers in your soil, making your garden less productive in the long run than had you not added fertilizers at all. Synthetic fertilizers might make this years tomatoes a little bigger. But next years tomatoes will suffer for it. <p> Your garden and your soil need a balance of nutrients, delivered slowly over time, rather than all at once. The advantages of organic fertilizers that are less concentrated and release their nutrients more slowly than chemical fertilizers is therefore evident. Organic fertilizers won't shock your garden out of its natural balance, like chemicals will. Organic fertilizers allow the microbes in your soil to survive and prosper, and to provide their own natural fertilizing action that is essential to the health of your garden. <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>