All about Soils, Soil Improvers, Soil Amendment, Fertilizers, Manures, and Composts
SOIL IMPROVERS
What is the difference between Composts and Fertilizer
How often have you come across folks who use the words Compost and Fertilizer interchangeably? We are sure that your answer is many times.
Often people will add Compost to their soil and write to us that their plants are still not doing well. So we thought we’d clear the air a bit, so to speak.
Soil is the building block that sustains all our plants. And, Compost nourishes and builds this soil. All the organic matter like dead plants, vegetable peels, egg shells, fallen leaves, broken wood pieces (the list is endless) once composted is broken down (naturally or by using worms) into matter which helps to “amend” the soil and improve its texture. So it helps anchor your plants in a medium that has been prepared and made more cultivable. Indirectly it does increase the chances of getting a good produce and better fruit, flowers, and vegetables. This soil amendment helps your plant’s resistance to diseases, helps in ensuring that the roots are getting proper aeration and drainage.
Fertilizer on the other hand directly feeds your plant.
Whether organic or chemical, fertilizers have added nutrients such as Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Potassium (NPK), Zinc, Sulphur, Calcium, Boron, Magnesium etc. Think of these as the Vitamin Pill you pop in in addition to your basic food. For plants the basic food is water, air, and sunlight. Using these, the plant gets its Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen and 14 other essential nutrients. But, the plant does need more to be at its healthiest. NPK and the other elements in the fertilizer mentioned above plays a separate role in promoting foliage, flower or fruit production.
Further these should not be confused with Manure which contains excreted organic matter from animals and livestock. Therefore Manure does contain plant sustaining micronutrients.
Are any of these complete in themselves? No! They all are needed to work hand-in-hand to form a complete and robust group of interventions we gardeners do to create the best environment and set of nutrients for a Rocking Bumper Harvest of Produce. If you have trouble getting the right set of plant additives and soil amenders, do write to us at info@groveflora.com.
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