Chemical Fertilizer opposed to Natural Fertilizer

A prevalent subject matter among the gardening specialists and home gardeners these days is the furor on organic fertilizer vs. chemical fertilizer.

Now each fertilizer surely has its pros and their cons, but before we investigate deeper into that, let us first make a few definitions.

What is organic fertilizer?

Organic fertilizers are substances containing nutrients resulting from the remains or by-product of an organism. Examples of natural fertilizers are cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and manure and sewage sludge.

Organic fertilizers are obviously rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the three major nutrients desirable 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. Since they are unnaturally made, many chemical fertilizers contain acids that can be destructive to the soil's population of microorganisms. In this viewpoint, chemical fertilizers have the capability to inhibit plant growth.

Chemical fertilizer vs. organic fertilizer

Fertilizers are produced to target soil nutrient insufficiency, which is a common problem among home garden owners. One clear benefit 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 option to chemical fertilizers. Any home gardener can create his own variety 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 helpful and potentially risky to plants. Slow release of nutrients means that there is less danger of over-fertilization. On the other hand, this could also mean that if the need for urgent supply of nutrients arises, organic fertilizers would not be able to provide the desired supply. In contrast, chemical fertilizers can prove vegetation with an instant supply of nutrients when the circumstances call 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 surely do not know the difference between organic fertilizers and chemical fertilizers. Their tiny root hairs will soak up those microscopic nutrients, not considering where they come from or how they were made. But even so, with today's rising ecological concerns, some people question the good judgment of using chemical fertilizers as a nutrient source.

$64 Tomatos

Watch your budget. It is easy to go overboard if you dont plan!

HometownAnnapolis.com, Business - Avoid the $64 tomato by planning, not using gimmicks

By ELIZABETH LEIS, Staff Writer
Hard-core gardeners like Jerry Miller receive a deep satisfaction when their gardens bloom. But they've learned every piece of satisfaction comes with a cost.

Mr. Miller, who lives near Sandy Point State Park, spends about $500 a year on his garden, soon to be resplendent with hydrangeas and a Japanese maple tree.When gardeners start out, they can underestimate that the pretty hobby means not only purchasing plants, but investing in weed control, tools and landscaping.

Still, after 37 years of gardening with his wife, Pamela, Mr. Miller has a good sense of his budget. His yearly cost includes a plan of attack for driving away animals, like the moles driving long tunnels into his yard. He's resigned himself to the deer, which mosey over from the park."We counted 15 one day, having a salad buffet," Mr. Miller said.William Alexander, who has spent a decade nurturing his garden in New York, can sympathize with the cost of driving away animals, having spent many a restless night fighting various beasts."I think the sooner you come to terms with this the better you off you are going to be - you are not going to keep animals out of your garden," he said. "You may be smarter, but they have more time. That groundhog has nothing to do but figure out how to get in."

After spending $8,500 for initial construction costs, $400 on an electric fence, plus a myriad of money in other maintenance, Mr. Alexander wanted to see how much it all cost.The result was he realized his tomatoes cost him an average of $64. His book, "The $64 Tomato," is part memoir, part cost-benefit analysis.Of course, he also has learned some lessons he's willing to impart on other gardeners."Start small and stay small," he said. "Keep in mind of the rule of 32. Any project is going to be three times as long and cost twice as much as you were planning.""Grow what you really love and can't get fresh from the market," he said, recommending homegrown heirloom tomatoes.

Tim Hamilton, a marketing director at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, said he understands where Mr. Alexander is coming from when dealing with garden investments. But the cost of lumber, soil, fertilizer and water doesn't have to break the bank."It's a hobby, No. 1," Mr. Hamilton said.He spends around $40 a year on items like green chiles and potatoes, and only spent $100 to set up the garden five years ago."There are a lot of gimmicks you don't really need," he said.Mr. Alexander said he and his wife exchanged large format garden books in their first years, which can quickly become what he labels "garden porn."

Now he recommends sticking to three reference books.Gene Sumi, a horticulturist at Homestead Gardens, said those books can be found at the library, and are a good way to sort through the advice would-be gardeners receive."You don't have to have a big budget," he said. "But there is an initial outlay, especially if a person buys a rototiller."Those tiller's can cost $150 to $200, while other tools like a scythe blade can cost between $50 to $60.Mr. Alexander said he bought a scythe, which he used exactly once.

