- What is natural fertilizer?
- What kind of natural fertilizers are there?
- Buy natural fertilizer or make it yourself
- Benefits of natural fertilizers
- Application of natural fertilizers
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More and more people are doing without chemicals in the garden and opting for natural fertilizers. We explain the advantages of natural fertilizers.
Sometimes the most natural way is also the best: more and more people are realizing that the unnatural supply of nutrients through mineral fertilizers is not only harmful to the environment, but also to their own garden. We give you a brief overview of home remedies and other natural fertilizers that - as intended - are able to close the nutrient cycle.
In the following paragraphs you will find out what natural fertilizers are, which ones exist and where their strengths and limitations lie. Then we show what you should consider when buying and using natural fertilizers.
What is natural fertilizer?
Doesn't everything come from nature - ultimately every microchip, every car and every grain of mineral fertilizer? Of course, this assumption is fundamentally correct. However, what is unnatural is the altered distribution of natural materials. Extracting nitrogen from the air somewhere, converting it first into ammonia and then into ammonium using the Haber-Bosch process, and then introducing it into the soil in large quantities - the soil was never designed for that. The existing ecosystem is therefore out of balance and no longer functions properly. Natural fertilizers do things differently: they release nutrients slowly and gradually, not only supplying plant nutrients but also providing the soil with what it needs to be he althy. This is the natural way to fertilize soil and plants.
What kind of natural fertilizers are there?
Would you like to eat an egg for breakfast? Perhaps you'd better save the shell from now on - along with the coffee grounds, the ash from your stove, and your fingernails, which are similar in composition to horn manures. However, we would rather advise against using your urine as fertilizer. Aside from these more unusual examples, horse manure fertilizer and seabird or bat droppings (guano) seem almost entirely normal. We present the natural fertilizers mentioned.
Coffee grounds as fertiliser
coffee isthe most popular pick-me-up in Germany. Accordingly, large amounts of coffee grounds accumulate in most households. After brewing, the moist coffee powder is usually disposed of with the organic waste. But gardening enthusiasts should now sit up and take notice: coffee grounds contain a number of ingredients that can still benefit your plants. A lot of organic structural material, about 2% nitrogen, 0.4% phosphorus, 0.8% potassium, antiviral and antibacterial tannins and the smallest amounts of caffeine remain in the very slightly acidic coffee grounds. Nothing speaks against spreading this organic fertilizer in pots and beds. The smell of coffee grounds even seems to have an attractive effect on the beneficial earthworms. Incidentally, over-fertilization with coffee grounds is virtually impossible.
If you want to use your coffee grounds, they must first be dried thoroughly. Mold growth should be avoided - this is where the danger is greatest with fully automatic coffee machines. The best way to dry is to spread the wet powder over a large area. Once the coffee grounds have dried, you can work them in flat in the garden or spoon them out onto potted plants. Orchids, hydrangeas and tomatoes, for example, benefit from the slightly acidic reaction of the coffee grounds and benefit from the organic material introduced.
You can find detailed information on fertilizing with coffee grounds in this special article.
Horn shavings and horn meal as fertilizer
Horns and hooves from slaughter animals are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium, which is why processing them into fertilizers makes sense. However, there is hardly any potassium at all, which is why supplementary fertilization is definitely necessary. The processing of horn fertilizers is not particularly complex. Basically, only three different grits are made. The fine horn meal, medium-fine horn semolina and coarse horn shavings. But the fertilizing effect of these horn fertilizers differs simply through the grinding process:
- Fine horn meal has a higher casting speed but a short duration. Due to its faster conversion, it contributes only to a small extent to humus reproduction.
- Coarse Horn Shavings have a slow cast speed but a long cast time. They contribute a little more to humus reproduction because of the slower duration of action.
- The properties of horn semolina range between horn meal and horn shavings.
All horn fertilizers have a naturalLong-term effect, since the nutrients contained must first be released and mineralized by soil microorganisms in order to be available to plants. Work the horn fertilizer into the top layer of soil or put it directly into the planting hole when planting. Subsequent watering helps to get the reaction going and drives away the unpleasant smell.
You can find detailed information on fertilizing with horn meal here, while this special article deals with the coarser horn shavings.
Tip: The composition of your toenails and fingernails is pretty much the same as that of cattle hooves. Stored and finely ground, they would also make a passable fertilizer. At least there's no harm in adding them to the compost heap.
