Fertilizers are nutrients packaged so that we can deliver those nutrients to plants to help them grow. Fertilizers contain the three major nutrients required for plant growth: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or better known as N-P-K. Nitrogen provides plants with the ability to produce chlorophyll, which helps with overall size and vigor of above-ground growth. Phosphorus aids in root, fruit and flower development. Potassium has many functions: it helps with root growth, guards against disease and aids in drought protection and cold tolerance.
What is organic fertilizer?
Organic fertilizers are derived from the remains or by-product of an organism. Examples include manure, cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and bat guano. Organic fertilizers can have all three nutrients in low levels, or one nutrient in a higher level. Blood meal is high in nitrogen, where bone meal is high in phosphorus, but both contain all three nutrients.
What is chemical fertilizer?
Chemical fertilizers are created in a lab from chemicals that are found in nature but are usually bound up in rock or in an organic form with other elements. Ammonia, ammonium, ammonium sulphate, nitrates, urea, calcium phosphate are some of these elements. Chemical fertilizers contain filler for ease of spreading but this filler does nothing to help your soil. A number of chemical fertilizers have high acid content which can result in the destruction of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the microorganism that play a key role in supplying a growing plant's nitrogen needs.
Benefits and drawbacks
Chemical fertilizers kill the microorganisms in the soil. It is one of the advantages of organic fertilizers that they boost microbial activity. If plants are fertilized with organic nitrogen, many trace minerals are added, carbon is added, and the soil food web is stimulated in many ways not inherent to the addition of chemical fertilizers. On the other hand, organic fertilizers may take more time to release the nutrients as they need some microbial activity to get them working. Chemical fertilizers instantly release the essential nutrients into the soil.The slow release of nutrients from organic fertilizers means there's less risk of over-fertilization, however, this might also mean that if there is immediate need of a supply of nutrients, organic fertilizers won't be able to provide that needed supply.
Fertilizer for Lawns
Look for organic fertilizers or at least 70% slow release elements in a 3-1-2 ratio of N-P-K. The ratios are usually listed on the label in multiples of this formula such as 9-3-6 or 15-5-10. Organic and slow release formulas may be more expensive than quick release types but well worth the extra cost as they last longer. They are not as water-soluble as other types of lawn fertilizers and feed your lawn more evenly lasting longer without running off as easily. They will encourage deep root growth and help prevent thatch build up. What's also nice is that with organic fertilizers is it is very difficult to burn or over feed you turf.
Some of the fertilizer brands to look for at your favorite nursery or garden store are: Dr. Earth, Garden Grow, Ringer Lawn Restore, Walt's Organic, and Whitney Farms. The best time to fertilize lawns in the Seattle area is mid to late May and early September. For more information see Natural Lawn Care guide at http://www.savingwater.org/docs/natlawncare.pdf.
If you would like, an easy way to determine how much fertilizer to use on your lawn you can check out Ciscoe Morris's web page for a fertilizer calculator. http://www.ciscoe.com/garden/lawns/index.html This makes the equation fast and easy.
Vegetables
Vegetable gardens should have a high humus content and contain 4-10% organic matter. Compost is great for building organic matter. In the Pacific Northwest, soils are usually low in organic matter and therefore nitrogen, as well as phosphorus and calcium. Fertilizers will provide missing nutrients and build long term reserves. New gardens should use a fertilizer that contains balanced nutrients. Your soil should be tested to determine the soil's specific needs, see http://www.kingcd.org/pub_soil.htm for more information.
Vegetable fertilizer guide from WSU Spokane Extension:
http://www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/Spokane/eastside/Fact%20Sheets/C141%20Vegetable%20Fertilizer%20Guide%2005.pdf
Chemical Fertilizer Disposal
Generally, fertilizers are not considered to be hazardous waste and can be disposed of with your garbage. However, check to make sure your fertilizer does not contain pesticides or garden fungicides, which must be disposed of at Hazardous Waste sites. There are many combination fertilizer/pesticide products available and it is best to treat them as hazardous waste. For more information on what qualifies as hazardous waste and where to dispose of it, check this website http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/ or call 206-296-4692.
For more information about gardening and resource conservation please contact the Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224 or access us via our website at www.gardenhotline.org
Website: www.gardenhotline.org
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