Organic or Conventional Fertilizer?

"..When you pick up a package of organic fertilizer or potting soil, you often see words like, "includes beneficial microbes" or "contains mycorrihizae," a fungus that is the botanical equivalent to, say, yogurt's acidophilus, an intestinal-friendly bacteria. Ironically, many customers at our nursery think they get more for their money with synthetic fertilizers. It's easy to understand: Compare the NPK content - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium content - of synthetic fertilizers with organic ones and you see huge differences: 19-19-19 vs. 4-4-4, say.

However, organic fertilizers are less wasteful at delivering nutrients to plants because they exploit the fabulous efficiency of the natural microbial system. This is science mimicking nature. Soil has been performing this biological sleight of hand for eons, honing it to perfection."

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