Ash as fertilizer
The use of ash as a fertilizer is discussed again and again by gardening enthusiasts. To be clear: not every type of ash is suitable as a fertilizer. So it is no wonder that there is controversy over its use. Ash from untreated wood, straw or other plant material, as well as non-glossy printed paper, can be used as fertilizer. If such ash is available to you, however, you should never spread it directly over and under your plants over a large area. Ash has the following properties:
- An extremely high pH of 10 to 13
- Lots of calcium and magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, trace elements - but no nitrogen
- A very fast nutrient availability and rapid effect on soil pH
- Ash should not be spread in conjunction with ammonium fertilizer or phosphate fertilizer
In order not to damage lime-sensitive plants, you should only use the lime-tolerant or lime-loving garden and pot dwellers. Because the pH-changing effect sets in so quickly, ash can also be used to change the pH value of a heavy garden soil. However, light soils are all too easily overcalcified. The spreading of ash should be avoided here. Peat substrates can benefit greatly from ash because they are extremely low in calcium. Together with humus, ash can promote the formation of stable soil crumbs due to the calcium it contains, and it is of course one of the essential plant nutrients. Precisely because of the lack of nitrogen, ash is not a full-fledged fertilizer even for lime-loving plants. A supplement with aorganic long-term fertilizer is necessary in any case.
Be careful not to get the ash undiluted on your hands or plants, as the high pH will damage tissues. So, when using, rinse ash off hands and leaves immediately and wear gloves if possible.
You can find detailed information on fertilizing with ash in this special article.
Egg shells as fertilizer
Egg shells consist almost entirely of calcium carbonate, which is also commercially available as "carbonate of lime". It would be a shame to dispose of unused egg shells and buy lime at the hardware store. In principle, eggshells are therefore suitable for raising or stabilizing the pH value of a soil. However, its effect is quite slow. Because of this, eggshells can only have an impact on pH on light, sandy soils and in small soil volumes. Heavier and clayey soils, on the other hand, can hardly be disturbed chemically by a few eggshells.
If the eggshell is dissolved with soil acids, the pH value increases and calcium is released. Calcium is not only a nutrient important for plants, together with humus it also ensures good cementing of soil crumbs, thus increasing soil quality. In addition to calcium, egg shells also contain potassium, phosphorus and magnesium - but in quite small amounts. Finely ground egg shells, which are applied in conjunction with water, have the fastest effect. You should also make sure that eggshells are never mixed with fertilizers containing ammonium or phosphates. Otherwise, the smelly, gaseous ammonia forms in connection with ammonium. In contact with phosphates, poorly soluble calcium phosphates are formed, which fix both calcium and phosphate in the soil and make it difficult for plants to reach them.
You can also use your eggshells on your own compost heap, finely ground they work quickly enough to balance the pH of acidic rotting material. For example, pine shavings and needles, oak leaves and peat can be dusted with a layer of powder to speed up composting.
For more detailed information on egg shells as fertilizer, see this article.
Horse manure as fertilizer
Horse manure is a mixture of horse droppings, horse urine and bedding. Next to theHorse manure also contains the main nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, magnesium, many trace nutrients and, of course, organic structural material. When fresh, horse manure quickly provides large amounts of nutrients, but hardly improves the soil. However, after prolonged storage and composting, the nutrient content decreases and the soil-improving properties emerge. A high proportion of bedding material - i.e. straw, shavings or hay - ensures increased humus formation from the outset.
Vegetable plants with a short cultivation time - for example radishes - should not be treated with horse manure for hygienic reasons. Many plants do not tolerate the very high nutrient content of fresh horse manure: herbs and young plants, for example, would rather take this fertilization amiss. On the other hand, horse manure that has been stored and composted for a long time can be used as fertilizer and soil conditioner throughout the garden without hesitation. Of course, if you plan to use horse manure, sourcing locally is preferable. Maybe a horse owner in your area is willing to donate horse manure. Otherwise, fertilizer manufacturers offer dried and pelleted horse manure, which has a defined nutrient content, but is of course many times more expensive.
You can find more detailed information about horse manure as fertilizer here.
Urine as fertilizer
The urine of mammals - including that of humans - is rich in nitrogen compounds, phosphates, as well as potassium and calcium compounds. However, its suitability as a fertilizer is only valid to a limited extent and if a few important notes are observed.
For one thing, urine is by no means sterile, even if this rumor persists. The application to vegetable plants is therefore prohibited for hygienic reasons. Since urine has, among other things, the task of transporting waste products, metabolic products and excess s alt out of the body, fertilization with it can lead to soil pollution with s alt and medicines. The pH of urine can vary widely and also depends on how fresh it is used. It is entirely possible to kill a sensitive plant by "fertilizing" it with fresh urine.
