Time to Get Growing

Fertilizer Being Applied To The Rough

Fertilizer is any material that supplies one or more of the essential nutrients to plants. They typically provide, in varying proportions, the three major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium: N-P-K), the secondary plant nutrients (calcium, sulfur, magnesium), and sometimes trace elements (or micronutrients) with a role in plant nutrition: boron, chlorine, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, and molybdenum.

Fertilizers can be classified into one of two categories: organic or synthetic. Organic fertilizers are derived from living or once living material. These materials include animal wastes, crop residues, compost and numerous other byproducts of living organisms. Synthetic fertilizers are derived from non-living sources such as ammonia, ammonium sulfate, and urea which are by-products from the oil and natural gas industry.

Benefits of Organic Fertilizers
There are many advantages that come from the use of organic fertilizers. One advantage of organic materials is that they provide beneficial organic matter that can improve the soils water and nutrient holding capacity. This organic matter also creates an environment that encourages beneficial soil organisms. Another advantage is that organic materials take longer to breakdown and release nutrients. This creates a slow-release situation that provides nutrients over a longer period of time and can also help in reducing the loss of nutrients to leaching.