Organic soil care : Organic fertilisers - Plant based products
Introduction
Composted plant wastes and manures, and green manures, are the main ways of adding plant foods to the soil. Organic fertilizers are only used where a soil or plant deficiency occurs which cannot be remedied otherwise - or where you are unable to make or obtain sufficient quantities of bulky organic materials.
Fertilisers suitable for use in an organic garden are of plant, animal or mineral origin. Most of them are waste products. The action of soil living creatures, or the weather, makes their nutrients available to plants, in a 'slow release' way. The mining and/or shipping of some of these products can have an adverse environmental impact, so think carefully before use.
Choose a product with a recognised organic symbol as first choice
Guidelines
Acceptable organic practice
From the garden
- Wood ash, from wood not chemically treated after felling, recycled through a compost heap.
Acceptable, but not for regular use
Commercial products
- Dried seaweed meal - from sustainable sources
- Fertilisers based on plant waste products and extracts - such as kali vinasse, lucerne, comfrey, cocoa shells.
See also:
- The Garden Organic guidelines on Liquid feeds
Members' Comments
Add your comments
Garden Organic reserve the right to edit your comments, and not all comments will necessarily be published.
Your comments may be used in any Garden Organic website or publication.
Bookmark this page on:
StumbleUpon
|
Delicious
|
Reddit
|
Digg
|
Facebook
Top of page | Home | Privacy | Contact | Advertise | Support us
Garden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
We are not responsible for the content of external web sites.
