Enrich Soil and Increase Produce Naturally Using Organic Fertilizers

Organic gardening is the art of growing produce using completely natural methods, without using any external addition of chemicals. The quality of soil is the most essential thing that should be taken care of if you want to obtain a high yield. The soil quality should be checked at least twice a year in order to ensure that it is capable of producing a high yield.

In order to maintain the quality of the soil, the use of organic fertilizers is essential. During the course of the growing season, the crops being grown consume nutrients frm the soil. In order to maintain the productiviy of the soil, these nutrients have to be replenished before the next growing season.

Unlike chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers are made entirely out of biological components which include humus and nutrient replenishing bacteria. Hence the dangerous effects of chemical fertilizers can be completely avoided.

The pH quantity of the soil also needs to be kept in check in order to obtain good produce. To achieve this certain soil additives such as potash and epsom salts, which are completely organic can be mixed into the soil.

The most commonly used organic fertilizer would be manure. Manure has been in use since the start of agriculture. Manure is usually just the excreta of farm animals such as cows, horses, chickens and rabbits. Even human excreta can be used as manure.

However, though manure is readily available at hand, it cannot be directly used as an organic fertilizer. The manure has to first be composted. The composting process, which usually involves heating and ageing of the manure helps in removing or killing dangerous bacteria such as E.coli from the manure, thereby keeping the produce safe and healthy.

Once the manure has been composted, the manure can be mixed into the soil. The soil must be thoroughly turned in order to mix the manure properly and evenly. In order to make mixing easier the manure can also be made into liquid form and sprayed onto the soil. The soil should then be thoroughly turned over to prevent the manure from being blown away.

The most ideal time to add organic fertilizers into the soil is a few weeks before you start planting the crops, since it takes some time for the soil to absorb the nutrients from the organic fertilizer.

Instead of using animal based manure as organic fertilizer, plant remains can also be used as fertilizers. These include seaweed, green plant leaves, stems etc. These must be thoroughly dried and composted before being mixed into the soil.

In order to ensure that your organic fertilizers have good nutrient retention, the composting process should be performed carefully. Community workshops are a great place to learn the proper way to compost different types of organic fertilizers.

Leftover kitchen waste such as potato peelings, and unused vegetables and fruits can also be used as organic fertilizers. The organic fertilizer with the largest amount of nutrients is probably worm compost. Worm compost is readily available for sale. However worm compost can also be made if you can obtain the required worms.

Thus organic fertilizers can be used to drastically increase your yield without endangering your crops with harmful chemicals.