What's the difference between artificial and natural fertilizer?

Answer 1

Artificial fertilizers are made chemically. They emphasize three main nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Because of their narrow nutrient focus, they can create imbalances in the soil that have plant consequences. For example, too much nitrogen results in lush vegetative growth at the expense of bloom or fruit. Artificial fertilizers act quickly. They concentrate on improving plant yield. Natural fertilizers are made from animal or plant material such as bonemeal, compost, manure, or seaweed. They are slow releasers of nutrients into soil. They concentrate on improving soil structure. Artificial fertilizers are also called synthetic fertilizers. They are made through a chemical process. They tend to focus on the three main nutrients of the 18 available in healthy soil: npk = nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. They tend to be easy to apply, and fast-acting. They aim to improve plant growth. However, they also tend to be overused. And they are the most common contributor to polluted runoff. Natural fertilizers are made from animal or plant material. Manure is probably the most common example. But other natural fertilizers are made from bonemeal, compost, and seaweed. They tend to be slow-releasers of nutrients into the soil. The reason is that they aim to improve soil structure and, as a result, plant growth.

Answer 2

Artificial fertilizers are synthetically made and typically provide the plant with specific nutrients in a concentrated form, while natural fertilizers are derived from natural sources like compost, manure, or bone meal. Natural fertilizers tend to be slower acting but provide a more holistic approach to soil health and plant nutrition, while artificial fertilizers can deliver nutrients more quickly but may have environmental drawbacks such as leaching into water sources.