Why Use a Liquid Organic Fertilizer?

Why Use a Liquid Fertilizer?

Often times it is believed that liquid fertilizers will wash out of the soil much
more quickly than a granular fertilizer will. This is simply not true … or at least,
it’s only half true. SOME liquid fertilizers will wash out of the soil quickly, but not
because they are liquid. Fertilizer washout is not really a question of liquid vs
granular, but rather a question of natural vs. chemical.

You see, natural fertilizers are not water soluble. Therefore, they do not
wash out of the soil. The nutrition provided by a natural fertilizer stays in the soil
until it is utilized by the plant. So, you do not have to worry about wasted
fertilizer or ground-water contamination when using a truly natural fertilizer, even
if it is a liquid fertilizer.

So, now that we’ve addressed this misunderstanding about liquid
fertilizers, let’s discuss the primary benefits of liquid based fertilizers which are
derived from natural sources (some of these benefits MAY apply to chemically
derived liquid fertilizers, but, if you’re investigating AGGRAND fertilizers, you
probably already recognize that the drawbacks of using a chemically derived
liquid fertilizer will far outweigh any potential benefits of it’s being in a liquid
format):

1. Liquid natural fertilizers can be applied via a multitude of different
methods. You can apply them foliarly to the plant leaf via numerous types
of sprayers (hose end, backpack, tow behind, boom, tank, mist heads,
fertigation units, etc.). They can be applied as a banding application or
soil drench. Run them through a drip system. Use them through root
injection systems. Pretty much any way you can think of, a liquid fertilizer
can be applied. They are very versatile.

2. When applied foliarly, soil conditions are much less important. When
applying fertilizer to the soil, soil conditions must be right in order for the
nutrients in that fertilizer to reach the plant through the roots. pH
adjustment is almost always necessary. Other amendments can also be
required. When applying a liquid based fertilizer foliarly, the nutrients are
immediately absorbed into the plant through the leaf membrane. In fact,
testing has shown that nutrient levels within the plant will begin to rise
within just a few minutes after a foliar fertilizer application. This makes for
VERY fast results.

3. Application is more efficient than with granular type products. Since most
granular type products have differing particle sizes, most times they
cannot effectively be applied together. However, with liquid based
fertilizers, multiple products can often be applied in the very same mix,
often with only as much water as would have been required to apply a
single product. This saves time, labor costs, wear and tear on equipment,
etc. You could apply AGGRAND 4-3-3 fertilizer along with our liquid lime
to adjust pH, our liquid bonemeal to add additional phosphorus and
calcium, and our 0-0-8 kelp and sulfate of potash for a boost of plant
hormones, micronutrients and sulfur … all at the same time. One
application. And, of course, if you have other liquid products you’d also
like to apply (possibly liquid iron, a liquid organic pesticide or fungicide
application, etc.) you can include those as well.

4. Application of liquid fertilizer is often much faster than application of a
comparable dry product when utilizing equipment of similar cost. Also,
liquid sprayers can often go where dry fertilizer applicators cannot, since
the booms will often fold up for easy transport and storage.
There are so many reasons to consider going with a liquid organic fertilizer
that it almost seems like the decision should be very simple. However, often you
already own the equipment to do dry fertilizer applications, so you have to
consider the cost to replace that equipment with a liquid fertilizer sprayer.
Moreover, it can be difficult to believe that a liquid fertilizer will NOT wash out of
the soil when this is what you have been told, possibly for years.
Lastly, it is often difficult for people to really comprehend just how quickly
you can see results from foliar application of a liquid organic fertilizer. Most
people consider organics to be slow acting products, which often IS the case
since many are granular type products which the plant has to take up through the
roots. If the soil has not been well balanced, a fertilizer applied to the soil simply
will not perform very well or very quickly. However, a liquid fertilizer application
to the leaves almost completely bypasses soil conditions and bolsters plant
health and growth almost immediately.