Jean Francois Millet, Peasant Spreading Manure 1855

The quality of fruits and vegetables is determined by the the use of fertilizers. Unfortunately, the products found the shelves of the supermarkets and local markets do not meet the quality of organic products. The ever increasing number of diseases and pests can be correlated to the incorrect use of fertilizers. Not only does the grower need to pay particular attention to the manner of fertilizing his plants but also to keep in mind that only a healthy soil can provide a healthy crop. Although inorganic fertilizers are used on the larger scale and it seems that its use leads to high yielding , because of the intensive use of the soil in such manner of cultivation, it is necessary to use organic fertilisation to avoid the gradual intoxication of the soil. Organic fertilisation is a traditional method of fertilizing.
Organic fertilisation has been seen as economically uninteresting and organic farming is unjustly seen as a manner of cultivating plants that brings low yields and the fruits are usually misshaped or not so presentable as their inorganic counterparts.
But this is a misconception. Professional growers use the resources intensively and after a succession of seasons the soil may be exhausted or loaded with unnecessary salts etc. This misconception is also fed by the fact that professional growers use special hybrids of planting material which are chiefly intended for a good commercial presentation. In this case commercially attractive vegetables are produced but there is a toll paid by the quality and the taste of the product.
Organic fertilisation does not only bring the necessary elements in the ground but assures a more harmonious development of the plant and at the same time an increased yielding. Organic fertilisation is a simulation of the natural processes, but you should keep in mind that any kind of gardening is at its core not natural. Things do not occur in the nature as they occur in gardening. Organic farming has at its core a simulation of natural process by using products that are not synthetically obtained and which are eco-friendly. They do not leave chemical waste in the soil and by this is meant that the environment is less affected. To be 100% eco-friendly means not to cultivate at all.
The first rule is to know that fertilization and gardening is not a natural process but it is a man-made process, no matter the way it is done. Howeverm we are going to look into the way fertilization happens in nature or similarly to this.
The second rule is to know the exact type of fertilizer which a specific plant requires. Using too much nitrogen for potatoes can lead to catastrophic results.
The third rule is that the soil to be cultivated has to contain good humus and organic material. This is obtained by constant incorporation of compost and natural manures and only then to apply biological or organic fertilizers.
Therefore, the gardeners has to take into account the following facts:
1.       He has to provide enough humus to the soil by amply using organic material.
2.       The application of fertilizers has to be hygienic.
3.       No one-side fertilization, but complete fertilization.
4.       No excess of organic fertilizers.
5.       Harmonious fertilisation, but considering the requirements of each particular plant.
6.       The guidelines of eco-friendliness and organic exploitation have to be followed thoroughly.
In the following posts we you will see how to obtain and use organic fertilizers. We will discuss about different types of organic amendments to soil, the pH.
To conclude, I want to emphasise that fertilising organically presupposes the use of some products found in the household and which can be recycled. Compost is such an example and in the future we shall discuss the methods for obtaining good quality compost. Wood-ashes are also good fertilizers that can be used in combination with other biological ones. Therefore, organic fertilisation does not only provide the plant with a good dose of nutrients, or keeps your soil healthy, but also reduces the quantity garbage heap. Finally, organic fertilization can replace inorganic  fertilisation, this means that if the demand for chemical fertilisers is low, then also the polluting industrial preparation of them is limited. The only drawback is that these organic fertiliser products are not as easy to administrate and require a certain degree of involvement of the farmer in their production. However, they can be home-made and they do not require a special laboratory.