Hey there! Ever wondered about those special fertilizers that can give your garden a boost while also being organic?
Well, they’re colloquially called organic NPK fertilizers, and they’re made from natural materials like animal and plant waste.
Animal manure, bone meals, blood meals, and plant residues – all packed with essential macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients are crucial for healthy plant growth and can improve your soil quality too! They are the perfect example of organic NPK fertilizers.
If you’re curious to learn more about organic NPK fertilizers, you’re in luck. Just keep patience and read this article till the end. I promise it’ll give you all the juicy details you need to know about these amazing fertilizers.
Ready to dive into the world of organic NPK fertilizers? Let’s get started!
What Is “NPK” In Organic NPK Fertilizers?
Plants, just like us and other animals, need nutrients to grow healthy. When there’s a deficiency in the availability of macro and micronutrients, it can slow down or even halt the growth of both plants and animals.
Unlike animals, who break down large molecules through digestion, plants don’t have a digestive system. Instead, they gather essential nutrients directly from the environment in small molecular forms. If plants can’t access these nutrients, their growth will suffer.
The soil plays a vital role in providing nutrients to plants, but its fertility and nutrient content can vary. This is where selecting the right fertilizer becomes important. Animal manure, a type of fertilizer, is packed with essential macros and micronutrients. It helps condition the soil, making it ideal for growing vegetable plants.
Using animal manure as a fertilizer is an organic and effective way to nourish your plants. It supports their growth by providing the necessary nutrients they need to thrive. So, if you’re looking to enhance your garden’s soil and promote healthy plant growth, animal manure can be a great choice.
Let’s get some details knowledge about the N-P-K ratio.
What Does The N-P-K Ratio Actually Mean?
N-P-K refers to the scientific symbol of Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus(P), and Potassium(K). The N-P-K ratio refers to the proportion of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in fertilizers and manures. These macronutrients are essential for plant growth, and the soil naturally provides them to plants.
However, if there’s a deficiency in these nutrients, external application of fertilizers and manures can help.
Why Is N-P-K(Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) Important For Your Plant?
Nitrogen plays a crucial role in plants as it aids in the production of special proteins that contribute to overall plant growth and root strength.
Phosphorus is essential for plants during photosynthesis, the process by which they create food using sunlight. Phosphorus is a vital component of ATP, which is the energy unit of plants. A deficiency in phosphorus can hinder plant growth.
Potassium is involved in the movement of water, nutrients, and food within different plant tissues. Its presence ensures smooth transportation processes. Without sufficient potassium, the movement of essential substances can be disrupted, resulting in stunted growth.
Maintaining the proper balance of these macronutrients is important for the overall health and development of plants.
By understanding the significance of the N-P-K ratio, gardeners can make informed choices when selecting fertilizers or manures to support their plants’ growth.
List Of Different Types Of Organic NPK Fertilizers
Manures & Compost:
Manures and compost provide a rich supply of macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micronutrients like boron, zinc, cobalt, nickel, calcium, manganese, and molybdenum.
Applying manure to your soil delivers numerous benefits.
- It improves soil quality by enhancing its water-holding capacity and increasing soil porosity, which promotes healthy microbial activity.
- By using manure and compost as natural fertilizers, you can avoid the potential risks associated with using synthetic chemicals in the food chain.
- Plus, you’ll be able to grow organic produce right in your own home garden.
- It’s important to note that the nutrients released from manure take some time to become available to plants.
This slow-release characteristic ensures that the positive effects of manure application last for an extended period, providing sustained nourishment to your plants.
N-P-K Ratio In Some Of The Manures & Compost Fertilizers:
| Name of the manure | Nutrient value | ||
| Nitrogen | Phosphorus | Potassium | |
| Bulky organic manure | 0.3-0.5 | 0.1-0.6 | 0.1-1 |
| Farmyard manure | 0.4-1.5 | 0.3-0.9 | 0.3-1.9 |
| Cow manure | 0.4-0.5 | 0.3-0.4 | 0.3-0.4 |
| Horse Manure | 0.5 | 0.4-0.6 | 0.3-1 |
| Goat Manure | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Chicken manure | 1-1.8 | 1.4-1.8 | 0.8-0.9 |
| Non-edible castor Oil cakes | 4.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| Edible coconut oil cakes | 3 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| Horn & hoof meal | 14 | 2 | – |
| Raw bone meal | 3-4 | 20-25 | – |
| Steamed bone meal | 1-2 | 25-30 | – |
| Fish meal | 4-10 | 3.9 | 0.3-1.5 |
| Meat meal | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Blood meal | 10-12 | 1.2 | 1 |
Green Manures/ Cover Crops:
- Green manures consist of under-composted soft plant residues that are an excellent source of nitrogen. Applying green manure to your soil can significantly enhance the growth of fruiting and vegetable plants.
- One of the key benefits of green manure is its ability to improve soil quality. By adding organic matter to the soil, it enhances its overall health and fertility.
- Green manure also contributes to better moisture retention and improved drainage in the soil. Additionally, its odorless nature reduces the risk of pests and insects attacking your plants.
- By increasing microbial activity, green manures promote soil biodiversity, creating a more balanced and thriving ecosystem.
