Best Fertilizer For Vegetable Garden – It’s not a simple task finding the best fertilizer for vegetable garden. Plant food alone is good, but when you’re looking to cultivate an all natural, organic garden, be cautious of certain ingredients in your plant food, since these ingredients may be harmful pesticides which have been intentionally sneaked in to kill certain insects, even those that assist in pollinating your crops. Organic fertilizers are non-toxic, however they’re absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. Therefore, you must wash your hands thoroughly after applying any type of fertilizers. Avoiding contact with the eyes and nose is also recommended.
As the saying goes, “you are what you eat” – well, vegetables are no exception to this rule. The elements in your soil are what feed and fuel your garden’s plants; these elements include potassium, sulfur, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. These elements are vital nutrients that are essential for every plant, so they must be in sufficient quantities in order for the plants to flourish. However, some of these elements tend to be lost in the soil as it decays over the course of time, which is why you will need to supplement these elements in your garden.
There are various sources from which you can obtain the necessary nutrients that plants need during their growing season. One method is to use either a natural or artificial feeder. Flower gardens typically utilize a natural feeder system consisting of a raised bed designed with beds stacked one above the other. This type of feeder has to be emptied on a regular basis, which is why it is imperative that you refill the feeder before the plants start to bloom.
Another popular source of natural nutrients is your own kitchen or backyard compost. Compost consists of dead leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peelings, and other natural matter which is rich in nitrogen. Because nitrogen is necessary for all plants, it is imperative that you add extra amounts of nitrogen to your garden as soon as you collect any type of material. This is especially true if you have a vegetable garden since most plants die off when the soil is deprived of nitrogen.
Many commercial fertilizers on the market contain a variety of synthetic elements. These synthetic ingredients are cheaper to purchase than natural fertilizers and the manufacturer is able to save money by including them in larger quantities. Unfortunately, this does not mean that these fertilizers are better for your garden. Synthetic elements do nothing to improve the quality of the soil, but they do supply your plants with additional amounts of nutrients. These fertilizers also make it harder for plants to absorb the necessary amounts of these beneficial elements which will ultimately affect your garden’s overall health.
The most beneficial type of fertilizer is one that is organic and contains a wide variety of plant-based ingredients. This type of formula will provide the most nutrients to your plants while being easier on your wallet. For example, a quick look at the ingredients should reveal that manure, a by-product of animal husbandry, is a rich, well-rounded ingredient. Similarly, manure is commonly used as a soil conditioner, giving it the added benefit of being a natural bug repellant. Using this compound as a fertilizer can help maintain a healthy root system and improve the texture and health of the soil.
Plants do require a certain amount of phosphorous in order to grow properly. Plants which are fed through a plant food, such as pellets, need a higher level of phosphorous in order to thrive. The two ingredients which are key to making phosphorous work its magic on your plants are potassium and nitrogen. Potassium is helpful in improving the growth and development of both plant roots and plant life and nitrogen is essential in providing the necessary elements for plants to absorb phosphorus. Combining these two key elements together as a fertilizer can improve plant growth and allow your plants to become stronger and healthier.
If you would like to know more about how to fertilize your garden with a nutrient-rich blend, check out the links below. In particular, find out how to prevent the formation of deadly weed seeds by learning the pros and cons of side-dressing versus foliar feeding. Finally, learn what your best choices are for maximizing your plant’s health with organic mulches.
