Organic vs. Synthetic Fertilizer (In Under 5 Minutes)

Hey there, welcome back to Geeky Greenhouse. Today I'm going to go over the differences between synthetic and organic fertilizers. There's a lot to say about this topic so I'm going to keep it relatively simple and just go over the main differences so that you can make an educated decision when you're deciding what to use in your garden. So let's start with what a fertilizer is. Fertilizers are just used to supplement the nutrition in your soil. There are three macronutrients that are essential for plant growth and are required in a complete fertilizer. These three nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and they're displayed as an NPK ratio on your fertilizer label. Now when you're feeding your veggies in the garden or your house plants at home, you can use synthetic fertilizers, you can use organic fertilizers, or you can use a combination of both. Either way you are still feeding your plants and the nutrients are the same and your plants do not know the difference between what type of fertilizer you're using. Synthetic fertilizers are manufactured and refined and they often undergo a very complex manufacturing process that is very energy intensive. On the other hand, organic fertilizers are very minimally processed or not processed at all. They're derived from organic sources and are often made with materials that might otherwise go to waste. So when you're looking at your organic fertilizer label, you may see things like bone meal, green sand, seaweed, and alfalfa. Now when discussing the differences between these fertilizers, it's really important to understand how these fertilizers feed your plants. Synthetic fertilizers dissolve very quickly in water and this makes the nutrients readily available to the plants right away. This is very useful if you're trying to correct a nutrient deficiency. Of course we do recommend getting a soil test to determine whether you really do have a nutrient deficiency in your soil at all. The measurements of synthetic fertilizers are also very precise and consistent. However, it is very easy to over apply synthetic fertilizers in the garden and there is a huge environmental impact when people overuse synthetic fertilizers. All of the excess nutrients that are not absorbed by the plants can run off into nearby water bodies and leach into groundwater. Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, release nutrients slowly over a longer period of time as the organic matter decomposes. So this supplies a more steady stream of nutrients and also helps to improve your soil structure with organic matter. And if you're interested in learning more about your soil fertility and some of the things you may be doing to harm your soil, we do have a video on that as well. So with organic fertilizer, the nutrient levels are less predictable and less precise, but over fertilization is also less likely. Now there are many different types of fertilizers that you can choose from. You have your synthetic liquid fertilizers and these are water soluble and typically used for a quick feeding of plants. Sometimes foliar sprays will also be placed in this category as well. These are great if you have a nutrient deficiency and you need to target a specific nutrient right away. And you also have synthetic granular fertilizers and synthetic slow-release fertilizers, which are coated to kind of mimic that breakdown of organic material. And then you have organic liquid fertilizers and these are really unique because they feed the plant more quickly than organic fertilizer made of organic solids like compost. They undergo processing, which results in a liquid form that's more accessible for plants. Examples of organic liquid fertilizer would be fish emulsion and seaweed extracts. And then you also have granular fertilizers, which are powdered or come in a granular form and they're applied directly to the soil. Examples of this would be alfalfa meal, green sand, blood meal, or any combination. And it is worth noting that some organic fertilizers release their nitrogen more quickly than others. Blood meal, feather meal, and fish meal are all excellent sources of nitrogen if you need it in the garden. So what type of fertilizer is best and what should you use? Well the answer is it really depends on your needs. So we use a combination of organic and synthetic fertilizers in our garden. We use synthetic fertilizers on the house plants at home, but we also supplement with organic amendments. And then in the veggie garden, we have a relatively short growing season, so we do use synthetic fertilizers on our heavy feeders like our peppers and tomatoes, especially if they're growing in containers. And then we supplement with organic fertilizer as well. And of course, compost is great. We do encourage the use of organic fertilizer in the garden. It's really important to encourage biodiversity in your soil and focus on the long-term health. Organic fertilizers require more time for the same level of nutrients, but they contribute to the health of your soil with long-term use. The choice you make really depends on your needs in the garden, as well as the needs of your plant. The most important thing is that you use fertilizers responsibly. So let us know in the comments what your favorite fertilizer is in the garden, whether it's organic or synthetic. Thanks so much for watching. We'll see you next time.