Natural / Organic Sources of Plant Nutrients
Nitrogen Sources (N)
• Blood Meal (13 – 0 – 0). A great organic source of soluble, quickly available Nitrogen which promotes rapid growth and high yields. It is collected at slaughterhouses, dried and ground into a powder or meal. Blood meal provides abundant chelated Iron and nutrient rich amino acids.
• Feather Meal (12 – 0 – 0). Poultry feathers are steamed under pressure, dried then ground into a powdery feather meal. Excellent slow release of organic Nitrogen. Feather meal gradually releases Nitrogen over the season as the protein decomposes through microbial activity.
• Bat Guano (10 – 3 – 1). Deposits are typically mined from bat caves in Mexico and Texas. A rich source of quick-acting, soluble Nitrogen and Phosphorus. Good for early and mid season side dressing of flowers, vegetables and container plants; or dissolved in water as a liquid fertilizer or foliar spray.
• Fish Meal (9 – 4 – 1). Blended from natural marine products. It is an excellent fertilizer that contains a wide variety of primary, secondary and micro nutrients. It is a great compost activator.
• Cottonseed Meal (5 – 2 – 1). An excellent all purpose organic fertilizer for use on all crops. Cottonseed meal is made from shelled cotton seeds that has had the oil extracted. Cottonseed meal's ability to slightly acidify soil is especially valuable for potatoes, berries, squash, strawberries, rhododendrons and azaleas.
• Alfalfa Meal (2 – 1 – 2). As a fertilizer, alfalfa meal provides primary and secondary nutrients to plants along with many enzymes, vitamins, minerals and triaconatol, a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant. Excellent for roses, vegetable gardens, containers and bedding plants. Rich in Magnesium!
Phosphorous Sources (P)
• Fish Bone Meal (3 – 18 – 0). Is an excellent 100% organic source of Phosphorous, Calcium and many trace elements. Sea-water is the ultimate depository of all water-soluble nutrients and elements that were once in the soil. Excellent for promoting healthy root development, abundant flower and fruit set.
• Bone Meal (3 – 15 – 0). A good source of organic Phosphorous, Nitrogen and Calcium (24%). Bone meal is made from animal bones at slaughterhouses. It is steamed then ground into a powder, which allows it to release nutrients sooner. Excellent for root and flower production. Use for shrubs, flowers and roses.
• Soft Rock Phosphate (0 – 2 – 0). Is a naturally occurring rock mineral, also called colloidal phosphate. Most rock phosphate has been formed from the deposit of shells and skeletal remains of microorganisms. It is both an immediately available and long-term source of Phosphorus. It contains 16% P2O5 (2% immediately available), 20 % Calcium and many trace minerals. Best if worked in prior to planting all flowering shrubs, fruit trees or new gardens. Soil pH should be between 6.0-7.0 for best results.
Potassium Sources (K)
• Kelp Meal (.6 – .5 – 2.5). Ascophyllum Nodosum kelp meal is the most readily available source of Potassium. It is harvested off the coast of Norway. It contains over 70 minerals, 21 amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates, and several essential growth hormones, including cytokinins, auxins and gibberellins, which stimulate cell division, cell elongation, internode elongation and cell enlargement. Kelp enhances seed germination, increases the uptake of nutrients, frost protection and stress recovery. Kelp is an excellent source of chelated minerals necessary for proper plant growth. Mannitol and alginic acid are major components of kelp and act as agents helping in the formation of humus.