Difference between organic and inorganic fertilizers

Organic vs. Inorganic Fertilizers
A visit down the fertilizer aisle in your garden center can leave you scratching your head in confusion. With so many numbers to consider — different formulations, ratios, grades and application rates — you may decide you need a degree in math to figure things out. Then, as you consider the different nutrients listed on the package — elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and iron — you strain to remember even a cursory knowledge of high-school science classes. Finally, you’ll have to decide whether to use an organic or inorganic fertilizer without fully knowing the difference between the two.

The Grounds Guys® can help you navigate the fertilizer maze. As a starting point, deciding which fertilizers to use on your plants depends simply on the nutrient needs of different plants and the availability of those nutrients in your soil. If you broadcast a randomly chosen fertilizer on your lawn, in your flower beds or vegetable garden, you may be wasting money on nutrients that your particular plants don’t need; or even worse, you may do more harm than good by providing excessive fertilization that can burn — or even kill — your plants. And the misconception that organic fertilizers can’t harm your plants can lead to disastrous results.

The Grounds Guys will test your soil to eliminate the guesswork of what to use and how much to apply, and we’ll even adjust the soil’s pH, if needed. If the pH is not in an optimal range, your plants cannot uptake the fertilizer they need — even if you supply it. Fertilizer is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Our landscape professionals know how your lawn needs different nutrients than your shrubs or trees, and how your flower beds need even different fertilizers. Based on our soil-test recommendations, your next decision is whether to use an organic or inorganic fertilizer to provide the needed nutrients.