Soil Additive Series, part 1: Fertilizer

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Published by admin on December 5, 2011 at 1:37 pm. Filed under General

I’ve decided to write a series of blog articles about various soil additives and amendments, to define each type, discuss the differences between them and talk about how each one benefits the soil. I will be posting them over the next few months so stay tuned to get the latest installment! I will define and discuss Fertilizer, Compost, Soil Amendments, Soil conditioners, Alaskan Humus, Worm Castings and Compost tea! If you have a comment or question about any of these soil supplements, please feel free to leave a comment below!

Part 1: Fertilizer.

What is it, how do you use it and what are the best kinds?

Organic fertilizers are about plant food: specifically giving nutrients directly to plants. There are usually no other active ingredients in fertilizers, other than direct nutrients that are physically immediately available to plants. Other additives build the soil, feed microbes or release slowing but fertilizer generally does not. Fertilizer is quick plant food. It’s a great way to boost growth and enhance yield. However, it is not the most sustainable method for a healthy garden, which is why we add in other components, to round things out.