Especially those who grow vegetables in their own garden want to do without chemicals when fertilizing and therefore increasingly use biological fertilizers. This way you can grow your own organic vegetables. The right fertilization is also very important here, because only then will the plants grow vigorously and guarantee a rich harvest. But with organic fertilizers, of which there are a large number, it is not that difficult to provide the vegetable bed with good care.
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What is biological fertilizer
Biological fertilizers are easy to make yourself or available ready-made from specialist retailers. This includes all fertilizers that are made from a natural basis and do not contain any chemicals. If the soil in the garden is regularly prepared with organic fertilizer in spring and autumn, then it usually does not need to be fertilized over the summer. Biological fertilization is so popular mainly because of the following positive properties:
- feed fungi and bacteria in the soil
- this releases the valuable nutrients
- can be released to the plants
- good soil smells pleasantly earthy
- there are many worms and other creatures cavorting
- this creates a loose structure
The biological fertilizers listed in the following article are particularly suitable for all vegetable gardens for a rich harvest and healthy organic vegetables.
Ready organic fertilizer
Many organic fertilizers are available in specialist shops. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to make it yourself. In addition, these special or universal fertilizers are ideally tailored to the nutrient requirements of the various vegetables. The special feature of these ready-made organic fertilizers from the trade is that there are even vegetarian fertilizers that are only mixed together from plant-based raw materials. Finished organic fertilizers include:
- NPK fertilizer
- are offered in liquid or solid form
- often made from slaughterhouse waste
- guano fertilizer
- made from bird droppings
green manure
Do not fertilize a vegetable patch while the vegetable plants are being cultivated, but only after they have been harvested. If a bed has become empty due to harvesting, various plants are planted to ensure that the soil recovers and is well prepared for the next vegetable planting. A biological green manure ensures that the soil is well aerated and loose. Furthermore, the soil is enriched with humus. The ideal plants for cover manure include those that root deeply and thus improve the soil. These include the following:
- bush beans
- soybeans
- lupins
horn meal or shavings
A particularly good biological fertilization is achieved with horn meal or shavings. This animal slaughterhouse waste from the hooves of the slaughtered animals is suitable both as individual fertilization and in connection with compost or mulch. Horn meal is ground finer and can be decomposed more quickly in the soil and thus absorbed more quickly by the roots of the plants than the coarser horn shavings, which are more likely to be seen as long-term fertilizers. With horn meal or shavings, the ideal fertilization succeeds as follows:
- mix in compost
- improves the compost fertilizer
- dig straight into the ground
- lift into the ground together with compost
- sprinkle around the plants together with mulch
Jauche
Manure can be made from many plants and is ideal for bi-weekly fertilizing and is always given with the irrigation water. Depending on the liquid manure, the selected plants are mixed with water and left to stand for several days or boiled up briefly and then left to ferment. Both methods offer a purely biological fertilizer that can also strengthen the vegetable plants against pests and diseases. The ideal plants for making a manure include the following:
- nettles
- horsetail
- Beinwell
- Rainfarn
- yarrow
- dandelion
If liquid manure has been produced, it must be strained out so that there are no more plant residues in it. After that, the liquid manure is stored in sealable bottles until autumn. The fertilizer does not have to be made again until next year. Manure can also often be used against pests on the plants themselves by spraying the affected vegetable crops with it.
Compost
Compost is probably the best-known fertilizer. Especially those who own a garden usually have compost in one of the corners. All garden waste, chopped twigs and branches from autumn pruning as well as kitchen waste and coffee grounds can be disposed of here. The larger the mix, the more balanced the finished compost will be. However, compost is not only ideal for biological fertilizers in a vegetable patch, but also for soil care and as a good source of humus. With compost, fertilizing succeeds as follows:
- before the first planting
- Prepare bed with compost
- two to three months before planting
- Nutrients break down better in the soil
- can be taken up immediately via roots when planted
- then lightly incorporate compost
- ideally every spring
- with some types of vegetables also in summer
animal manure
If you live near a farm or horse farm, you can easily get the animal fertilizers here. Because the farmers are happy when they can give away part of the manure they use. For vegetable gardens, the manure collected here can provide a good supply of heavy-duty vegetable plants. A distinction is made between the following fertilizers:
cattle or cow manure
- put out in the fall
- thin layer
- only superficially rake in lightly
- especially good for heavy feeders
horse manure
- is a so-called heated fertilization
- is given up on cold frames
- heat them up
pig manure
- should be composted before use
- low lime content
- lots of potash
Goat, sheep or rabbit manure
- also a heated fertilizer
- also for the preparation of an early bed
- should be composted first
poultry manure
- always mix with soil before fertilizing
- only then fold
- has a high potassium content
- up to 12% phosphorus
- particularly suitable for rapid growth