Another financial mistake was buying a hand-pushed mower, although he was glad he spent under $100 instead of the pricier models."I found reason why a traditional mower is popular, which is because you can go forward and backwards. A hand-pushed mower in small spaces is impossible."

Mrs. Miller said her best strategy to make her husband stick to a budget is by keeping him from buying plants too early."We're always lulled by those wonderful days in March," she said. "I exert all of my influence to get him to wait, because it will always get nasty and cold. Save money and wait until you know it will stay warm."Another hidden cost? Labor. Mr. Alexander also learned that gardening as a family hobby doesn't always fly, which may mean hiring someone when things grow out of control. In his case, it was a helper who was a dead ringer for Christopher Walken."My kids couldn't have been less interested," he said. "I knew I had 22 beds. ... I figured the kids would want two beds. They were 5 and 8 at the time. We gave them a book and garden tools. They couldn't have been less enthused if we had given them a pick to go into the coal mine."

Linda Droneburg, an avid gardener in Cape St. Claire, said she is hoping her grown children will one day become interested. But the garden is largely an enjoyment for her and her husband, and she estimates they spend a couple hundred dollars on their gardens. more

How To Establish An Herb Garden

Herbs have been around since time immemorial and served different kinds of purposes. They have been used to treat illness and flavor cooking; they were even believed to have magical powers. Do you want to have your own herb garden? Here are a few ideas on how to establish an herb garden.

Plan your garden.

Consider the herbs you want to plant. Think about their types. Would you like annuals, biennials or perennials? How much space will they occupy in your garden? If you want, you can purchase a book that can give you the right information on what specific plants you are planning to grow. List or draw your garden on paper first.

Separate the annuals from the perennials so when the time comes that you have to pull out the annuals, you won't be disturbing the perennials. Perennials can be planted on the edge of your garden so when it is time to till your garden they won't be in danger of getting dug up. Another thing to remember is that you have to place the tall plants at the back and the shorter ones in front. Also, provide your plants with enough space to grow. Proper position will help you in this area.

If you would rather keep herbs out of your garden (and some are quite invasive) you could have herb pots. These are large containers with three or more outlets for the herbs. Fill the pot up to the first outlet and plant it before continuing on with the filling and planting process. Usually, the herb that requires the most water is planted in the bottom hole, while the variety that requires the least, goes in the highest hole.

Some Design Ideas

You can consider having a square herb bed. You can have your square bed divided into four by two paths crossing at mid point measuring 3 feet. You can border it with stone or brick. A wooden ladder may also do the trick. You can lay it down on your garden and plant your herbs between its rungs. You can also choose to have a wagon wheel bed.

Planting here is like planting with the wooden ladders. Plant your herbs in between the wagon wheel's wedges. Get Your Plants Growing Of course, different plants have different needs, but many of them require alkaline soil.

This is the reason why you have to determine the herbs you want to plant in the planning stage. This can more or less help you find out how you should care for your plants. If you germinate your herbs from seeds, remember to follow the directions on the packet for soil, watering and temperature.

Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow. You just have to provide them with an effective drainage, sunlight, enough humidity or moisture and fertile soil. Even with just minimally meeting these requirements they will be bound to produce a good harvest.

Gardening tips for daffodils, the no-brainer bulbs

I dont know could I grow this?

Gardening tips for daffodils, the no-brainer bulbs: "Gardening tips for daffodils, the no-brainer bulbs
March 30, 2006
EASY TO GROW. Daffodils are no-brainer bulbs to grow. Give them well-draining soil, adequate moisture, a low-nitrogen bulb supplement such as 5-10-12, cool growing conditions and lots of sunshine. Best of all, voles and deer ignore them.

EASY TO SHOW. Exhibiting daffodils in a show is also relatively simple. About 24 hours before showtime, cut your daffodils and store them in a cool, dark place or a refrigerator that is not self-defrosting.

To groom your daffodils for judging, use your forefinger and thumb to gently smooth the perianth (collectively, all the sepals and petals of a flower) and cup, says gardener Lorraine Ingles. Use a cotton swab to clean pollen from the cup and to remove any unwanted spots. Re-cut the stem if it's curled or split at the base. Wet and smooth down the spathe (leaflike bract that encloses flower), but do not remove it. Round out the flower cup with your fingers.

Want to know more? Visit the American Daffodil Society at daffodilusa.org. "