COorganics - All Natural - No-Till With ACT's - Winter Attic Grow

COorganics;2266452 said:

"Alfalfa Meal – Balanced fertilizer that contains moderate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium but also includes trace minerals. Is good for adding organic matter to the soil. As the name suggests, it’s made from alfalfa. May be of concern now that GM alfalfa has been approved. Could introduce glysophate into your soil.


Azomite – Slow release fertilizer of trace minerals. It’s open-pit mined from ancient deposits of aluminum silicate and marine minerals in Utah. It is a nonrenewable product.


Bat Guano – Fast acting fertilizer with high amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus and a smaller amount of potassium. It’s the accumulated manure of bats which is then mined. Bat colonies are particularly sensitive to the disturbance of mining and, unless bat guano harvesting is done very carefully, guano mining can lead to total loss of bat species.


Blood Meal – High nitrogen fertilizer made from the blood of animals, which is a waste product of the meat industry. Water soluble so it can be used a foliar feeding. We don’t use it primarily because I can’t keep my dog out of it.


Bone Meal – Slow release, high Phosphorus fertilizer with some nitrogen made from the bones of animals, which is a waste product of the meat industry. It is also a good source of calcium.


Compost – Plant material that’s been broken down by microbes. It can have a variety of nutrient profiles depending on what plant materials were put in it to create it. Currently homemade compost is the safest to use as persistent herbicides and pesticides are being found in commercial compost. Some commercial composts are made using biosolids (sewage sludge) and these may present a risk of residual medications or harmful bacteria.


Cottonseed Meal – Slow release fertilizer containing mostly nitrogen, moderate amounts of phosphorus and small amounts of potassium. It is acidic so it works well for acid loving plants. May be of concern considering a lot of cotton is GM. Could introduce glysophate into your soil.


Dolomite – High magnesium and calcium amendment that is used for raising the pH of acidic soils. It is calcium magnesium carbonate and should only be used on acidic soils that are deficient in magnesium. Open pit mined and nonrenewable, but deposits are common around the world.


Feather Meal – Slow release high nitrogen fertilizer made from feathers, which is a by-product of the poultry industry.


Fish Emulsion – Moderate nitrogen with some phosphorus and potassium. Is good for foliar feeding. It’s a by-product of the fish oil and fish meal industries. It’s really stinky and another fertilizer I can’t keep the dog out of.


Green Manure – A cover crop that is turned into the soil before it goes to seed. It adds organic matter to the soil and can be used for weed suppression. Legume green manures can add nitrogen to the soil, and very deep rooted green manures can mine the subsoil for trace minerals. Many green manures, however, will add few additional nutrients to the soil. Best results will come from careful understanding what the gardener is trying to achieve with the green manure (biomass, nitrogen boost, soil tilth, etc.) and choosing the appropriate green manure for the job.


Greensand – Slow release high potassium fertilizer which also contains trace minerals. Good soil conditioner. It is open pit mined from 70-80 million year old marine deposits and is nonrenewable. Primarily produced in New Jersey.


Gypsum – Fast release calcium and sulfur. It also acts as soil conditioner improving compacted and heavy soils. Open pit mined and nonrenewable, but deposits are common around the world.


Humic Acid/Humates – Not a fertilizer but helps aids plants in the absorption of minerals and nutrients. Open pit mined and nonrenewable.


Kelp Meal – Good potassium and micronutrient source that also aids in increasing microbial activity. Obtained from dried seaweed. Kelp grows quite fast, so it’s a bit like the bamboo of the ocean. With good stewardship, a renewable resource.


Manure – Various animal manures contain different profiles depending on the animal they came from. They contain trace minerals and nutrients along with NPK. By-product of the livestock industry. Animal manure may present a risk of residual medications, including deworming medication, harmful pathogens and may contain weed seeds. Hot industrial composting tends to mitigate these risks but it does not remove all medications used, in particular arsenic which is a concern especially for poultry manure. Most animal manure is best used composted.


Oyster Shell Lime – Amendment made from oyster shells that helps condition soil, provides calcium and trace minerals and increases the pH of acidic soils. Fine grade powder is faster acting than rough crushed shells. Byproduct of commercial oyster farming beds, which are typically well managed and renewable.


Peat/Sphagnum Moss – Soil and potting mix amendment that aerates, helps with water retention and helps lower pH for alkaline soils. Unfortunately it is mined from very fragile ecosystems that can take thousands of years to reestablish themselves. While technically renewable, peat bogs are mined far more quickly that they can renew, and unique flora and fauna are greatly disturbed in the process. Primarily imported from Canada.


Rock Dust – Mined minerals that provide trace minerals to soil. Mineral profile varies based on what rocks make up the dust. Granite-based dusts very slowly increase pH of acid soil. Often a by product of other horticultural or landscaping projects. Often rock dusts are made from mixed glacial till. Typically the source rock must be open pit mined, and transportation costs are often high for this heavy product, but deposits of rocks are pretty inexhaustible.


Seabird Guano – Fast acting fertilizer with high amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus and a smaller amount of potassium. It’s the accumulated manure of seabirds which is then mined. Mining can disturb seabird colonies. Primarily produced in Peru.


Sulfate of Potash – Very high fast release source of potassium. Also includes sulfur. Open pit mined product. Nonrenewable. Primarily mined in New Mexico.


SulPoMag – Also known as langbeinite. Good source of sulfur, potassium and magnesium. Mined underground from an ancient seabed. Nonrenewable. Primarily mined in New Mexico.


Worm Castings – Water soluble fertilizer with lots of nutrients, trace minerals, microbes, and enzymes. Produced from the droppings of worms. Infinitely renewable, good way to convert kitchen scraps and waste paper into high-quality fertilizer, strong evidence that plants grown with incorporated worm castings are better able to resist disease pathogens."


How Green Is Your Organic Soil Amendment?

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