Organic Fertilizer Key Terms

Use organic fertilizer key terms to make sure you have natural products

By Tara McClendon, Freelance Writer/Editor Tara McClendon

Whether you plant organic crops or want to make sure chemicals won't seep into groundwater from company landscaping, organic fertilizer can help your products grow. In order to qualify as organic, a fertilizer must be free of chemicals. There are different types of organic fertilizer, which is why it can help for you to understand organic fertilizer key terms. It can also be beneficial to know some of the key terms relevant to fertilizer but not necessarily specific to organic ones.

Artificial chemical fertilizers

An artificial chemical fertilizer is a synthetic product. While some of the components in chemical fertilizers may occur naturally or even be organic, a large part of the composition is chemically altered material. Other names for artificial chemical fertilizers include inorganic, manufactured or synthetic fertilizer.
Try: Danny Lipford compares inorganic to organic fertilizers.

Phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen

Most fertilizers contain three key elements: phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. Different fertilizers use varying ratios of the key elements, which makes some fertilizers better for specific crops than others. When it comes to organic fertilizer, the chemical composition will vary depending on the organic material used to make it.
Try: OrchidPlanent.com provides an overview of the composition of fertilizer.

Compost

Decomposed organic material is compost. You can make it from left over food scraps or other organic material. Many organic farmers use backyard composting, which is the intentional production of compost.
Try: TheGardenofOz.org provides an overview of compost and offers examples for naturally occurring compost.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is the process of using earth worms to help organic material decompose. The end result can provide richer compost than other types of composting.
Try: Keith Addison provides an in-depth look at vermicomposting.

Local conditions

Some manufacturers of organic fertilizers recommend a specific product based on local conditions. Soil conditions and typical weather are two local conditions that directly affect the type of crop you grow.
Try: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations describes different local conditions and provides pictures.

Natural fertilizer

Many people believe that natural fertilizer is organic, but this isn't necessarily true. Natural fertilizers can have synthetic materials in the composition and still classify as natural, but they won't qualify as organic under the rules and regulations established by the USDA.
Try: Yardiac.com details the differences between natural and organic fertilizers.