Chemical Fertilizer vs Organic Fertilizer

organic fertilizer versus chemical fertilizer

The debate between the Chemical Fertilizer vs Organic Fertilizer and types of fertilizing continues on blogs and gardening forums everywhere.

There are very good reasons for each fertilizer. The matter boils down to personal goals and preferences. Those that want simplicity often don't care to use many of the homemade organic concoction, they just want to spread a few pellets and be done with the process.Chemical Fertilizer

Most chemical fertilizers, such as Miracle Grow, have a specific formula of ingredients designed for the type of plant they fertilize. Some fertilizers only contain the big three, NPK, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These are the basic three nutrients necessary for plant growth and production. The elements are readily available to plants and deliver rapidly. This is because upon contact with water, the nutrients, such as nitrogen dissolve to their basic form and don't need microbes to break them down to the usable form.

While the rapid delivery system is good, it also has its downfall. Unless you purchase chemical fertilizer designed for slow release, you may burn the roots of the plant with too much of a good thing. If you don't burn the roots, often the chemicals release into the soil rapidly and much of the nutritional value is washed away out of the reach of the plant's root system and into the ground water.

This brings up another important point of chemical Fertilizer vs Organic Fertilizer ,when speaking of chemical fertilizers. Many of the fertilizers contain inert materials used as fillers. Since most of the fertilizers show the amount of NPK on the package, often in the 30 percent range, the rest is filler. The filler is chemicals and ingredients designed to keep the NPK stable while waiting for application. Some of the inert ingredients are toxic chemicals. These absorb into the plant and if washed away, may leach into the ground water system.

Organic Fertilizers

These ingredients for organic fertilizer are only from plant and animal material. They're normally found in most healthy soils. Since they are organic and found in most soils, any fertilizer that enters the ground water doesn't contain the same potential for a toxic contamination.

These fertilizers break down slower and have fewer of the primary ingredients NPK, but they also contain other nutrients necessary for healthy plants and rich soil. You can use them without worrying about burning plant roots as long as they're aged properly, such as manures.

The organic fertilizers ingredients require microbes to break down the ingredients. This is both good and bad. The bad part is the speed of release. The good part is the increase of microbes in the soil. The more materials available to feed these little fellows, the more of the microbes you have and consequently the more nutrition the plant receives.

One thing you must know when choosing between Chemical Fertilizer vs Organic Fertilizer,the organic fertilizer doesn't stress the plants. Your soil needs organic materials so plants don't stress from too many effects of chemical fertilizers delivered too rapidly. Once a plant stresses, it's susceptible to damage from diseases and pests.

Since the basis for all life is carbon, organic materials all contain carbon. This is one required element not often found in traditional chemical fertilizers.

What to Use

Incredibly poor soils will benefit from a mixture of the two types of fertilizers. If you need immediate release, run don't walk to the nearest store for chemical fertilizers. Read all the ingredients before you buy. Some companies make several types of fertilizers. Miracle-Gro, for instance, has several fertilizers, some organic and some chemical.

If you want to grow strictly organic, then the choice between chemical Fertilizer vs Organic Fertilizer is simple, no chemical fertilizer. Some people believe, correctly by the way, that the toxic elements in the soil is absorbed by the plants and show up in the food on the table. A study that compared fruits and vegetables found that chemicals and pesticides found in, not on, the fruits and vegetables at your grocery increased dramatically since the 1970's.

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