Garden Resources

Organic liquid fertilizer by designation is derived from matter that was previously alive. Plants once alive, now dead and processed into a liquid concentrate to feed more plants. Once produced, Organic liquid fertilizer can be applied as a foliar feed or watered into the soil. Organic liquid fertilizer may be bought commercially or produced from your own efforts in the form of Comfrey Tea or Worm Tea.

In order for plants to thrive and yield fruitfully they, like you and me, require nutrients. Your plants require three basic types expressed as N.P.K.

Nitrogen[N] ensures green growth. If you apply too much though, growth will be soft and flowering and fruit setting may be delayed. On the other hand, if your plants are yellowing in the mature leaves and lack vigour, then you may have a nitrogen deficiency.

Phosphorus [P] ensures root and stem growth and fruit, flower and seed formation. Too little turns leaves purple and impedes the growth of your plants whilst too much can cause premature ripening.

Potash [K] enhances the colour of your flowers and improves their resistance to pests and diseases. It also hardens your plants tissue.

You can buy Organic liquid fertilizer either as a concentrated liquid or in a powder form, both to be diluted. You will find the NPK values will printed on the pack.

Seaweed Extract you will find is the most commonly produced commercial product and is better applied as a foliar feed as your plants absorb more nutrient than if the soil was watered directly. Seaweed Extract increases your plants vigour and increases resistance to disease.

Of course you can have a go at making your own Organic Fertilizer in the form of worm tea or Comfrey tea.

If you buy a wormery to compost your kitchen waste, eventually the action of the worms processing the waste matter will not only provide a useful soil conditioner but also a liquid concentrate high in Phosphorus but low in Nitrogen. This can be diluted at about 1part concentrate to 10 parts water. Of course, what you put into your wormery dictates what value you get out of it.

You may be familiar with the medicinal value of the Comfrey plant for joint sprains and such. But filling a barrel one quarter full of leaves and then adding water to the top produces excellent Organic liquid fertilizer after about 5 weeks. You will notice a really foul smell coming from the barrel as it ferments so you shouldn’t site it any where near the house.

Applying your Organic liquid fertilizer is simple and easy using a Fertilizer Dispenser which you can use for any liquid concentrate. Hose end sprayers ensure an accurate constant dilution of the concentrate as you spray from your garden hose, and because you only carry the concentrate around, the most you’ll ever carry is ½ to one kilo, because the water comes down the hosepipe, you don’t have to carry a 10 litre watering can around.

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