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Ask Our Experts > Organic Gardening

What is an organic fertilizer that works for everything?

— Thalmus Neal
Ayden, North Carolina

Fertilizer companies — even those that make organic products — like to make us think we need one fertilizer for tomatoes, another for flowers, another for “vegetables,” another for lawns. But unless you have had a soil test (most of us have not), then there is no way to know what the optimum fertilizer mix is for your soil. So your best best is to use any fertilizer labeled “all purpose” or “for vegetables,” if that is what you are growing. And by the way, you don’t need to buy fertilizer, really. Plain old grass clippings are an excellent fertilizer, and they do double duty as a mulch.

See also: 

— Cheryl Long, Editor in Chief

22 Comments

  • motherreader 3/2/2009 12:51:31 PM

    Hi JP,

    Check out "Worms! Soil-building Workhorses": http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2008-06-01/Soil-Building-Worms.aspx

    -Tabitha Alterman, Mother Earth News

  • JP 3/1/2009 3:23:32 PM

    Looking to start worm composting. Any design ideas for an indoor worm box. Also any tips to get started right. Thanks

  • Brenda Lee 2/20/2009 11:41:34 AM

    I have a raised vegetable garden. The problem is, my cat has been using for a litter box occasionally. Is it still safe to eat my vegetables?

  • Nick 2/18/2009 8:06:47 PM

    Rabbit Manure is a great fertilizer and is usable the moment it is made. It will not "burn" anything. If you are worried about using it straight put it in a pile and cover it with straw, the worms will find it and it will be worm castings in no time.

  • Harry 2/16/2009 3:32:35 PM

    The other problem with using cat/dog faeces is the treatment you use to worm the animals ends up in your garden and can kill the earth worms.

  • bitchiecupcake 2/15/2009 5:50:41 PM

    I noticed the entry on *biochar*, could someone fill me in on what this is, and the method of burning it where you are going to garden? Thanx.

  • Bill L 2/15/2009 4:06:35 PM

    good rule of thumb is if the critter is carnivorous, the excrement will not be good for fertilizer or compost.Best to stick with cow or horse, Sheep is good but hard to come by. Rabbit is super good now comes my fav. CHICKEN but it must be used by those with experience with it. It is full of ammonia. Folks say its OK after sitting for a yr or 2. However if you use it in raised beds an used deep it will work fine and not "BURN" plants.

  • Bruce K 2/14/2009 11:51:30 PM

    Compost truly works wonders for your soil - feeds the plants nitrogen, helps to retain mositure, breaks up loam and clay, brings air to the roots of plants.

    Compost tea also makes a great fertilizer.

    More info for your garden here: http://www.greenterrafirma.com/greening-your-garden.html

    And for natural lawn care:
    http://www.greenterrafirma.com/lawn-care.html

    Enjoy.

  • dabido 2/14/2009 5:39:29 PM

    Another free fertilizer is used coffee grounds. Of course, you can add it to your compost pile, but it also works directly applied as an excellent fertilizer. Best of all, you can obtain it in quantity from your local coffee shop for the asking.

  • paul love 2/14/2009 11:30:48 AM

    greetings,i know i have seen plans for a pyramid greenhouse.i can't remember where,can you help?

  • Justin 2/14/2009 10:30:11 AM

    By far the best (and cheapest) fertilizer for any and every situation is COMPOST. It's free, will never burn your plant/tree, and when done right, is teeming with soil life...beneficial microbes that will help your plants get the nutrient they need from the soil.

    Next in line is well-diluted human urine...it's free, sterile, contains abundant nitrogen (some P and K, micronutrients as well). Just use it within 24 hours, and dilute it 1:15-30 urine:water.

    Just my 2 cents! :)

  • LEONIE Edge 2/14/2009 5:23:35 AM

    I have heard that the BEST fertiliser, bar none, is guinea pig poo.

    Considering that cavies are also human food, why not?

    Dominus tecum
    Leonie in Warrnambool

  • Portia McCracken 2/13/2009 4:47:11 PM

    Never use feces from cats or dogs as fertilizer, as they are way too high in N & they harbor a number of pathogens which can make humans very sick.

  • Portia McCracken 2/13/2009 4:46:56 PM

    Never use feces from cats or dogs as fertilizer, as they are way too high in N & they harbor a number of pathogens which can make humans very sick.

  • Rita W 2/13/2009 4:27:18 PM

    This might be a weird question, but has anyone ever used manure from the cat litter box as fertilizer? Is it usable as fertilizer?

  • Cibil A. Sesco-Reaves 2/13/2009 1:19:59 PM

    I have a horse and a pony and they provide me with copious amounts of excellent fertilizer. Horse manure is not as "hot" as cow or chicken manure and can be used at a "fresher" stage. I don't have much experience with rabbit or goat, so can't advise on that. I am also going to be turning my stall cleanings (straw and hay mixed in with the manure) into biochar by burning them in trenches in my inteneded garden space.

  • bcsunflower 2/13/2009 11:14:56 AM

    I have an indoor worm composter which produces the most beautiful worm castings from my kitchen scraps ... free!

  • Marie Devine 2/13/2009 9:56:42 AM

    When we choose pets that feed us instead of us feeding them, we will have plenty of free fertilizer, whether it be goat, sheep, cow or chicken etc.

  • Cheryl 2/13/2009 9:26:29 AM

    I also like using worm castings. I buy mine from Rising Mist Organic farms in Kansas. They have a great web site, too, with lots of info on the benefits of worm castings. Also have available worms and worm kits so you can keep a steady supply around.

  • Debi 2/13/2009 8:25:18 AM

    Horse or cow manure are also really good fertilizers. Especially as a tea, just fill a bucket 1/3 to 1/2 full of dried manure and finish it off with water and let it steep. Use the water to water plants of any kind and just keep adding more water to the bucket.

  • Paratrooper 2/9/2009 9:55:50 PM

    I have access to tons of free goat manure . Anything wrong with using this for everything ???

  • Marty Sage 2/5/2009 11:18:01 AM

    Liquid seaweed is an excellent and fairly low cost organice fertilizer with lots of trace minerals and natural plant growth hormones. One Tbl spoon per gallon of water and spray as a foliar fertilizer.

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