Tag Archives: Organic Fertilizer

 Nurturing Your Plants

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By: Sherri Morgan
Garden club members participated in this discussion by stating which plants they fertilize in their own gardens, among those named were:  Annual Vegetables, Flowering Shrubs, such as roses and rhododendrons, Lawns, Perennials (especially when first planted and after division), Fruit Trees and Container Plants.

The Big “3” Explained
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, (NPK) are the “Big 3” primary nutrients in commercial fertilizers.  These numbers indicate the percentages of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium by weight in the package.  A mnemonic for remembering what each element contributes to plant health is:

UP (N) Nitrogen –  Nitrogen is considered to be the most important nutrient as it promotes leaf growth and color, plus it is essential in the formation of protein.

DOWN (P) Phosphorus  – Phosphorus promotes root growth, and when in the form of Phosphoric acid, it helps plants set flower buds.  Phosphorus also helps plants with the process of photosynthesis as well as storing energy.

ALL AROUND (K) Potassium – Potassium strengthens a plant’s ability to resist diseases. It helps produce sturdy stems, strong roots, and promotes growth.

There are many different types of fertilizers, both organic, non-organic:  Bulb Food, Orchid Food, Acid Fertilizers, and Balanced Fertilizers, to name a few.  Each package has its own instructions explaining which plants benefit from that particular fertilizer, and includes how much to apply and how often. Sherri empathized, “Read the label; follow the directions for amount and frequency; more is not better!”

Plants do not always need “feeding” every year, it depends on your soil and its health. For instance, clay soil holds on the nutrients better than decompose granite. A good system for fertilizing is:  

  • Apply at the beginning, and then again midway through a growth cycle. Exception for rhododendrons: a member suggested rodies should be fertilized after then bloom.
  • Apply more frequently to rapidly growing vegetables, such as tomatoes, and for container plants, where the nutrients leach out with each watering.

Compost – Compost is nature’s way of fertilizing.  Decayed organic matter, especially in the end, forms humus, which feeds microorganisms that in turn feed the plant.  Leaving your leaves on the ground around trees and shrubs will help them grow well.

Organic Fertilizer – Sherri was asked whether using organic fertilizers was important, considering they cost more, and are “slower-acting” than synthetic fertilizers.  She stated the energy used to produce synthetic fertilizers is high, plus synthetic fertilizers can damage soil health by salt build-up.  They also cause environmental damages when they leach into rivers and the ocean, and into drinking water. Studies have linked overuse of synthetic fertilizers to dead zones in the oceans, increases in certain types of cancer, and birth defects.

Organic fertilizers are derived from organic materials, such as blood meal, kelp meal, bone meal, etc.  These feed the soil microorganisms and help improve soil health.  They stay attached to soil particles, so they are longer lasting, and their action is more like what would occur in nature.

Fertilizers are only accessible to plants when broken down by soil microorganisms, and when in solution, so it is important to water your plants before, during and after using fertilizer.  

BIO: Sherri Morgan is a Landscape Designer and Master Gardener.  She is a member of the Ashland Garden Club and past president of the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association.  Sherri also teaches in the practicum portion of JCMG classes and designed of the fertilizer curriculum.

5 W’s for Fertilizing

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                                                                    Article by Kelly Brainard, Owner Ashland Greenhouse

“There are always so many questions about fertilizing.  I would like to go over some of the basics, especially since early spring can be a key time for taking care of fertilizing needs. Always ask yourself:
The type of plant you are focusing on (perennials, annuals, vegetables, ect).
What type of fertilizer to use based on season and the plant(s) you’re fertilizing.
When do you apply fertilizer?  Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter?
Where is the best place to apply fertilizers?  Topically or to the root zone?
Why is this necessary?  What are the benefits of fertilizing?

