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Gentle Gardening with Liquid Organic Fertilizer
Fertilizer is necessary to feed plants the nutrients necessary to healthy growth. Liquid organic fertilizer is an excellent choice for vegetable gardeners, for gardens that drain into fragile watersheds, and for anyone who wants to gently work the land.
Liquid organic fertilizer can be made from a number of sources. Fish emulsion is probably the most common form found. Fish has long been used by humans as a natural fertilizer. Emulsion is a fish byproduct, that is, emulsion is what is left of the fish after the oils and proteins are removed for use in other products.
The resulting byproduct is then dissolved in water to make liquid organic fertilizer. Liquid organic fertilizer can also less commonly be found that is made from the whole fish, known as a "hydrolysate".
Liquid organic fertilizer can also be made from kelp, or from compost, often known as compost tea. Compost tea can be made by gardeners at home, but the specific nutrient content of your concoction will not be known. Therefore, close attention should be paid to your plants for signs of nutrient deficiencies.
Nutrient Content
The nutrient content of liquid organic fertilizer may vary from product to product, and may not be found in the exact proportion needed as it can be in synthetic fertilizers. This means there may need to be a bit more of a hands on approach by the gardener to develop the right fertilizing regimen when using liquid organic fertilizer.
This may include using liquid organic fertilizer derived from a variety of sources to balance your feeding program. The benefits, however, include vegetables with an organic pedigree, a closer relationship with your garden, which may allow you to spot pest and disease troubles earlier, and fewer unknown risks generally.
Application of Liquid Organic Fertilizer
Liquid fertilizers require the use of a sprayer, which should be used only for fertilizer. It is advisable for gardeners to keep several sprayers on hand, each with a dedicated use in order to avoid accidentally misapplying fertilizers, fungicides, and the like.
Liquid fertilizer can also be applied with a hose sprayer. Product directions should be followed carefully, as too much fertilizer, even the organic kind can damage plants. Liquid organic fertilizer is more quickly absorbed by plants than granular fertilizers, so fertilizing should take place weekly during blooming season.
Organic gardening takes some thought and hard work, but it can be an especially rewarding way to spend your time. |