As we salute Earth Day 2023, Organic REV wants to remind growers - large and small - to reduce or eliminate the use a synthetic fertilizers and plant foods. Synthetic nutrients are cheap, easy to obtain and produce results, but the long-term results are detrimental to our health and to the safety of our food supply. Continued use of synthetic fertilizers is having a catastrophic effect on the health of our soils and waterways.
Switching to healthy organic growing practices is not simple at first. It can be expensive and time consuming but the rewards are worth the effort. Healthy soil is a joy to work with and the improved quality, taste and nutritional value of everything that you grow will astound you. Small changes can produce satisfying results. Join us in committing to eliminate synthetic this year!
As motivation, here are 7 reasons to avoid synthetic fertilizers:
- Environmental Pollution: Synthetic fertilizers can contribute to water and air pollution. Nitrogen and phosphorus in synthetic fertilizers can, and often do, leach into waterways, leading to algae blooms and oxygen depletion, which can harm aquatic life. Synthetic fertilizers can also emit greenhouse gasses during their production and transportation.
- Soil Degradation: Overuse of synthetic fertilizers can lead to soil degradation and reduced soil fertility over time. Synthetic fertilizers do not contain organic matter, which is necessary to maintain healthy soil structure and support microbial activity. This really is a deal with the Devil where you are sacrificing long-term soil health for short term plant growth.
- Harmful to Wildlife: Synthetic fertilizers can be harmful to wildlife, particularly if they leach into waterways. Algae blooms caused by excess nutrients from fertilizers can lead to oxygen depletion in water, which can poison local animals and suffocate fish and other aquatic organisms.
- Health Concerns: Synthetic fertilizers can contain harmful chemicals, such as heavy metals, that can be harmful to human health. Exposure to these chemicals can cause a range of health problems, including cancer and reproductive problems. When combined with chemical pesticides the effects can be extremely unhealthy.
- Negative Impact on Beneficial Microbes: Synthetic fertilizers can have a negative impact on beneficial microbes in the soil - throwing the entire living soil ecosystem out of whack. These microbes play a crucial role in breaking down organic matter, recycling nutrients, and supporting plant growth.
- Limited Nutrient Profile: Synthetic fertilizers contain a limited range of nutrients and do not provide the complex array of nutrients and organic matter that natural soils, compost or other organic soil enhancements contain.
- Short-Term Benefits: Synthetic fertilizers provide short-term benefits to plant growth, but overuse can lead to reduced soil fertility and long-term soil degradation.
Organic REV can make the transition to organic growing painless. REV dramatically increases a plants ability to uptake and process nutrients and growers find that they are able to significantly reduce the amount of fertility required with as little as one application of REV. In addition, REV replenishes depleted organic matter in soil and adds a full ecosystem of beneficial bacteria that work together to keep soils healthy and productive.
Combine REV with quality compost (making your own is fun and can really reduce the amount of household waste you send to landfills) or any organic fertilizers and you may be surprised at the improvements that you see in color, flavor and overall yield.
You may not be able to fix the world…but you can fix your garden. Happy Earth Day!
