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The recent controversy on using chemical or inorganic fertilizers and its harmful effects on the environment has brought about the organic movement in the agricultural sector. For environmental and health reasons, more and more farmers and home growers have turned to organic fertilizers as the solution. As a result, the organic fertilizer industry has experienced a boon in their profits.

People, from the regular backyard growers to the big-time farmers, are buying organic fertilizers for their gardens and farms. But with all the attention shifting to organic fertilizers, buying them has become a confusing task, especially since there are several factors involved: N-P-K, organic matter content, moisture content, etc. To the average home grower, all these numbers and percentages in an organic fertilizer bag tend to become perplexing. This article is aimed to help you, the home grower, make an informed decision before buying organic fertilizers.

What to look for in an organic fertilizer

What does N-P-K mean? There are three major nutrients that plants need in order to grow. These are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). Organic fertilizers tend to have low percentages of these three elements (although some organic fertilizer manufacturers have supplemented this by placing additional nutrients). So when buying organic fertilizers, it is important to take note of the N-P-K analysis first.

For instance, a bag of organic fertilizer has an N-P-K analysis of 5-2-2. This means that the organic fertilizer has 5% Nitrogen, 2% Phosphorus, and 2% Potassium.

The second thing to consider when buying organic fertilizers is the ingredients stated in the label. If you find that the organic fertilizer bag contains ammonium, muriate, urea, nitrate, or phosphoric acid, don’t buy it. This means that it is not an organic fertilizer you are holding, but an inorganic fertilizer.

Organic fertilizers are valued for their organic matter content. Organic matters in organic fertilizers are important in developing the soil structure and encouraging microbial activity. Also, organic matters in organic fertilizers help improve the soil’s nutrient and water holding capacity. Therefore, if you want your garden to be healthy, then look for organic matter content before buying an organic fertilizer.

Other important ingredients to look for in organic fertilizers are the amount of trace elements present in the bag. Plants need trace elements in organic fertilizers in order to sustain growth. Trace elements found in organic fertilizers are generally comprised of Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Copper, and Zinc.

It is also important to look into the raw materials used in making the organic fertilizer. The richest source of trace elements among organic fertilizers is marine products, like sea grass and fish by-products. This type of organic fertilizers is practically a storehouse of trace elements and is also high in Nitrogen content. Other types of organic fertilizers are bone meal and blood meal, which are excellent sources of calcium, protein, and soluble organic Nitrogen.

Where to buy organic fertilizers

Organic fertilizers are available anywhere from your local garden center to even online sources. Here are three examples of online stores where you can purchase organic fertilizers at reasonable prices. Of course, these stores aren’t the be-all and end-all of organic fertilizers.

Agriseek.com is an online marketplace for organic fertilizers and other products. Some of their organic fertilizers products are bone meals, cottonseed meals, dung fertilizers, plant hormones, and others like liquid foliar and fertirrigation organic fertilizers from hemoglobin and bat guano.

Bizrate.com is an online store where you can compare prices on several organic fertilizers and products. Buyers are allowed the option to browse through a list of organic fertilizers according price ranges.

Shopping.com is another online resource that will direct you to the best places to buy organic fertilizes.

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