The Debate On Chemical vs Organic Fertilizers
Bill Watson
Fertilizers - Pro's and Con's
The following is in no way intended to be the last word on the
chemical-vs-organic debate, but rather a basic outline
describing the pros and cons of each.
If you were to ask 100 people for their opinions on this
subject, you might well receive a hundred different points of
view.
In my humble opinion, if used properly, both chemical and
organic fertilizers can be safe. However, if used improperly,
both can be, without question, unsafe.
Chemical Fertilizers
In very basic and general terms, a chemical fertilizer is a
compound (collection of ingredients) that has been chemically
processed or refined to increase its potency.
The introduction of chemical fertilizers in the early to mid
20th century is in many ways responsible for the massive
increase in food an individual farmer can produce.
The main problem is the result of applying too much or an
over-application of this class of fertilizers. Any plant
(wheat, corn, etc.), can only use so much food during its
growth cycle.
What’s left over tends to travel into groundwater, streams,
lakes and the ocean, due to rain or irrigation. This pollutes
the natural environment and has caused a great number of
problems.
More recently most farmers and fertilizer manufacturers are
well aware of these problems and work hard to use this class of
fertilizers responsibly.
The home gardener needs to be aware and use any chemical in a
responsible manner as well. This is one instance where “too
little” is much better than “too much.”
Organic Fertilizers
The organic class of fertilizers (again, in very basic terms)
tends to be less refined and involve little or no chemical
processing. Also, the natural environment tends to have an
easier time of breaking down and absorbing them. However, a few
types can and do pollute ground water and other water systems.
Animal manure (cow, chicken) can cause many problems if used
improperly. Manure is a highly concentrated source of nitrogen,
which is easily released when exposed to rain or other forms of
irrigation.
Excess nitrogen and phosphorous have proven to be major
problems when released into our waterways and other water
sources.
One benefit of using an organic "fert" is an increase in the
biological activities in the soil.
Micro-organism's within the soil help plants convert nutrients
into food and help to break down old plant material which adds
to the over all health of the soil and garden. Chemical
products in general do not offer this benefit which is one of
the complaints from the proponents of organic style gardening.
Chemical fert's have been popular for a long time, though
because of over-application have caused many problems. However,
if used correctly, they have also proven to be beneficial and
safe for food crop production.
With the rise in popularity of organic style gardening there is
a risk of misusing this class of fertilizer as well. To say that
an organic product is completely safe and leave it at that is to
not really understand the question of fertilizers in general.
I strongly recommend learning more about the chemical vs
organic issue, and deciding for yourself which type is best
suited for your needs.
For more information on both organic and chemical fertilizers,
please visit:
The International Fertilizer Industry Association at:
http://www.fertilizer.org
The University of Arizona at:
http://www.ag.arizona.edu/gardening///fertilizer.html
A Word on Plant Nutrients
Most garden centers will have a huge array of fertilizers to
choose from and all will have numbers on the packaging such as
4-10-5 or 15-15-15.
A very simple and accurate way to understand the meaning of
those numbers is to remember, leaf-flower-root.
For example, a 4-10-5 fertilizer indicates good leaves –
big/many flowers or fruit – good roots. 4-10-5 =
leaf-flower-root.
Think of “10” as being the middle ground on a scale of one to
twenty, one being the lowest, 20 being the highest. A set of
equal numbers such as 10-10-10 or 5-5-5 indicates an
all-purpose plant food and as the name implies should work well
with most plants.
Always follow the directions for application of any gardening
product and remember that too much fertilizer can ultimately
burn part or all of your plants.
Tip: Length times Width will provide your total square footage
for a planting bed. Example: 10 feet x 3 feet = 30 square feet.
Most garden centers or nurseries will be happy to answer any
questions you may have and will assist you in obtaining the
right type and amount of fertilizer or other garden additives.
Good Luck and Happy Gardening!
About The Author: With over 20 years of gardening and
landscaping experience, Bill now shares his tips and advice on
creating and maintaining lush and healthy home gardens. Visit
his website at
http://www.your-healthy-gardens.com
See Also:
All About Organic Gardening
Index of Gardens & Gardening
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