Nutrients for Plants
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#13: Is That Blue Fertilizer Safe? Is it Organic?
I’ve had many people ask me if that popular “blue fertilizer” is a good choice. The short
answer is - "No!"
Here is what Rodale says:
“…is a synthetic fertilizer that contains ammonium phosphate and several other
chemicals that can be toxic to your soil and plants. It is prohibited from use in
certified-organic farming."
Here’s what soil expert Robert Parnes, Ph.D., says in his book "Fertile Soil":
"[Ammonium fertilizer] acidifies the soil, and thus it is probably more harmful to
soil organisms than any other nitrogen fertilizer. The application has to be timed
carefully and placed properly to avoid burning the leaves and roots. In addition,
ammonium tends to inhibit the release of potassium. Ammonium fertilizers are
deliberately manufactured to be spread at high application rates in order to
obtain maximum yields with no regard to adverse effects on the soil. Probably
nowhere is the conflict between the mass production of food to feed the world
and the preservation of the soil more obvious than in the confrontation over the
use of either ammonium fertilizers or liquid ammonia."
And there’s more: long-term studies at the University of Wisconsin have shown that
acidic chemical fertilizers are causing serious, permanent damage to our soils. Usually
these fertilizers are also highly soluble, so they leach away and pollute our water
systems, too.
Soil fertility authority Garn Wallace, Ph.D., of Wallace Laboratories in El Segundo,
California, points out that the blue fertilizer contains muriate of potash, which contains
excess chlorine that will burn plants and inhibit the uptake of nitrogen. Dr. Wallace also
warns that these chemical fertilizers often contain unsafe levels of zinc and copper that
will be toxic to soil life.
Soil, being everything, must contain life in the form of microscopic bacteria
and other weird looking life forms. Use of shortcuts is never recommended, and
this blue fertilizer, despite millions of dollars worth of marketing, can be nasty for
sustainable gardening.
Chemical fertilizers can harm the soil, as Rodale's Encyclopedia notes:
"Soluble chemical fertilizers contain mineral salts that are readily available for
uptake by plant roots. However, these salts do not provide a food source for soil
microorganisms and earthworms, and will even repel earthworms because they
acidify the soil. Over time, soils treated only with synthetic chemical fertilizers will
have decreased organic matter and altered biological activity. And as soil
structure declines and water-holding capacity diminishes, a greater proportion of
the soluble chemical fertilizers applied will leach through the soil. Ever-
increasing amounts of chemicals will be needed to feed the plants."
Feed the soil – if you feed the soil, it will improve the soil’s texture, stimulate microbial
life, and help prevent disease, all the while giving your plants plenty of nutrients to feed
off of.
Plants want to live off of the nutrients in the soil, not some blue chemical concoction. If
you feed your soil, then your plants will eat well, they will have good beds to thrive in,
and they will produce healthy fruits and vegetables.
Remember, all synthetic chemical fertilizers contain poisons, pollute water, destroy
microbes in the soil, burn roots unless heavily watered, require constant watering,
contain less micro-nutrition and are heavily laden with salt.
THE CHOICE IS CLEAR – ORGANIC IS BETTER!
Resources:
Rodale Press - one of the world's largest publishers of health and fitness related books
and magazines, including publications on organic gardening
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. 1992, Rodale Press, Inc.
answer is - "No!"
Here is what Rodale says:
“…is a synthetic fertilizer that contains ammonium phosphate and several other
chemicals that can be toxic to your soil and plants. It is prohibited from use in
certified-organic farming."
Here’s what soil expert Robert Parnes, Ph.D., says in his book "Fertile Soil":
"[Ammonium fertilizer] acidifies the soil, and thus it is probably more harmful to
soil organisms than any other nitrogen fertilizer. The application has to be timed
carefully and placed properly to avoid burning the leaves and roots. In addition,
ammonium tends to inhibit the release of potassium. Ammonium fertilizers are
deliberately manufactured to be spread at high application rates in order to
obtain maximum yields with no regard to adverse effects on the soil. Probably
nowhere is the conflict between the mass production of food to feed the world
and the preservation of the soil more obvious than in the confrontation over the
use of either ammonium fertilizers or liquid ammonia."
And there’s more: long-term studies at the University of Wisconsin have shown that
acidic chemical fertilizers are causing serious, permanent damage to our soils. Usually
these fertilizers are also highly soluble, so they leach away and pollute our water
systems, too.
Soil fertility authority Garn Wallace, Ph.D., of Wallace Laboratories in El Segundo,
California, points out that the blue fertilizer contains muriate of potash, which contains
excess chlorine that will burn plants and inhibit the uptake of nitrogen. Dr. Wallace also
warns that these chemical fertilizers often contain unsafe levels of zinc and copper that
will be toxic to soil life.
Soil, being everything, must contain life in the form of microscopic bacteria
and other weird looking life forms. Use of shortcuts is never recommended, and
this blue fertilizer, despite millions of dollars worth of marketing, can be nasty for
sustainable gardening.
Chemical fertilizers can harm the soil, as Rodale's Encyclopedia notes:
"Soluble chemical fertilizers contain mineral salts that are readily available for
uptake by plant roots. However, these salts do not provide a food source for soil
microorganisms and earthworms, and will even repel earthworms because they
acidify the soil. Over time, soils treated only with synthetic chemical fertilizers will
have decreased organic matter and altered biological activity. And as soil
structure declines and water-holding capacity diminishes, a greater proportion of
the soluble chemical fertilizers applied will leach through the soil. Ever-
increasing amounts of chemicals will be needed to feed the plants."
Feed the soil – if you feed the soil, it will improve the soil’s texture, stimulate microbial
life, and help prevent disease, all the while giving your plants plenty of nutrients to feed
off of.
Plants want to live off of the nutrients in the soil, not some blue chemical concoction. If
you feed your soil, then your plants will eat well, they will have good beds to thrive in,
and they will produce healthy fruits and vegetables.
Remember, all synthetic chemical fertilizers contain poisons, pollute water, destroy
microbes in the soil, burn roots unless heavily watered, require constant watering,
contain less micro-nutrition and are heavily laden with salt.
THE CHOICE IS CLEAR – ORGANIC IS BETTER!
Resources:
Rodale Press - one of the world's largest publishers of health and fitness related books
and magazines, including publications on organic gardening
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. 1992, Rodale Press, Inc.