09/26/05 Organic fertilizer

Often I hear the comment,, "I only use organic fertilizer on my garden," and I chuckle because even the majority of commercial fertilizers could technically be called "organic". What we consider organic fertilizers take many forms, some we will leave to the imagination; compost, sludge, animal or even people poop in certain countries, these all contain low concentrations of plant nutrients so must be applied at high concentration rates. If you stop to think about it, commercial fertilizers could also be organic because they too are from the earth, mined or made from naturally occurring substances. Nitrogen comes from air and when combined with methane converts to anhydrous ammonia. Phosphorus is mined and is derived from the remains of ancient sea life, or "fossils". Potassium is made from the salt from evaporated oceans. If you have eaten a salt substitute more than likely you've eaten potash. Funny that plants can't tell the difference between fertilizers, they just need more of one type than the other Source: Potashcorp