The term organic fertilizer refers to materials that contain nutrients that are obtained from the byproducts or remains of an organism. Cottonseed meal, fish emulsion, manure, sewage sludge, and cottonseed meal are examples of organic fertilizers. These substances are naturally high in phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium, which are the three chief nutrients required for plant growth. These types of fertilizer rely on microorganisms living in the soil to break them down so they can release these nutrients.
In contrast, chemical fertilizers are plant nutrients that are produced synthetically from inorganic materials. Many contain acids that can hard the soil's natural population of microorganisms. Because of this, they have the potential to stunt the growth of plants.
A major problem faced by the home gardener arises from nutrient deficiencies in the target soils. An advantage of chemical fertilizers over organic types is that they contain all three of the most important nutrients, phosphorous, potassium, and nitrogen. Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, either have high levels of one of these critical nutrients or low levels of all three.
Organic fertilizers are less expensive and more cost-effective than chemical fertilizers. Home gardeners can create their own organic fertilizers by combining manure from cows, sheep or poultry with other organic matter. They can tailor the mixtures to their own specific needs. Chemical fertilizers must be purchased from gardening stores or horticulturists.
A distinct feature of organic fertilizer is that it releases its nutrients slowly. This can be both beneficial and potentially harmful to plants. While the slow release of nutrients reduces the risks of over-fertilization, it may also mean that if there is a need for immediately nutrition, the organic fertilizer would not provide the level of nutrients needed. Chemical fertilizers are able to provide plans with an immediate supply of the necessary nutrients when circumstances require this.
A number of chemical fertilizers are high in acids. Acids in chemical fertilizers, including sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, result in high soil acidity levels. These destroy nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the microorganisms that are important for supplying the nitrogen needed for plant growth.
Plants don't know the difference between organic and chemical fertilizers, and their roots will absorb the required nutrients wherever they come from. However, in the light of increasing worries about the environment overall, the use of chemical fertilizers as a source of plant nutrients is being strongly questioned.
Organic Vs Chemical Fertilizer
What is organic fertilizer?
Organic fertilizers are substances containing nutrients derived from the remains or by-product of an organism. Examples of organic fertilizers are cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and manure and sewage sludge.
Organic fertilizers are naturally rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the three major nutrients needed in plant growth. Organic fertilizers depend on microorganisms found in soil to break them down and release the nutrients.
What is chemical fertilizer?
Chemical fertilizers are synthetically produced plant nutrients from inorganic materials. Because they are artificially made, many chemical fertilizers contain acids that can be harmful to the soil's population of microorganisms. In this aspect, chemical fertilizers have the potential to stunt plant growth.
Chemical fertilizer vs. organic fertilizer
Fertilizers are created to target soil nutrient deficiency, which is a prevalent problem among home garden owners. One distinct advantage chemical fertilizers have over organic fertilizers is the fact that they contain all three of the major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Organic fertilizers can only either have high content levels of one of these three or have all three nutrients in low levels.
For its part, organic fertilizers are a much cheaper and cost-effective alternative to chemical fertilizers. Any home gardener can create his own brand of organic fertilizer by composting or mixing cow, sheep, or poultry manure with other organic matters. Chemical fertilizers on the other hand will have to be bought from a gardening store or horticulturists.
A noted aspect of organic fertilizer is its slow-release capability. This slow release of nutrients in organic fertilizers can be both beneficial and potentially harmful to plants. Slow release of nutrients means that there is less risk of over-fertilization. However, this could also mean that if the need for immediate supply of nutrients arises, organic fertilizers would not be able to provide the needed supply. In contrast, chemical fertilizers can prove plants with an immediate supply of nutrients when the situation calls for it.
Several chemical fertilizers have high acid content. Acids in chemical fertilizers, like sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid, lead to high soil acidity which would in turn result in the destruction of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the microorganism that plays a key role in supplying a growing plant's nitrogen needs.
Plants certainly do not recognize the difference between organic fertilizers and chemical fertilizers. Their tiny root hairs will absorb those microscopic nutrients, regardless of where they come from or how they were manufactured. But even so, with today's growing environmental concerns, some people debate over the wisdom of using chemical fertilizers as a nutrient source.
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