- These environmentally friendly manures play a positive role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a healthier planet.
- Thanks to their slow-release properties, green manures ensure a prolonged supply of macronutrients and micronutrients to the soil, effectively maintaining soil fertility over an extended period of time.
Plant, Stubble & Roots Residues:
Another category of nutrient-rich natural fertilizers for soil conditioning is sub-categorized into two groups: field residue and process residue.
Field Residue
Field residue refers to the leftover parts of crops that remain after harvesting.
Examples of field residue include stalks and stem.
Applying field residues to the soil offers multiple benefits, such as preventing soil erosion and improving the soil’s moisture-holding capacity.
By covering the soil surface, these residues shield it from direct sunlight, preserving moisture levels.
Process Residue
Process residue, on the other hand, comprises the leftover parts of crops after processing them into a usable form.
Husks (such as corn husks), seeds, and bagasse (the residue left from extracting juice from sugarcane) fall into this category.
Process residues can serve as both animal feed and soil amendments, providing additional value and reducing waste.
Both field residues and process residues contribute to enhancing soil fertility and overall soil health, making them valuable natural fertilizers for conditioning the soil.
Kitchen & Garden Scrap Fertilizers
There are several post-harvest leftovers, kitchen scraps, and gardening residues that can also act as natural fertilizers for conditioning the soil and supplying nutrients to the plants. NPK ratio in some of the organic NPK fertilizers are given below.
N-P-K Ratio In Fertilizers: Kitchen & Garden Scrap Fertilizers
| Name | Nutrient Value | ||
| Nitrogen | Phosphorus | Potassium | |
| Grass clippings | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Weeds | 0.83 | 0.13 | 1.3 |
| Kitchen scraps | 2 | 0.5-1 | 2 |
| Tree leaves | 0.66-1.62 | 0.02-0.29 | 0.09-0.88 |
| Eggshells | – | 0.3 | – |
| Banana peels | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.3 |
Check out this video get an idea of a few home made fertilizers.
Advantages & Disadvantages Of Organic NPK Fertilizer
| Sl. No. | Advantages | Sl. No. | Disadvantages |
| tT | The application of organic npk manure adds minerals and nutrients to the soil organically. It improves the condition of the soil by increasing fertility, water-holding capacity, and improving the drainage system. | 1. | Organic npk manure releases its nutrients slowly. It takes more time compared to other inorganic compounds. Sometimes, it takes more than one year or an entire growth cycle of a particular plant to supply nutrients after its application. |
| 2. | Organic npk compounds contain low or moderate levels of nutrients. Therefore, its application to the soil becomes much handier, | 2. | As it contains moderate levels of nutrients, it requires a large amount for application to get the best benefit of the manure. |
| 3. | Organic npk manures are environment-friendly. It reduces the greenhouse gas effect and prevents soil erosion and water pollution. | 3. | Most organic npk manures can’t be used without composting. At the time of composting, it may create some bad odor that may attract flies and insects. |
| 4. | Adding organic npk fertilizers to the soil increases microbial activities resulting in improved bio-diversity. | 4. | The result of the application of organic npk fertilizers becomes sometimes inconsistent. The result depends on the type of plants, climatic conditions, and soil quality. |
| 5. | If you can arrange the organic npk manure at your home, it is a cost-effective way to fertilize your soil | 5. | If you can’t arrange it at home, the availability of organic npk manure except for the kitchen scraps may be somehow difficult. |
How To Use Organic NPK Fertilizers In Your Garden
NPK fertilizers, whether organic or non-organic, have specific ways to apply them. It depends on your plants, soil, and expected results.
For leafy greens, applying NPK fertilizers differs from flowering and fruiting plants and also for indoor plants. Incorrect timing or too much fertilizer can harm your greens.
That’s why it’s important to learn the right way to apply NPK fertilizers to your garden plants.
Conclusion and Take Away!
Organic NPK fertilizers offer a natural and sustainable approach to nourishing your plants and promoting healthy growth. These npk fertilizers provide a range of essential nutrients to support plant development. By choosing organic options, gardeners can enhance soil fertility, improve plant resilience, and minimize the environmental impact associated with synthetic fertilizers.
So what are you waiting for? Bookmark this page for future use and share it with friends who are really into gardening.
I’ve addressed all your concerns about the organic npk fertilizer. If you’re curious about other cool farming methods or the best veggies and herbs for your home garden, check out my other articles in the related post section below or the recent post section at the top-right.
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Misty S is the founder and lead writer at GrowOrganicGreens.com, a comprehensive gardening resource dedicated to helping people cultivate beautiful and sustainable gardens. She has a Master’s degree in Economics and specialized studies in agricultural economics, horticulture, and soil science. Drawing from her extensive knowledge and experience, Misty shares practical gardening tips on soil preparation, organic manure composting, fertilizers, plant care, and indoor gardening, making her advice accessible and helpful to gardeners of all levels.
Despite having an high-demanding 9-5 job, Misty dedicates her personal time to researching and exploring various gardening topics. Her keen interest in gardening has grown into a passion, driving her to help new gardeners and anyone interested in starting their gardening journey.
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