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>> HELLO GARDENING FRIENDS, WELCOME TO BACKYARD BASICS.
LOTS OF QUESTIONS COME IN HERE AT KLRU ABOUT ORGANIC FERTILIZERS, SO I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEM TODAY, SHOW YOU SOME, YOU MAY BE A NEW GARDENER OR UNFAMILIAR WITH
THEM. AND THEY'RE REALLY NICE, THEY DON'T LEACH,
THEY DON'T POLLUTE, THEY ARE REALLY SUSTAINABLE. AND SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU FIRST SOME COMPOST.
I THINK IF YOU DIDN'T USE ANYTHING AT ALL, GOOD, HOMEMADE OR COMMERCIAL COMPOST WOULD
BE IDEAL. HOMEMADE IS THE BEST REALLY. AND SO COMPOST IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT BRINGS IN MANY NUTRIENTS AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE THAT SOIL CHANGE.
ANOTHER ONE OF THE FERTILIZERS THAT IS USED ON LAWNS QUITE A BIT IS THIS ONE, TEXAS A&M
USED IT AND THEY BEAT MANY OF THE COMMERCIAL OR ALL OF THE COMMERCIAL CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS,
SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN EVEN RECOMMENDS THIS ONE HERE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T POLLUTE, IT GROWS
A PRETTY BLADE OF GRASS, NICE RUNNERS AND A GOOD DEEP COLOR WITH THICKER BLADES.
SO A GOOD ORGANIC FERTILIZER FOR THE LAWN. NOW, YOU CAN USE YOUR SPREADER WITH THIS,
THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER TO USE A BROADCAST SPREADER.
NOW, WHEN YOU'RE PREPARING THE SOIL TO PUT YOUR MARIGOLDS IN AND YOUR OTHER FLOWERS IN,
YOU WORK IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS ONE. THIS IS A 4 6 4, AND THAT HIGHER MIDDLE NUMBER
IS THE PHOSPHORUS AND THAT STIMULATES ROOTS AND FLOWERING ON THE PLANT, SO THIS IS A REAL
IMPORTANT ONE. THE NITROGEN AND THE POTASSIUM, LITTLE BIT
LOWER, BUT THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. IT'S REALLY NICE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS ARE MUCH LOWER THAN THEY ARE ON THE CHEMICAL BAGS.
SOME OF THOSE BIG NUMBERS ARE REALLY UNNECESSARY, SO TRY ORGANICS SOMETIME.
THIS IS COTTONSEED MEAL, THIS IS A 12 0 0. SO WHEN YOU ONLY NEED NITROGEN LIKE GREEN
LEAFY THINGS, THEN YOU WOULD USE THE COTTONSEED MEAL.
YOU WORK THESE FERTILIZERS INTO THE SOIL BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN DOWN BY THE SOIL MICROORGANISMS,
SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS, GETTING SOME LIFE INTO THE SOIL.
YOU NEED A LITTLE IRON AND POTASH, THIS GREENSAND COVERS THAT.
THIS IS A REAL NEAT PRODUCT. IF YOU WANT TO GREEN SOMETHING UP, ADD SOME GREENSAND TO
IT, AND IT'S A PROBLEM SOLVER, TOO. HERE WE ARE WITH EARTHWORM CASTINGS.
BOY, IF YOU'RE PLANTING OR BUILDING A POTTING SOIL, EARTHWORM CASTINGS COULD BE THE VERY
BEST THING TO PUT IN THERE. WE'VE TESTED THEM A LOT AND THEY'RE REALLY
WONDERFUL. AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH EARTHWORM CASTINGS, YOU OUGHT TO BECOME FAMILIAR
BECAUSE IT REALLY GETS PLANTS OFF TO AN IMPORTANT START.
NOW, THESE ARE TRACE MINERALS RIGHT HERE. THE BALANCE OF THE FERTILIZER PROGRAM IS TO
HAVE A NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, POTASSIUM, CALCIUM, AND SO A BALANCE OF MICRONUTRIENTS ARE VERY
IMPORTANT ALSO. COMPOST BRINGS IN A LOT OF THEM, BUT THIS RIGHT HERE IS AVAILABLE AT
NURSERIES. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES, THAT'S NOT THE
ONLY ONE RIGHT THERE, BUT WHEN YOU NEED THOSE ESSENTIAL TRACE MINERALS TO BALANCE A PROGRAM,
IF YOU REALLY WANT A WELL TUNED ORGANIC GARDEN, THE MINERALS ARE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, THEY
ARE ALSO CALLED MICRONUTRIENTS. SO THERE'S A GRANULAR ONE RIGHT THERE, IT'S
SLOW TO BREAK DOWN, YOU DON'T NEED A LOT OF MICRONUTRIENTS, YOU ONLY NEED A FEW.
I MEAN, A LITTLE BIT. SO YOU GO AHEAD AND YOU WORK SOMETHING LIKE
THAT IN THERE. SO IF YOU'VE GOT CONTAINER PLANTS OR YOU'RE
GETTING THINGS OFF TO AN EARLY START IN YOUR GARDEN, THERE ARE OTHER PRODUCTS.
LIKE THIS ONE RIGHT HERE IS PURE FISH EMULSION, JUST FISH IN THERE.
THAT'S A NITROGEN SOURCE. AND SO, LIKE WE SAID EARLIER, THAT'S WHAT GREENS THE PLANTS
UP AND GIVES IT A WHOLE LOT OF VIGOR. I LIKE TO BLEND THEM WITH SOME OTHER NUTRIENTS
OR USE THESE OTHER NUTRIENTS SEPARATELY AND SEAWEED ARE EXCELLENT FOR SPRAYING ON THE
FOLIAGE AND DRENCHING A PLANT TO STIMULATE THE ROOTS, IT HAS SOME HORMONES IN THERE THAT
WILL DO THAT. SOME PRODUCTS HAVE EVERYTHING BLENDED INTO IT WITH SOME OTHER INGREDIENTS
LIKE MOLASSES AND LIQUID HUMMUS. THAT IF YOU WANT TO JUST BUY THE SINGLE CONTAINER,
THEN THAT'S THE TYPE. AND THERE ARE OTHER FLOWERING MIXES, AND THIS
IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO STIMULATE THOSE CONTAINER PLANTS THEN SOMETHING
LIKE THIS WOULD BE EXCELLENT. IN OUR SOIL, WE ARE SHORT ON MAGNESIUM.
SO IF YOU ADD IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS EPSOM
SALTS.
IF YOU WANT TO ADD THAT, THAT'LL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. THERE YOU ARE,
BACKYARD BASICS AND A GOOD FERTILIZER PROGRAM.