Countdown: Six Top Ideas for Gardeners This Spring

Tip #1

Stop using conventional fertilizers. Make it your personal commitment this year to be very careful!

Only 20% of nitrogen put down with conventional fertilizers gets to the plants and the rest goes into the soil water, rivers, lakes and oceans. Imagine the pollution in our water simply because people love their gardens to death. Try organic products and not necessarily fertilizers this season. Some of the amendments that can make a big difference have Humic acids , Kelp, Fish hydrosolate or compost in them and they are sold as amendments and not as fertilizers. Organic "fertilzers" are only one step above conventional fertilizers because they may add excess salt to the soil and/or leach into the subsoil and beyond as well.

There are several products on the market sold as amendments and I have named many in the past – a new granular product (picked up in Toronto at Canada Blooms but out of Langley,BC) is Humik, from the Orgunique company. I used this product this weekend mixed with soil when transplanting seedlings.

As well as boosting plant growth – especially of tomatoes- it seems humic materials may also boost uptake of nutrients including calcium, magnesium, sodium, and copper.

Source of humics acid products:
The Organic Gardener’s Pantry: http://www.gardenerspantry.ca/biostimulants/humicacids.html

Orgunique Products come from Langley, BC Products are called Humik and Hum-ix and web page is : http://www.orgunique.com/

Other products such as Kelp, compost and Fish are also fabulous so I will write more on those at a later date.