Soil

Fertilizing is an essential part of raising a successful vegetable garden. Since plants rely on a variety of minerals and nutrients to support vibrant growth, getting the right blend to the roots...

Blueberry bushes make up a large family of fruiting bush with species growing both above the Arctic Circle and well into the humid southern reaches of North America. Blueberries are related to...

Chicken manure has the highest content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of the animal kingdom and thus is a potent garden fertilizer. Although you can spread the fresh manure in the fall and...

Plants grow best in neutral soil--soil with a pH balance of 6.5 to 7.5. Lower numbers indicate acidic soil and higher numbers indicate basic, or alkaline, soil. To optimize growing conditions,...

Beginning gardeners are often baffled when trying to choose a commercial fertilizer, each with a different three-number combination on the package. These numbers identify the three main...

Urea is widely used in the agricultural industry as an animal feed additive and fertilizer. With 46 percent nitrogen, it is an efficient source of nitrogen in fertilizers.

Sheep, goat, cow, horse, chicken or bat---combine any of these manures with your compost and you will see positive results in your garden. These positive results typically last the length of a...

Whether you are clearing out old trees or simply pruning bushes, you may have a pile of hardwood just waiting to be reused. Why not compost it and give it another life in nutrient-rich soil?...

A compost bin turns decomposing food scraps and yard waste into rich garden soil. However, adding the wrong ingredients can cause foul odors and attract unwanted pests. Use the right ingredients,...

Compost bins are a great way to reduce waste and costs and provide an excellent source of nutrients for our gardens. Composting isn't difficult, but a hot compost pile will get the best results....

Compost is an excellent soil fertilizer that can be used on lawns, gardens, and in flowerbeds. Still, not just anything can be tossed into a compost bin. The correct compost recipe ensures the...

Biofertilizers are a large group of fertilizers that include microorganism brews of bacteria or fungi, minerals that encourage soil yield, and several kinds of composting approaches....

In an economy where many people are cutting back on expenses, many gardeners and homeowners are looking for low-cost, easy ways to keep their plants and lawns alive and happy. One fail-safe way is...

Composting is the natural process of organic materials breaking down over time. Microbial organisms such as fungi and bacteria consume organic waste. In order for the process to work, the...

Building a successful compost pile requires adding both nitrogen rich and carbon rich materials to your compost. This article covers nitrogen or "green" composting materials.

Nitrogen is necessary for plant growth, but commercial fertilizers can increase your soil's nitrogen levels too rapidly and cause a buildup of nitrogen, which over time will destroy your soil's...

Compost soil is a free medium to grow plants and vegetables in that you create yourself from leftover items and organic waste. You create compost soil by adding items that are naturally high in...

Fertilizing with manure offers an eco-friendly way to enhance soil and plant growth while reducing chemical contamination. Though many animals produce dung suitable for fertilizer, farmers and...

Farmers and home gardeners are returning to organic fertilizers to produce healthy and chemical-free plants. Manure from most farm animals can be used, but cow manure is a favorite among gardeners...

Most plants, especially those that are grown outside of their native ranges, need soil supplements in the form of fertilizer. This might include adding nitrogen for growth, phosphorous for bloom...

In as little as two weeks, you can have nutrient-rich compost for your garden or plant pots. It takes more work than the traditional slower method of composting, but you'll be rewarded with...

A wide variety of nutrients aid plant growth and flowering. Some nutrients are added by gardeners to boost production, some are found naturally in the soil, and some are drawn from the air and...

A soil test is conducted to measure the types and amounts of nutrients that are available to plants grown in the location from which the test sample was taken. In many states, agriculture...

Chemical fertilizers promote plant growth and are produced by a chemical process. Chemical fertilizers are less bulky than natural fertilizers such as manure or compost. There are many different...

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient needed by all plants to thrive. Although nitrogen exists in abundance in the earth's atmosphere, relatively few plants are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen to...

Early farmers discovered a secret to success still used today--adding nutrients, or fertilizer, often animal or human waste, to soil will help maintain productivity. In ancient Athens, for...

One of the reasons I’m attracted to gardening is that it allows me to use and reuse materials. This has a lot of appeal for a pack-rat like me. It gives me a good excuse to hang on to things...

Organic Fertilizers can be expensive. Making your own fertilizer for house plants and your garden is a cheap and easy alternative to buying fertilizers. In the below steps, I show you how to make...

Organic fertilizers are becoming more commercially available as consumers move towards sustainable practices for their yard and Garden. Many organic fertilizers provide plant nutrients and...

Fertilizer is just manure blended with soil, right? This misconception about soil fertilization can give gardeners disappointing results in mid-growing season, when plants are not flowering and...

Trying to keep green can be difficult in the winter when everything turns yellow. Composts generally need above freezing temperatures but there are still ways to maintain a steady compost pile...

Compost is a natural fertilizer that recycles plant and vegetable matter to create an economical soil additive that improves texture and fertility and introduces beneficial bacteria and organisms....

Without adequate nitrogen, plants fail to thrive and may develop weak, spindly stalks and small, inferior fruit. Even though the atmosphere contains 78 percent nitrogen, with the exception of...

Across the United States, millions of pots of coffee are brewed every day. This results in millions of pounds of spent coffee grounds and coffee filters going into landfills every day. Coffee...

Composting is nature’s way of helping you turn waste and rubbish into nutrient dense soil. This is very beneficial for both you and the planet and it’s elegantly simple to make compost. Instead...

Compost is a wonderful, 100% natural, free way to fertilize your garden. It can also increase the health of your plants while getting rid of your family's organic kitchen and yard waste. For the...

Get better yield from your home garden, a healthier lawn or dense flower garden with the application of a good fertilizers. Fertilizers replenish missing soil nutrients, they nurture plants and...

Human hair is an amazingly potent source of nitrogen, something that all plants need to thrive. Although you can buy garden supplements containing nitrogen, human hair is essentially free, and it...

When a compost pile is free of meat and certain ingredients and is properly maintained, it will heat to 90 to 140 degrees F with little or no odor. You can set up commercially produced tumblers...

Known as “green manure,” clover, beans, peas, alfalfa and peanuts are great contributors of nitrogen in organic farming. Not only do they fix the nitrogen content of the living soil...

Some nitrogen is necessary in a plant's growth cycle to promote health and vitality. One way you know your plants aren't getting enough nitrogen is if the lower leaves are yellowing or there's...

Manure is an excellent soil amendment for gardens. It is a source for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are essential for healthy plant growth. While some garden suppliers do sell...

In order to grow a great vegetable or flower garden, your soil needs to provide the plants the optimal level of nutrition. You can diagnose soil deficiencies with a soil testing kit, which will...

Many think composting is difficult and unnecessary; after all, there is fertilizer and it is "right out of the bag!" Well avid believers in composting, can tell you the differences and...