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Worm Bin Composting
Mini-Course
Packed with all the
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to be successful with your first worm bin.
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Organic vs. Chemical
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Examples of naturally occurring
organic fertilizers include manure, slurry, worm castings, urine,
peat, seaweed and guano. Green manure crops are also grown to add
nutrients to the soil. Some examples of a winter cover of
green manure crops are: winter rye, field peas, ryegrass, crimson
clover, and hairy vetch. These have the benefit of protecting
your soil from wind and rain erosion and adding valuable organic
matter and humus to the soil for the spring. Naturally
occurring minerals such as mine rock phosphate, sulfate of potash
and limestone are also considered Organic Fertilizers.
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Examples of manufactured organic
fertilizers include compost, dried blood, bone meal and seaweed
extracts. Other examples are natural enzyme digested proteins, fish
meal, and feather meal. read more
The decomposing crop residue from
prior years is another source of fertility. Though not strictly
considered "fertilizer", the distinction seems more a matter of
semantics. Nutrients, organic matter and humus from decomposition
of crop residue and green manure crops all play a part in adding
fertility back to your soil and feeding the microorganisms that are all
a part of a healthy soil.
Some ambiguity in the usage of the term 'organic' exists because some of
synthetic fertilizers, such as urea and urea formaldehyde, are fully
organic in the sense of organic chemistry. In fact, it would be
difficult to chemically distinguish between urea of biological origin
and that produced synthetically. On the other hand, some fertilizer
materials commonly approved for organic agriculture, such as powdered
limestone, mined "rock phosphate" and Chilean saltpeter, are inorganic
in the use of the term by chemistry.
Although the amount of nutrients in organic material is low when
compared to many synthetic fertilizers, they have some advantages. For
one thing organic growers typically produce some or all of their
fertilizer on-site, thus lowering operating costs considerably. How
effective they are at promoting plant growth, chemical soil test results
aside, is encouraging, especially when you consider the impact on the
overall health of the environment. Since the majority of nitrogen
supplying organic fertilizers contain insoluble nitrogen and are slow
release fertilizers their effectiveness can be greater than conventional
nitrogen fertilizers with less leaching of excess nitrogen.
Modern theories of organic agriculture re-emphasize the role of humus
and other organic components of soil, which are believed to play several
important roles:
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Mobilizing existing soil
nutrients, so that good growth is achieved with lower nutrient
densities while wasting less
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Releasing nutrients at a slower,
more consistent rate, helping to avoid a boom-and-bust pattern
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Helping to retain soil moisture,
reducing the stress due to temporary moisture stress
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Improving the soil structure
Organics also have the advantage of
avoiding certain long-term problems associated with the regular heavy
use of artificial fertilizers:
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the possibility of "burning"
plants with the concentrated chemicals (i.e. an over supply of some
nutrients)
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the progressive decrease of real
or perceived "soil health", apparent in loss of structure, reduced
ability to absorb precipitation, lightening of soil color, etc.
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the necessity of reapplying
artificial fertilizers regularly (and perhaps in increasing
quantities) to maintain fertility
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the cost (substantial and rising
in recent years) and resulting lack of independence
Organic fertilizers also have their
disadvantages:
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As acknowledged above, they are
typically a dilute source of nutrients compared to inorganic
fertilizers, and where significant amounts of nutrients are required
for profitable yields, very large amounts of organic fertilizers
must be applied. This results in prohibitive transportation and
application costs, especially where the agriculture is practiced a
long distance from the source of the organic fertilizer. One of best
organic fertilizer with many nutrients is Vermi compost fertilizer.
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The composition of organic
fertilizers tends to be highly variable, so that accurate
application of nutrients to match plant production is difficult.
Hence, large-scale agriculture tends to rely on inorganic
fertilizers while organic fertilizers are cost-effective on
small-scale horticultural or domestic gardens.
In practice a compromise between the
use of artificial and organic fertilizers is common, typically by using
inorganic fertilizers supplemented with the application of organics that
are readily available such as the return of crop residues or the
application of manure.
It is important to differentiate between what we mean by organic
fertilizers and fertilizers approved for use in organic farming and
organic gardening by organizations and authorities who provide organic
certification services. Some approved fertilizers may be inorganic,
naturally occurring chemical compounds, e.g. minerals..
It is also important to realize that
while the effort required to maintain a healthy soil where intense
growing is continual can be a challenge, the effort will pay off in the
long run by producing healthier crops and leaving behind a healthier
environment.
Gardening Action!
Spring is time for ACTION!
Starting early will help you stay ahead of pest and disease problems.
Wouldn't it be great if you could avoid all the pest and disease problems this
summer that you have struggled with in the past? To be able to skip the sprays
and dusts and the potentially hazardous exposure to your family and pets? Well
you can reduce if not eliminate these problems, and now's the time—when you're
prepping and planting—to make it happen.
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Start Healthy
Healthy plants resist infestation, but a sickly, stressed plant will be an open
invitation to pests and disease. As a gardener, your job is to provide ideal
growing conditions, so the plants in your garden grow strong.
Organic gardeners know that the time to add soil enhancing organic amendments
is in the Fall. This allows ol' man winter the opportunity to break down and
release the essential ingredients needed for a healthy soil. If you weren't able
to get your amendments added in the fall, consider trying to get a good early
cover crop in. Or find a good quality compost with an organic fertilizer for
your spring amendment. Take the time to loosen the soil with a garden fork down
to about 12 inches deep. Doing this will open up channels for air and moisture,
and make it much easier for roots to penetrate the soil.
read more...
Enjoy Creating and Growing a Sustainable Garden While Feeding Your Family
A sustainable garden means one that can be sustained over time, and would necessarily involve I) growing food you want to eat, so you are motivated to continue growing, II) growing economically, so that it is worthwhile doing, as well as III) taking care of environmental issues, so that the ground will continue to support growing.
read
more...
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