Test Soil Before Adding Fertilizer

Soil management and managing the level of soil nutrients is necessary to promote flourishing plant growth in farms, gardens and landscaping. Soil nutrients are best managed by using an organic fertilizer, with custom mixes available through McGeary Fertilizer. A variety of McGeary Fertilizers are available from the nursery and gardening supply stores located under our list of Retailers. Or purchase now online by clicking on the Buy Now tab.

Before you buy any fertilizer, however, a soil test is a critical part of the process. The best source for accurate soil testing is found at your local agricultural extension office. Extension agents in your home state can advise you on how to take the soil test accurately so that you can pinpoint needs and add fertilizer appropriately.

Then the test results can be studied by our agronomists at McGeary Organics. They have specialized knowledge that goes into creating the precise fertilizer needed for the crops specific to the soil needs in your farm, yard or garden. Data from a soil test reveals the soil nutrients that your landscaping or garden is lacking.

Just as important is the test that tells you when you have overfertilized. With that soil test information, we can help you can make an educated decision about the best organic fertilizer to restore the balance of soil nutrients. When collecting samples for your McGeary Fertilizer soil test, take soil from different locations. A minimum of ten soil test samples is recommended in order to get an accurate assessment of your soil nutrient levels and your organic fertilizer needs. Remove all thatch or mulch from the soil test samples. If you have just applied organic fertilizer to your soil, you must wait two months to let the soil nutrients return to their previous levels.

The amount of soil nutrients in your sample will depend on the condition of the soil, the presence of naturally occurring organic fertilizer matter, and previous organic fertilizers used. A soil test is recommended every two to three years. If you are having trouble maintaining healthy soil nutrient levels, more frequent soil tests will be needed.

Organic fertilizer labels include numbers that refer to the three major soil nutrients – nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium (or potash). Labels on the best organic fertilizer products are standardized so the soil nutrients appear in this same order. Your soil test will show you which of these nutrients are lacking in your soil and point you to the specific organic fertilizer you need. Organic fertilizers may contain other trace nutrients like zinc, iron, and sulfur. These levels are not included on the label because they occur in such small quantities.

Besides supplying soil nutrients, organic fertilizer increases the amount of organic matter in the soil, improving drainage, water holding capacity, and general physical condition of the soil. If your soil test reveals high levels of certain nutrients, applying an organic fertilizer with the wrong nutrient levels will create an imbalance and stunt plant growth.

Some fast growing plants like potatoes and corn have high soil nutrients requirements and need a special organic fertilizer corn formula. An organic fertilizer for corn would not be appropriate for xeriscapes, slowly growing plants, or native grasses that need a specific fertilizer for grass.

For everyday flower gardening, use a formula designed as an organic fertilizer for perennials or for annuals. Organic fertilizers for vegetables are specially formulated by McGeary Fertilizer for specific types of vegetables. For hobby farmers, choosing the best fertilizer is made possible by the wide variety of organic fertilizers available in our online store. Not many garden centers are able to stock so many combinations. Whether you need a specific organic fertilizer for corn, organic fertilizer for perennials, organic fertilizer for vegetables,or a fertilizer for grass, you can turn to us for the best organic fertilizer for your needs.

Using fish as an organic fertilizer for corn is a very early example of the use of natural products in farming. Natural compounds have been the best fertilizer for crops since agriculture began. Chemicals were introduced about the time of World War II. After the war, organic fertilizer technology was superseded by new chemical compounds in many developed countries, while the third world continued to rely on what was the only available organic fertilizer – manure.

At McGeary we do not use manure in our organic fertilizers. Experience tells us that other organic materials do not burn the plants, as often happens with heavy applications of animal manures. We purchase a variety of good organic materials specifically chosen for us in our fertilizer mixes. Ecological concerns have raised the awareness of chemical runoff in soil and water. As a result, ecologists have tried their best to recommend organic fertilizers be used more predominantly.

Millions of dollars are being spent to develop the best fertilizer for garden applications, the best fertilizer for crops, and the best fertilizer for grass.

McGeary Fertilizer organic technology has allowed for the development of an organic fertilizer suited specifically for perennials, an organic fertilizer for corn, an organic fertilizer for grass, and an organic fertilizer that vegetables can use in general.

Garden flower aficionados know they must buy fertilizers that are low in nutrient strength. For flowers, the organic fertilizer applied to perennials need should not be too strong, or the excessive growth will cause the flowers to flop over. Although fast growing annuals can tolerate a bit more nutrient, they will do better with frequent application of a low level of nutrients in the fertilizer.

It is important to remember with organic fertilizer,vegetables are not all the same. For fast growing vegetables, farmers use strong organic fertilizer vegetables formulas. But with slower growing vegetable varieties, farmers use organic fertilizer vegetable formulations that are not as nutrient rich. Farmers do this for the much the same reason as organic fertilizer perennials users are restrained in their use of fertilizers.

Excessive nutrients from a strong organic fertilizer in a vegetables formula could cause slow growing plants to become too heavy and topple over. Farmers with multiple crops have a variety of McGeary Fertilizer needs and will want to use the best fertilizer crops formulas specific to the varieties they grow.

The best fertilizers available for are very diverse and can be very specific. When farmers are able to identify the best fertilizer crops yields will increase dramatically. For example, corn has unique nutritional needs because it grows tall and fast. Any organic fertilizer corn would thrive on would likely damage other crops like beans or melons. The crops formula would be substantially different.

Corn crops are an important international commodity as a source of food for humans and livestock, and organic fertilizer for vegetables and corn can ensure that this commodity is not in short supply. First wheat, then corn products were the food foundation of the first human societies. Without organic fertilizer for corn, we might still be a hunter and gatherer society.

Everyday landscape farmers have entirely different needs than agricultural farmers. Fertilizer for grass, or organic fertilizer for perennials, are substantially different in strength. These less dense formulas are specifically blended to make an organic fertilizer perennials can thrive in or a fertilizer for grass that is specifically tailored to the variety of grass.

Grasses vary widely by region.Kentucky Bluegrass is very different than Florida’s St. Augustine grass. And the grasses that are native to Europe are equally as diverse. As a result, fertilizer for grass is developed with specific kinds of grass in mind. A fertilizer for grass native to one region will actually fight off the growth of other grasses, resulting in a better looking lawn. Because grass can endure heavy traffic, fertilizer for grass also includes compounds that improve the physical condition of the soil.

Most perennials do not need heavy McGeary Fertilizer applications. The organic fertilizer growers use for perennials typically has a much lower nitrogen content. As a general rule, you can apply a handful of organic fertilizer to perennials by working it into the soil around the plant by hand in the early Spring. This helps to prevent foliage burn.