I agree that chemically there may be no difference between organic and chemical fertilizers. However, organic fertilizers tend to be non-water soluable, while the chemical ones are water soluable. For that reason, organic fertilizers release the nutrients slowly, providing a steadier, lower-level source of nutrients over a longer period of time.
Don't ask me which one you should use though. I'm sure there's a case for either type.
scott
No chemicals isn't necessarily healthier. If you check so-called natural
> source fertilizers you will find that many are exactly the same thing as the
> *usually* cheaper "chemical" product. Just because the product is produced
> chemically doesn't make it worse than, say, ground pelletized chicken
> scraps. Nitrogen is nitrogen is nitrogen. It doesn't really matter where it
> came from, it's still nitrogen.
>
> Organic doesn't always mean better. Just as an example, there was a lot of
> talk on the news a while back about a study paid for by an organic farmers'
> association to compare organic produce with "chemical-laced" farming. The
> study concluded that there were no more than trace amounts of pesticide on
> the chemically farmed produce (& that it could be removed by washing in
> water) and that the organic produce often had dangerously high levels of
> e-coli contamination that might not be removed by washing.
>
> There's still the consideration of what else might be happening to the
> environment because of the products you choose. In Toronto, a sewage
> pelletizing program was shut down. The product was expensive to produce,
> difficult to use successfully, and dangerous to produce (the plant blew up).
> Over the short term, any environmental benefit that users of the product may
> have achieved was overshadowed by the terrific amount of air pollution from
> the burning sewage & factory.
>
> The trick to using chemicals is to use only the products needed to solve
> whatever problem you might be having, and to follow the directions exactly.
> Don't use pesticides unless you have bug problems, don't treat for crabgrass
> unless you have crabgrass, etc. The healthier you can get your lawn, the
> less you'll have to put on it anyway. Healthy turf shades weed seeds &
> outcompetes them for nutrients. Healthy turf can better withstand drought & > disease.
>
> > Hi folks, I just bought a new home last September and want to keep all
> > sorts of chemicals off my lawn for health, environmental, and dog
> > reasons. Can anyone recommend organic products that will help me keep
> > the lawn happy and healthy?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Joanne
> >
> >
>
>