When you are starting a backyard garden, the matter of using fertilizers on your plants will definitely come up.  After all, fertilizers boost plant growth that, in turn, can provide your kitchen table and living room table with delicious vegetables and beautiful flowers, respectively.  You must, however, take extra care in choosing the type of fertilizer, either synthetic or natural, that you use since both have environmental implications.

Synthetic Fertilizers

Most commercially available all-purpose synthetic fertilizers contain the so-called “big three” – nitrogen, phosphate/phosphorus and potassium.  Other ingredients include calcium, iron, magnesium, and other trace elements but the big three have greater environmental impact due to their relatively large quantities.

• Nitrogen is necessary for foliage growth but its production process, specifically the Haber-Bosch process, requires plenty of natural gas.  The more natural gas used, the greater the strain on Earth’s natural resources.

• Phosphate or phosphorous in synthetic fertilizers promotes flower and root development but at the expense of rapid depletion of the world’s phosphorus deposits.  Also, the excess phosphorus in the soil contaminates waterways that stimulate phytoplankton and algae growth.  This, in turn, lead to adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems.

• Potassium is needed for plants’ overall health.  It has its uses in gardening when it occurs naturally in the soil.  Problems arise when mining operations to extract the mineral have destructive effects upon the environment.

Though you might say that the benefits of using synthetic fertilizers – greater farm productivity and food choices – offset these aforementioned environmental disadvantages, it cannot be denied that oftentimes, the costs outweigh the benefits.

Natural Fertilizers

On the other hand, natural fertilizers utilize Nature’s existing resources to promote plant growth.  Often, too, the natural way of growing things is followed that, contrary to popular opinion, can produce more harvests given the right attentions and conditions.

And unlike synthetic fertilizers, you have many selections to choose from, thus:

• Grass clippings and/or mulch are very inexpensive as the materials can be found right in your own backyard, which saves on fertilizer cost.  Just spread the grass out to dry for 1-2 days and voila!  You have a fertilizer that contains natural nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

• Seaweed is very easy to apply and very inexpensive, too.  You can either pick them up at the beach, allow the rain to wash off excess salt and just place them directly into the soil.  Or you can buy the liquid kind if you are a landlocked gardener.

• Animal manure, either from cows, horses, or chicken are very effective fertilizers, while some swear by the effectiveness of human manure.  Unless you are prepared to deal with icky stuff, manure of any kind is not for your garden.

• Compost fertilizer utilizes kitchen scraps, a few farm worms, and newspaper to become the manna for your plants.  It can form part of your gardening/recycling efforts, which is akin to killing two birds with one stone, figuratively speaking and no offense meant to animal welfare advocates.

Indeed, when it comes to backyard gardening, it is always best to go for the natural way of growing plants.  You will be able to save the environment while saving your pockets from being ripped off by synthetic fertilizers that do more harm than good.  Think of it as repeating the cycle of life – from the soil animals and plants are borne to the soil they shall become again.