Organic Fertilizer - Converted Organics, Inc.

by Jeffrey Schiller

Excerpt of article -

I have heard countless times from my students that they find it hard to grow in Arizona. Although the ground is compacted and "rock hard," it is indeed rich in nutrients. I can tell you from my experience, it is very possible to grow successfully in Arizona.

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The final step is choosing good fertilizers. Many commercial fertilizers are concentrated and they greatly accelerate the intake of nutrients into the plants with their high nitrogen levels, thus placing the energy on the stems and leaves (not the fruit) and depleting the soil further. And worse yet, when placed too close to the roots of plants, they can and often burn them, causing the plants to weaken and even die. Using organic fertilizers, the minerals are placed into the soil in a form readily available to the plant and one's with low to no nitrogen content can be placed near theroots without concern of burning them. We have a choice between a powdered or liquid form. Powders usually take longer to break down into the soil, whereas the liquids are often utilized right away. Fertilizing can be done either through the soil or by foliar spraying.

Download the full article to read his recommendations, including Converted Organics fertilizer.

Jeffery Shiller has been an organic gardener for over 15 years. He teaches Organic Gardening at many of the colleges in the valley. Photos from his garden have been featured in many magazines and most recently on the front cover of the boo: The Aromatherapy Encyclopedia, published by Basic Health Publications.

Greenwire.com

Tuesday December 23, 2008

Sara Goodman, E&E reporter

Some people trash their leftover fruitcake. Some regift it. One Web site even advocates blowtorching the stuff. Ed Gildea wants to help save the climate with it.

Gildea is CEO of Massachusetts-based Converted Organics, which takes food waste and converts it into an all-natural fertilizer, using the basic idea of composting, but speeding up the process by months. Converting leftovers, he argues, not only reduces waste but also eliminates harmful chemicals and helps mitigate climate change by reducing emissions.
“We help nature do something that is its natural tendency,” Gildea said. “We set up the ideal environment.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 25.9 million tons of the nation’s food goes in the garbage every year. Most of it ends up rotting in landfills.

The problem is particularly challenging to areas with large urban centers, which face diminished landfill capacity and difficulty siting and operating incinerators. Organic waste alone accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the national solid waste stream.

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