Organic Fertilizers and Inorganic Fertilizers

The subject of fertilizer use in gardening has sparked controversy -- whether or not to use organic fertilizers or inorganic fertilizers.

Certainly, both organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers have advantages and disadvantages of their own. And it is not as if plants will recognize the difference between nutrients coming from organic fertilizers and those coming from inorganic fertilizers. Below are some pieces of information for you to understand better the merits and demerits of using either organic or inorganic fertilizers.

Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizer is derived from materials that are essentially carbon in nature. These materials of organic fertilizers can either be plant or animal or the by-products of which.

Using organic fertilizers can be both advantageous and disadvantageous. One distinct merit of organic fertilizers is that they naturally contain organic matter that is beneficial to plants and the soil. Organic matter in organic fertilizers helps improve the water-holding capacity of soil and also augments its structure, thus increasing its nutrient-holding capacity as well. Another benefit of organic matter in organic fertilizers is that it encourages microbial activity which plays a big part in the breakdown of nutrients so plants can use them.

Organic fertilizers also tend to breakdown and release nutrients slowly so that leaching is prevented. In this way and by using organic fertilizers you can rest assured that the ground water will not be contaminated by any harmful substances. With organic fertilizers also, you can get them a lot cheaper and sometimes even free if you know how and where to look.

Organic fertilizers have a few disadvantages as well. One of them is that organic fertilizers might be harder to apply compared to inorganic fertilizers but this is only depending on the source material used. Organic fertilizers also have lower nutrient content compared to inorganic fertilizers which means that more material has to be applied in order to get the same nutrient amount from inorganic fertilizers. In addition, the slow-release property of organic fertilizers can have a detrimental effect on the plants. The nutrients from organic fertilizers might not be released in time for the plants to use in their growth cycle.

Inorganic Fertilizer

Inorganic fertilizers are widely available in the market these days. Because of their availability, it is sometimes hard to keep track of inorganic fertilizers. The best way for a consumer to make an informed decision before buying an inorganic fertilizer is to know the components of a typical inorganic fertilizer first.

When you look at a bag of inorganic fertilizer, you typically see three numbers which represents the Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium ratio in the inorganic fertilizer. For example, in an inorganic fertilizer that says 7-3-2, it means that the inorganic fertilizer has seven percent Nitrogen, three percent Phosphorus, and two percent Potassium.

When you add all these numbers, you only get twelve percent worth of nutrients in that inorganic fertilizer. You might ask what the other 88% in the inorganic fertilizer bag is. The rest of the inorganic fertilizer bag may contain some nutrients and filler material, which helps us apply the inorganic fertilizer over an area evenly.

In purchasing fertilizers, no matter what kind – whether organic fertilizers or inorganic fertilizers – it is always advisable to know what’s in the bag.