If you love yourself and your family, you should love best natural fertilizer for vegetable garden, instead of chemical fertilizer.
Well, let me explain few more…
Sometimes Mother Nature herself can’t give you the desired results in your crops. If the soil doesn’t have the necessary nutrients, you’ll probably end up quite disappointed on the next harvesting. However, applying a good fertilizer at the right time will change things for good.
Natural fertilizers are made with non-toxic ingredients. In addition, their impact on nature is much less than chemical fertilizers. However, not all the organic fertilizers that you find on the market are that good. Some may contain cow manure compost or chicken manure compost and other prohibited substances that can contaminate nearby water bodies.

In this buying guide, you’ll learn how to choose the best natural fertilizer for vegetable garden that’s really safe for the environment. In addition, you’ll find a top 10 list with the top-selling organic fertilizers in 2022.
Benefits & Common Features
The main advantage that natural fertilizers offer in contrast to chemical products is their low impact on nature. These natural products contain a high concentration of beneficial microorganisms. They help degrade some insoluble substances and restore soil fertility.
In the current market you can find a wide variety of natural fertilizers. However, most of them share these common features:
- Made with natural ingredients.
- Biodegradable.
- Rich in probiotics.
- Rich in potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
- Strong smell.
Top 10 Best Natural Fertilizer for Vegetable Garden Reviews
Each fertilizer manufacturer has a different formula. In addition, not all formulas are really effective on all kinds of crops and soils. Therefore, choosing the wrong fertilizer could impair the normal plant growth of your crops. If you don’t want that to happen, choose any of the options in this top 10 list.
1. Down to Earth Organic Vegetable Garden Fertilizer 4-4-4
This incredible fertilizer is a combination of different organic ingredients with high concentrations of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. It’s perfect for early growing stages and the blooming and fruiting stages.
Just mix it with water, add it to the soil and watch your fruits and vegetables grow strong and healthy. Down to Earth fertilizer also promotes cell growing, giving you bigger, sturdier and more delicious fruits and vegetables.
- Easy to apply
- 100% Organic
- Suitable for all growing stages
- Strong smell
2. Plant Magic Premium All Purpose Organic Fertilizer
This product gives you all the benefits of natural outdoor compost pile (or small compost pile or simple compost pile) without all the stress and time it takes to produce it. In addition, a single bag is sufficient to treat up to 1000 sft of soil. Also, only a single dose is enough to exploit all the genetic potential of your plants. This fertilizer also guarantees more vivid color and intense flavor and aroma.
This probiotic formula contains more than 55 trace minerals and other beneficial elements that will make your plants stronger against diseases. All ingredients are 100% organic and non-toxic, so it isn’t dangerous for your family.
- Non-toxic
- 100% Organic
- Makes your plants more resistant to diseases
- It may dry your plants if it’s applied excessively
3. Alaska 5-1-1 Fish Fertilizer
This growing formula contains 11 vitamins and promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms. In addition, it can be applied on outdoor and indoor plants without risk. In contrast with fertilizers in powder, this one doesn’t burn your plants. It’s also 100% organic, made from fish meal or bone meal.
This product is highly concentrated. So, a small dose is sufficient to obtain the desired results. For better assimilation, it’s recommended to dissolve 2 tbsp in 1 gallon of water.
- Highly concentrated
- Don’t dry out your plants
- Stimulates growth of beneficial microorganisms
- Strong smell
4. GS Plant Foods Organic Liquid Fertilizer
This liquid fertilizer is made from seaweed, which is a miraculous food for all types of plants. Also, seaweed intensifies the color of green-leaf plants and produces bigger and stronger fruits and vegetables. In addition, it can extend the life of fruits and vegetables if it’s applied 10 days before harvesting.
This product also works as a powerful herbicide, delaying the growth of weeds around your crops. It also makes them more resistant to high heat, wind and extreme weather conditions.
- 100% Organic
- Made from Ascophyllum Nodosum seaweed
- Makes your crops stronger
- Strong smell
5. Jobe’s Organics 9026 Fertilizer
This fertilizer uses a proprietary formula known as Jove Biozome which is absorbed by plants faster than others. This product also promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms. In addition, it makes plants more resistant to insects and disease.
This formula is incredibly effective on tomatoes, making them grow bigger and stronger. It also intensifies their color and flavor. Without a doubt, this product will give you the most delicious tomatoes you’ve ever tasted.
