Where do pelargoniums get their food? What items or elements are contained in their meals? Some are obtained from water and air like carbon (including human exhalation), hydrogen, and oxygen. Others, which are sucked up from the soil or provided by fertilizers, include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and some trace elements.
Fertilizers are of two types: organic and inorganic. Organic fertilizers are mainly taken from plant and animal sources. Inorganic fertilizers, on the other hand, are mainly from petroleum or natural gas and are manufactured for commercial purposes. The difference in the way each type is derived or produced provides an outright clue as to which type of fertilizer is safer to use. The advantages of using organic fertilizers and the disadvantages of using inorganic fertilizers must be discussed here for the benefit of aspiring gardeners.
But to really appreciate the benefits that organic fertilizers bring, the dangers of using inorganic fertilizers must first be understood. Let me enumerate a few of the most common ones:
1. As inorganic fertilizers are both powerful and take effect too quickly, they can burn and totally destroy plants when applied excessively.
2. Excessive use of inorganic fertilizers can also kill earthworms and microorganisms in the soil that help in the plants’ growth.
3. The nitrates contained in some inorganic fertilizers can actually pollute groundwater that we use for drinking.
4. Some inorganic fertilizers may contain wastes that went through a recycling process. As such, they may have in them lead or other heavy-metal residues which can be taken in by growing plants and which, in turn, we eventually consume as food.
5. Applied excessively or too liberally, inorganic fertilizers can be washed and transported by rain into water sources (such as rivers and lakes) and end up polluting them. If this happens, it may result to an increase in growth of several aquatic plants which can then substantially lessen the supply of oxygen in water and kill fish. This, consequently, increases pollution.
As aspiring gardeners now have a better understanding of the risks and disadvantages of using inorganic fertilizers, let me now shift this discussion to the advantages and benefits of using organic fertilizers. Obviously by using organic fertilizers, you are freeing yourself from the troubles that the chemicals in inorganic fertilizers can cause. What’s more interesting is that you can actually produce your very own organic fertilizer by means of creating a compost heap. And creating a compost heap is quite easy. All you need to create it are fallen leaves, grass clippings, and such other wastes from your own garden. When these materials decompose, they can be very good sources of nutritive substances for your plants. The soil’s tillage is also enhanced by compost thus making the soil a much better means for plants to grow on.
There are other materials from which organic fertilizers may be derived. Animal manure (ideally from cow or poultry animals) excels among them all as it can advance the quality of the soil. But be careful that the manure you will use as fertilizer should be thoroughly deteriorated. Otherwise, it may end up burning your plants.
Other possible sources for making your own organic fertilizers are earthworm castings, bonemeal, seaweed extracts, and fish emulsion.
