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Organic or Chemical?
When considering adding fertilizer to your soil, be it in the yard, garden, or in potted plants, this is the first choice you'll need to make.
It's no secret which one we prefer!
Here's some information to help you make an informed decision.​
Natural Fertilizers
Firstly let's define what a natural fertilizer is. The simplest way to think of it is "the circle of life".
For example, why do we fight against littering? Because plastics and metals don't decay by natural processes. But throwing a banana peel or apple core out the window might seem a lesser evil because it will break down and be recycled by the earth.
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Take this same principle and apply it to fertilizing your garden. Any material that you could throw in a compost heap and it would decay is considered an organic material. (Not organic gardening, that's something else.) Of course some materials break down more readily (think of last year's leaf-fall versus a log.) The rate at which things decay defines how those nutrients are released for use by other organisms such as plants.
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Because the web of life was designed to break down organic matter, it makes sense that these materials would work in concert with microbes in the soil for efficient decay that releases the nutrients for plants to use. It may take longer than synthetic chemical fertilizers but the process is in line with nature's design.
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Unlike synthetic fertilizers, natural sources do not add additional salt or acid to the soil, which can unbalance the system and kill off the beneficial microbes that aid natural decomposition.
Cons of Natural Fertilizers
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Source may be distasteful to some (it's feces/bone/blood)
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Best applied in the fall for the following spring
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Contains lesser N-P-K concentrations
Pros of Natural Fertilizers
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No chemical smell
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Naturally slow-release so as not to "burn" plants
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Worm castings smell just like dirt; rabbit pellets have minimal smell
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Adds texture to the soil
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Improves aeration
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Enriches poor soils for the long term
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Does not add salt or acid to the dirt
Synthetic/Man-Made Fertilizers
A synthetic, chemical, or man-made fertilizer is cooked up in a lab. These are the big name brands you'll find in almost every garden section of every store. Some are mixed with weed killer for lawns.
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Chemical fertilizers are a "fix it now" kind of deal. They deliver a punch of nutrients for the short-term but do not provide any long-term benefits for your soil. Because they are so water soluble they are prone to running off or leaching out into water sources above and below ground.
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The compounds used to create these fertilizers tend to be high in salts and introduce them into the soil biome. Too much salt or acid from these sources can counteract the natural microbes in your soil and damage the ecosystem therein.
Pros of Chemical Fertilizers
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Immediate release of nutrients in high concentrations
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Easy to obtain / mass distribution
Cons of Chemical Fertilizers
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Contains salts and acids that deposit into the soil
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Runs off into water sources
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Temporary supply of nutrients
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Strong chemical smell
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Potentially dangerous to handle
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Over-application will burn plants