Organic fertilizers and plants foods can help to supplement nutrients to aid plants in healthy growth, increase pest & disease resistance, and increase crop yields. Whether you choose from our dry or liquid fertilizers, ensuring you get the most from your crops can be done by making sure your plants lack no nutrition needed for robust growth.
No matter the crop you choose to grow, whether it be vegetables, fruits, hemp, cannabis, or marijuana, the need for proper nutrition is always going to be of paramount concern. The lack of a single nutrient can throw of the balance of a plant and add unneeded stress which can result in sickly plants that attract pests and disease, as well as decrease yield and quality of the end product.
Dry organic fertilizers can be used for many different applications and plants. Dry plant foods can be a combination of different soil amendments, or they can be a single ingredient designed to act as a more laser focused nutrient enhancer. All purpose organic fertilizers are used as a broad remineralizer in soils that supplement many different nutrients that are either missing in the soil, or taken from the soil by growing crops. Single ingredient natural fertilizers will typically work on one or two missing key elements of the soil. Whether it be magnesium, calcium, nitrogen, potassium, etc... Basic dry fertilizers can aid you in keeping your crops producing quality yields.
Liquid fertilizers are usually faster acting than dry fertilizers. Liquid fertilizers can be used both as a soil drench to feed the plant via the root system, or some liquid fertilizers can be used as a foliar spray and feed the plant via the leaf surface through it's stomata. Both ways of using liquid fertilizers have their benefits, and the timing and use of each way of feeding depends on many variables.
For instance, if you are growing medical marijuana, the timing of a foliar spray would need to coincide with what stage the plant is in to ensure the final product does not fail any tests, or possibly be dangerous for someone to smoke. Spraying fish hydrolysate when a plant is in flower would not be wise due to the residual fish product being left on the buds. Unlike vegetables, and fruits, cannabis buds are not washed before they are sold to the end user. So whatever you spray on the plant will still be there once it gets to the consumers hands. In a case like this it is best to use a liquid fish product via a soil drench to help feed the plant via the root zone.
For larger gardens, and field crops all purpose organic fertilizers are a great solution to reminralize lost nor missing nutrients. As you grow crops you need to imagine the plants mining nutrients from the soil. Those nutrients need to be put back into the soil so that the next round of crops can grow healthy and strong. Using an all purpose natural fertilizer is a great way to add missing nutrients at the end of each season.
Using a soil test will ensure exactly what you need to supplement. You can order very accurate tests from labs across the US, or you can opt for a more budget conscious test from a local extension office, or city or county. It's never a bad idea to know exactly whats going on in your soil. That being said, a lot of home gardeners never use a soil test, and still have good results.
Using no-till farming practices can help your soil stay balanced naturally, with not a lot of work from you. With a few basic concepts and principles, you can have a balanced soil that grows healthy plants year after year. Curating biodiversity in the soil is the key to a no-till living soil system. The fungi, bacteria, and microbes act as a buffer for your plants. They will aid your plants to stay strong in times of stress like in a drought, or with extreme temperatures.
Using soil testing along with no-till practices, and supplementing with the proper organic fertilizers will ensure your crops stay producing seasonally, or yearly for generations to come. With the proper techniques you can take a dried up patch of dust bowl style dirt, and turn it into a dark, black, earthy smelling garden. It may take you a year or two, but each season you will see the payoff to your tending of the earth.