Since we could write a book on everything mentioned above let’s keep it brief and relevant to what we should focus on in early spring.  This is a great time of year to focus on perennials.  Most perennials prefer a well-balanced or all-purpose fertilizer (all three numbers on the packaging are identical, i.e. 3-3-3 or 16-16-16).  Perennials fed in early spring develop strong root systems which in turn produces larger, healthier plants.  Apply granular fertilizers to the soil around the root zone.

For annuals that are tough enough to be outside early and continue blooming throughout the summer, like petunias and verbena, apply well balanced or slightly higher nitrogen fertilizers. This gives them an extra boost, encouraging growth.  You can successfully use either a granular or foliar fertilizer.  Foliar fertilizers tend to react faster than granules since they are taken up by the plant through the leaves but need re-application more often.  For annuals I like to use granular fertilizer applications in the spring and start using weekly or biweekly applications of liquid fertilizer in the summer. Remember as a rule of thumb – ALWAYS apply fertilizers in the morning. It is less stressful for the plants.

Vegetables are a completely different beast when it comes to fertilizing.  There are numerous techniques when it comes to fertilizing your vegetables.  If it’s grown for leafy greens then apply fertilizers heavier in nitrogen. If it’s grown for the fruit apply fertilizers heavier in phosphorous.  Nitrogen promotes healthy, green foliage and too much of it can discourage fruit development while phosphorous promotes bud and flower growth which encourages more fruit.

When in doubt about fertilizing don’t hesitate to ask a fellow gardener. Some of the best advice is the advice that we share with each other!”

Source: http://AshlandGreenhouses_April2014Newsletter

Finding Nutrient Values of Organic Fertilizers

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How to find the nutrient values of organic fertilizers
By Judy Scott 
Oregon State University Extension Service
CORVALLIS – Gardening resources often recommend chemical fertilizers with N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) ratios, but for organic gardeners, the numbers can be frustrating. Manure and other organic materials often don’t come with N-P-K ratings, especially if purchased in bulk.Organic gardeners are in luck. Ross Penhallegon, horticulturalist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, collected information about the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content of many organic substances commonly used as fertilizer in Oregon, including green manure crops such as crimson clover and alfalfa.His report, “Values of Organic Fertilizers,” is online at http://bit.ly/KHXBQl.It has information on the top sources of organic fertilizers, their NPK content, release speed and effectiveness.

“Nutrient values vary greatly among organic fertilizers,” Penhallegon said. “They also vary greatly for a given organic fertilizer.” Differences include variations in the age of organic material, decomposition, application method, timing, incorporation time, and time exposed to the elements (rain, sun).

“One of the most difficult things to determine for an organic gardener is how much organic fertilizer to use, say on 1,000 square feet of garden,” Penhallegon said. “For a fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 12-11-2, this means 12 percent is nitrogen, 11 percent is phosphorus and 2 percent is potassium. In simple terms, this means each 100 pound bag of the fertilizer would contain 12 pounds of nitrogen, 11 pounds phosphorus and two pounds nitrogen.”

Cover crops generally release their nutrients slowly, over two to six months, Penhallegon said. Nutrient values for cover crops include: alfalfa, crimson clover, Australian winter peas and annual rye.

Blood meal, bat guano and many of the manures (variable nutrient contents) release their nutrients over two to six weeks. Burned eggshells, fish emulsion and urea (urine) are the fastest-acting organic fertilizers, lasting only a couple of weeks.

To boost the nitrogen content of your soils, apply nitrogen rich urea, feathers, blood meal, bat guano or dried blood. Manures are usually less expensive than other animal by-products. Organic amendments highest in phosphorus include rock phosphate, bone meal and colloidal phosphate. High in potassium are kelp, wood ash, granite meal and greensand.

To make soil less acidic, use materials rich in calcium, including clam shells, ground shell marl, oyster shells, wood ashes, dolomite and gypsum (all are at least 30 percent calcium carbonate or straight calcium).

Source: Ross Penhallegon, Hhorticulturalist 
Oregon State University Extension Service