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Q&A for How to Add Potassium to an Organic Garden
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QuestionWhat's the difference between certified organic and conventional fertilizer?Ben Barkan is a Garden and Landscape Designer and the Owner and Founder of HomeHarvest LLC, an edible landscapes and construction business based in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben has over 12 years of experience working with organic gardening and specializes in designing and building beautiful landscapes with custom construction and creative plant integration. He is a Certified Permaculture Designer, Licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and a Licensed Home Improvement Contractor. He holds an associates degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.Basically, there are restrictions on the types of chemicals, the types of insecticides, and the types of fertilizers that a certified organic farm can use. Sometimes they are more earth conscious, so for example, certain pesticides would not be allowed on a certified organic farm. Usually, it's more natural, but not always. There are many exceptions and many instances where certified organic farms are less sustainable. It's not necessarily always true that certified organic farms are safer or more natural. It depends 100% on the ethics of the grower.
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QuestionWhat are the ingredients and characteristics that someone should be looking for in their fertilizer?Ben Barkan is a Garden and Landscape Designer and the Owner and Founder of HomeHarvest LLC, an edible landscapes and construction business based in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben has over 12 years of experience working with organic gardening and specializes in designing and building beautiful landscapes with custom construction and creative plant integration. He is a Certified Permaculture Designer, Licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and a Licensed Home Improvement Contractor. He holds an associates degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.It depends on what you're growing. If you want to grow organically, you will add quality compost and a little bit of nitrogen fertilizer. You don't need to add other things. If you're looking for a fertilizer that does everything, you want a balanced fertilizer. If you look at the front of the bag of fertilizer, there are three letters, NPK, representing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, along with their quantities, for example, 10-10-10 or 20-20-20. This is much more potent and a lot easier to over-apply. You have to be very careful. An organic fertilizer might look like 3-3-3 or 3-5-2. It's generally weaker and you have to generally apply more of it. What you apply is based on the requirements of your plants. Some plants want more fertilizer than others.
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QuestionWhere can I purchase any of the potassium sources from the article that are OMRI approved?Community AnswerCheck your local plant nursery, home improvement store, or search online for OMRI certified products.
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QuestionIs comfrey leaf a potassium source?Community AnswerYes, comfrey leaf is a great green manure. It adds nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and works well as both a soil amendment and compost additive.
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QuestionWhat will add nitrogen quickly?Community AnswerUrine. Just water it down about 20:1. You could buy something at the store.
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QuestionWhat could cause leaves to be yellow at the edges?Community AnswerI have found chlorine in municipal water will yellow leaf tips. I make sure to let water stand a couple hours before watering to evaporate the chlorine. It tastes better too!
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