It is an open debate when it comes to deciding about the right fertilizer for your plants and choosing between organic and inorganic fertilizers. However, both inorganic and organic fertilizers provide nutrients to the plant needed to grow healthy and strong. Each contains unique nutrients and uniquely provides these nutrients.
Organic fertilizers work continuously to maintain a healthy growing environment whereas inorganic fertilizers provide immediate nutrition. Which is better for your plants is largely determined by their needs as well your preferences in terms of cost and environmental effect.
Organic fertilizers will be labeled as soil conditioners rather than fertilizers because the nutrient ratio cannot be guaranteed as it can with synthetic fertilizers. In addition, some inorganic fertilizers are made from naturally occurring mineral deposits.
Let’s discuss some points of differences between organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers.
1: Cost
Organic fertilizers are usually significantly more expensive than their inorganic counterparts. However, one advantage organic fertilizers have over synthetic fertilizers is that they continue to increase soil fertility over time. Beneficial microbes and insects such as worms thrive in soil that has been fertilized with organic fertilizer.
Synthetic fertilizers have the opposite effect and have been shown to reduce biodiversity in the soil. The longer you feed organic fertilizers to your soil, the better its texture and composition will be. However, inorganic fertilizer is less expensive in the short term; also it contributes less to the soil in the long run.
2: Composition
Fertilizers provide the soil with essential macronutrients such as potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Organic and inorganic fertilizers, on the other hand, use different materials. Organic fertilizer is made up of only plant and animal-based materials that are byproducts or end products of naturally occurring processes like leaves, manure, and compost. Whereas synthetic fertilizers also referred to as inorganic fertilizer is artificially manufactured and contains synthetic chemicals or minerals. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, for example, are artificially manufactured from petroleum or natural gas.
3: Impact on the environment
Inorganic fertilizers are immediately available to your plants, but they are prone to leaching, which happens when nutrients are washed away below the level of plant roots by rain or irrigation water.
Heavy sprays can burn your plants and raise dangerous salt levels in the soil, resulting in chemical imbalances. Organic fertilizer may increase nutrient concentrations, but toxicity is unlikely if the organic material can completely degrade.
Since organic fertilizers are made from natural sources, a very small amount of fossil fuels is used in the manufacturing process. Therefore, fewer greenhouse emissions are produced.
4: Nutrient level
The manufacturer determines the nutrient levels of inorganic fertilizers. The gardener is not in for any surprises. On the other hand, organic fertilizers have compatible low N-P-K ratios. For example, composted organic fertilizer has a 1-1-1 ratio, whereas 4-2-0 is a fish emulsion ratio. However, it doesn’t mean that organic fertilizers are worse for your plant or that inorganic ones are superior.
Conclusion
Both commercially available inorganic fertilizers and organic are capable of providing the same nutrients. They are not all equally effective, and only organic will improve the quality of your soil over time.
