Organic Fertilizers

There are many different kinds of organic fertilizers. Blood meal,urea, cottonseed meal, manures, and hoof and horn meal are all organic fertilizers, which can be used to amend and add nutrients to desert soil.

Several organic fertilizers are actually manufactured synthetically. Urea is a prime example of a synthetically manufactured organic fertilizer. The components of urea are hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon which are also the main components for urine.

Cottonseed meal, a byproduct of cotton, usually contains seven percent nitrogen, three percent phosphorus and two percent potash. The package is usually marked 7-3-2 to represent this mixture. Cottonseed meal is somewhat acidic, and too much of it can burn plants. For your garden use about two to five pounds per 1,000 square feet, depending on the alkalinity of the soil.

Blood meal comes from blood that has been salvaged and collected from slaughterhouses. It is then dried and powdered. A very rich source of nitrogen, it may harm plants if you apply too much of it. Make sure you apply the amount recommended on the package label. Blood meal may also include trace micro-nutrients that are necessary for plants to thrive. Iron may be one of the trace elements.

Fish emulsion (although it has a very strong odor) is a fairly good, all-around fertilizer. It is a decomposed blend of finely crushed fish. The odor will go away in a day or two. It is high in nitrogen and also provides several micro-nutrients to the soil. Apply in late spring after plants have sprouted. When you apply fish emulsion, make sure you give the plants a very deep watering. Be warned, though. Fish emulsion can burn plants if applied too heavily. Container plants are especially susceptible.

Fresh manure has the highest amount of nutrients. Experienced gardeners, though, know to use composted manure. Fresh manure has a high volume of salt in it, and application of it can burn plants. It may also contain pathogens, such as e. coli, which can cause sickness and death in humans.

Types of manure that are high in nitrogen include:

Some gardeners also use activated and composted sewerage sludge. However, there is evidence that there may be serious long-term human health effects using sewerage sludge. Heavy metals like cadmium, lead, arsenic and other elements can be present in it, and they can build up in the soil.