Natural Fertilizer Articles

Do you have a green thumb?  Chances are, you have great soil.  Nobody even appears to have a green thumb unless they have rich, brown, crumbly soil with lots of organic matter.  If your plants have problems, it is probably a problem with the soil.  If your plants are healthy, it is probably the soil.  Everything starts with the soil.  If you’re looking for a book that gives you step by step instructions about how to work with the soil in your yard or garden, and turn it into a plant’s best friend, Secrets of Great Soil is the book for you.

Read the entire review of The Secrets Of Great Soil..., by Elizabeth P. Stell...

Plants in Garden History, by Penelope Hobhouse, is one of the most interesting gardening books ever published.  That’s a pretty big statement, but readers who take the time to enjoy Hobhouse’s masterpiece will wholeheartedly agree. Oprah just selected it as one of her top picks for gardeners, citing that world history, when viewed through garden design, shows that you really can achieve peace, harmony and understanding in a garden.

Read the entire review of Plants In Garden History, by Penelope Hobhouse...

Early summer is the time of year when homeowners discover what their soils lack. Newly planted plants take a few weeks to grow and establish. Once they are comfortably entrenched in the soil, and have established good root systems (or have at least had time to establish a good root system), if they are lacking a particular nutrient, they will begin to show signs of stress. Depending upon the nutrient that is lacking, different symptoms will appear.

Read More about Common Nutrient Deficiencies in Plants: How to Diagnose and Correct...

The paperback cover of The $64 Tomato quotes a line from the New York Times Book Review of the book: “Gardening as an Extreme Sport.” The reviewer hit the nail right on the head. William Alexander’s account of his first ten years with his garden at his “Big Brown House” on the hill in a small town in upstate New York provides a rollicking tale of adventures in vegetable growing. If his plan was to inspire people to have a garden, I’m not certain that he has succeeded. However, if his aim with the book was to make people think about their gardens, how they maintain them, and at what cost, he has met his goal.

Read the entire review of The $64 Tomato, by William Alexander...

The newest natural gardening book to hit the shelves is The Truth about Organic Gardening, by Jeff Gillman. Published in 2008 by Timber Press, this 208-page paperback book contains the most comprehensive, easy to understand, and balanced review of organic and natural gardening available. It is, hands-down, the best resource for natural gardeners, novice and experienced, who are trying to navigate the world of natural gardening.

Read the entire review of The Truth About Organic Gardening, by Jeff Gilman...

Growing healthy plants that produce nutritious food involves a well-planned feeding schedule. Planning your feeding schedule in advance allows you to make preparations ahead of time and procure the products and soil amendments that you will need. The exact timing of natural fertilizer application depends on the plants; however, there are some biological indicators around which you can center your plan.

Read More about Best Natural Fertilizer Plant Feeding Plan for Summer...

Years ago, prominent agricultural scientist Dr. Maynard Murray wrote a best selling work called “Sea Energy Agriculture.” Dr. Murray was a true pioneer scientist when it comes to the development of seaponic farming and he has been lauded for his research on trace elements in sea solids and the benefits they have for agriculture.

Read More about Sea Water's Amazing Natural Fertilizer...

Many gardeners, including those who had very good yields in the past, now complain that the yields are on the decline. All this is happening despite the use of chemical fertilizers which have been used for years.  There are a few lucky gardeners who get good yields with chemical dumping years after year. But in the end, the cycle of poisoning inevitably slows yields.

Read More about Restoring Soil Fertility To Your Garden...

If you absolutely must use them then you need to use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides with care.  Combination fertilizer and pesticide products are especially dangerous to use. If you apply too much you can cause what is called “off target” damage which seriously affects native species and can leave them vulnerable to attacks by insects that thrive in the nitrogen based environment created by the overuse of chemicals in the garden.  Keep in mind too that when you use certain chemical based fertilizers, more times than not, that you might be killing off beneficial insects that help keep unwanted pests off of your flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Read More about Dangerous Chemicals In The Garden: Part 2...

Given soil depletion and weaker plant species, it is becoming harder to avoid the chemical use of herbicides and pesticides in the garden. Sometimes restoring soil with organic methods of gardening can take a couple of years. This is why so many people do exactly what they shouldn’t do which is wrest one more crop out of soil that has already been depleted of nutrients by over fertilization.

Read More about Dangerous Chemicals In The Garden: Part 1...

If you want to give your garden, flower bed or lawn a real boost without dousing it with toxic chemical or phosphate based fertilizers, then you might want to consider using a seaweed fertilizer. These natural fertilizers have become extremely popular over the past decade as more awareness is growing of just how much damage the production and use of chemical fertilizers is doing to the environment and to our bodies.

Read More about Why You Need Seaweed Fertilizers In Your Garden...