A diluted application would be possible, but due to the strong fluctuation in urine properties, we do not rate it as a suitable fertilizer. However, it certainly has the potential to make a good fertilizer after chemical treatment and desalination. Maybe that would be a step inTowards more sustainable crop fertilization in agriculture.
You can find more detailed information on urine as a fertilizer in this special article.
Guano Fertilizer
Quite a few fertilizer manufacturers use the guano contained in their products as an organic sales argument. Before you reach for guano fertilizer, however, you should know the following about its origin:
- The environment in the guano mining areas has been and is severely damaged and the living conditions of the associated seabirds and bats are deteriorating
- Mining is often done in an inhumane way
- Two wars have already been fought over the raw material guano
- Mining, processing and transport are by no means as "organic" as consumers like to be told
But of course it's true that guano only contains natural raw materials. So if you still decide to buy a guano fertilizer, you can choose between red and white guano. Red guano mainly contains phosphate compounds, it occurs in fossil form and is also used in organic farming. White guano is nothing more than the droppings produced by seabirds or bats every day. It contains a lot of nitrogen and phosphate, as well as some potassium. Of course, different animal species also produce different faeces.
For more detailed information on guano fertilizer, see this article here.
Buy natural fertilizer or make it yourself
Natural fertilizers are not only found in the household, they can also be purchased. Here it is important to pay attention to where the raw materials used come from in the first place: For ecological reasons, opting for horse manure pellets, which may have had a long journey on different trucks behind them, is certainly not preferable to the neighbour's horse manure. If you don't have an immediate source of natural fertilizer, running a bokashi, worm bin, or your own composter could make your own fertilizer very sustainable.
If you don't have the time or leisure for that either, our Plantura organic fertilizers may be the best way to provide your plants with ecologically safe nutrients. The organic raw materials for our fertilizer production are purely vegetable. They come from organic farms that also supply the food and luxury food industry. By recycling by-products from production, our Plantura organic fertilizer is also resource-friendly. The naturalLong-term effect provides your plants with long-term care and the high organic content promotes soil quality. Another kind of insider tip is the use of compost from regional composting plants. Here, the raw materials that accumulate in organic bins and when tending green areas are composted and often sold for little money.
Tip: Wherever you get your fertilizer from: Don't let the flashy green packaging and the mere word "organic" convince you. Pay attention to the fine print, because of course many fertilizer producers are trying to jump on the trend towards sustainability - even without changing their products.
Benefits of natural fertilizers
Natural fertilizers that occur in the home or garden have decisive advantages: They do not have to travel long distances to get to us, are free of charge and are environmentally friendly. But purchased fertilizers made from natural materials also have advantages. Much less energy is used in the production of organic fertilizers than in the case of mineral fertilizers. No fossil deposits have to be exploited or long transport routes have to be covered, because organic waste accumulates wherever people live. By recycling nutrients, we close an important natural cycle and do something for our soil in the process. Because this is really not designed for nutrients to get in in their pure mineral form. Soil tends to suffer as a result of highly concentrated fertilizers, losing their good structure and humus content, soil organisms can no longer find food and die out locally. A he althy and sustainably fertile soil is only possible with natural fertilizers. After all, soil is more than just a sponge that absorbs nutrients and then releases them back to plants. It is a complex, living togetherness from which all the power of plants comes.
Application of natural fertilizers
In the previous paragraphs and the associated special articles you could get to know the composition and effect of different home remedies. A combination of the most diverse of these substances that occur at home - for example in the form of compost - can certainly ensure balanced plant nutrition. Considered individually, however, they offer rather unbalanced, underdosed or short-acting nutrition. Nevertheless, you should use the effects of home remedies as far as possible if you care about the sustainability of your actions - or you simply dohate to let things go to waste.
If you don't make your own compost and constantly deprive your plants of nutrients by removing leaves, clippings, fruit or vegetables and branch cuttings, the long-term supply of external nutrients is unavoidable. These should primarily be offered in organic form in order to maintain and promote the quality of your soil. The slow release by active soil life results in a fluent release that allows for even plant growth. Such a long-term organic fertilizer is easy to use and poses no risk to the soil or the environment. Even if you distribute it a little more generously, over-fertilization is more than unlikely. Our Plantura organic fertilizers are suitably composed for different plant groups - for lawns, autumn lawns, tomatoes and vegetables, flowers and also as a universal fertilizer.