When these microbes feed on the organic mate-
rial in your lawn, they release nutrients that plants
feed on. For this reason, maintaining a healthy, or-
ganic landscape requires a shift in thinking. If you
can create an environment that feeds the microbes,
it will then produce the nutrients (mainly nitrogen)
your grass needs to thrive, which will help your
plants grow strong. Everything about your landscape
is interconnected.
Natural Organic vs. Synthetic Organic
Fertilizer
The lawn care industry offers two kinds of
organic fertilizer: natural organic and synthetic
organic. Natural organic fertilizers are made from
natural resources like manure, animal, fi sh, or plant
byproducts. When you start browsing organic fer-
tilizers at your local garden center, you’ll discover
that commercial organic fertilizers are granulated for
easy measuring and spreading, which is an added
benefi t. There are liquid options but those can be
tricky to apply.
Synthetic organic refers to the “urea” or nitrogen
source found in most synthetic organics. Chemical
reactions can alter urea, producing different varieties
of slow release products. Because urea contains car-
bon in its structure, it is considered organic. Many
people choose to blend synthetic organic nitrogen
with natural organic fertilizers because of the variety
of nitrogen evens and release responses it produces.
The industry refers to these products as “bridge
products.”
Regardless of which fertilizer option you prefer,
it should be complemented with organic compost
as that helps the soil in a lawn resist compaction in
high traffi c areas. Once your lawn gets used to regu-
lar organic fertilizer applications, you’ll start to see
fewer problems and diseases. The organic material
can also correct the pH levels in your lawn.
Let’s get
growing
naturally
Use Earthworm Castings
Worm feces are one of the best things for a
yard. The correct term for this material is earth-
worm castings, which are rich with live biological
organisms including fungi, actinomycetes, benefi -
cial bacteria, pseudo monads, yeasts, molds, trace
elements, and plant growth regulators. Earthworm
castings make more NPK available to plants and are
also odorless, child-safe, pet-safe, and improve plant
growth and soil structure. Earthworm castings can
be found in most lawn and garden centers. GG
Background information for this article was
provided by MCG Biomarkers. Visit their website at
MCGBiomarkers.com.
June 2018
To see the full line of Age Old products and
find a dealer near you please visit:
www.tradewindsgarden.com
www.GardenandGreenhouse.net
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