- Faster absorption
- Especially effective in tomato crops
- 100% Organic
- It may cause fungus growth
6. Down To Earth 4-5-2 Organic All Purpose Fertilizer
This fertilizer has a higher nitrogen concentration, which makes it perfect for the early growth stages of fruits and vegetables. It also promotes microbial growth to improve soil quality. It doesn’t contain manure or poultry waste, so it’s much less polluting than other organic formulas.
This fertilizer is especially effective on tomatoes, giving them a larger size and more intense color. It’s also suitable for all kinds of transplants, giving them deeper and stronger roots.
- 100% Organic
- Ideal for tomatoes
- Suitable for all growth stages
- It may cause fungus growth
7. Dr. Earth 4-6-3 Organic Fertilizer
Dr. Earth fertilizer is completely safe for humans and animals. It also contains probiotics that restore fertility to the soil. A small dose of this product will multiply your crops. In addition, it increases the size of your fruits and vegetables.
This formula is also suitable for all growth stages. In early stages, it helps to strengthen roots and stems. When it’s applied before harvesting, it also helps to extend the life of fruits and vegetables.
- Suitable for all growth stages
- Safe for humans and pets
- 100% Organic
- It may dry and compact inside the bag
8. Down to Earth 4-4-4 Organic Vegetable Fertilizer
This fertilizer contains the same concentration of nitrogen, magnesium and phosphorus. This peculiar combination is especially effective in tomatoes. It’s also quite effective on green-leaf plants. You can also apply it during all growth stages, which makes it more versatile than other organic fertilizers on the market.
This formula also promotes cell growth, making your fruits and vegetables huge. It can also be applied to flowers and shrubs, giving impressive and satisfactory results.
- Suitable for all growing stages
- 100% Organic
- Easy to apply
- Hard smell
9. Osmocote 277160 Smart-Release Plant Food
These smart capsules are designed to release their granular content with temperature changes. When the heat is high and evaporation begins, a higher concentration of food is released. The solid shells are also biodegradable and serve as food for beneficial microorganisms.
In addition, this fertilizer is especially effective on perennials. In the case of fruits and vegetables, it helps them grow bigger with more intense flavors and colors. It is totally different from synthetic fertilizer. So, you can rely on it. Especially this worm castings organic matter granular fertilizer is perfect for vegetable plants.
- Smart food releasing
- Ideal for perennials
- Improves the color and flavor of fruits and vegetables
- Some shells take too long to degrade
10. Easy Peasy Plants All-Natural Muriate of Potash Granules
These granules are ideal to reinforce the potassium concentration of your organic fertilizers. In addition, potassium is good for strengthening the natural defenses of plants against diseases and external agents. This product is extracted from natural potash deposits and then crushed to the ideal size.
Their small size makes them more soluble and easier to assimilate. Once it’s absorbed by the plants, potash promotes the synthesis of sugars and strengthens their roots.
- Makes your crops more resistant to disease
- Easy to apply
- Quick absorption
- Some granules may take too long to dissolve
Buying Guide
Many people agree that organic fertilizers are much safer and more beneficial than chemical ones. But, is that really true? Certainly, using organic fertilizers on your crops has many benefits. However, not everything that’s said about them is true. In fact, some organic fertilizers on the market can end up ruining all your hard work.
In this buying guide, you’ll learn some tips that will help you differentiate a good fertilizer from a bad one. Also, you’ll find a list with some prohibited components that you should avoid in order to prevent soil contamination.
Safe
Above all, organic fertilizers should be safe for animals and humans. So, if you notice any warning notes like “keep away from children and animals”, it’s recommended to reject the product. Probably, not all the components of the formula are 100% organic.
In fact, some “organic fertilizers” contain large concentrations of chemicals to increase their effectiveness. It’s also true that some natural products contain allergens like sesame oil or fish meal that can cause unwanted reactions.
Before buying any chemical fertilizer or organic fertilizer, check out the ingredients of the formula. If you aren’t an expert in chemicals, research on the Internet if they’re really safe for humans and pets and their effects on the body.
Chemical vs. Organic
It isn’t a secret to anyone that chemical fertilizers can be dangerous. It’s well known that prolonged exposure to these products can cause cancer and problems during pregnancy. However, despite all their cons, it’s also true that chemical fertilizers are quite effective.
Chemical fertilizers have two major advantages in contrast to chemical products. First of all, they’re highly concentrated. Therefore, a small dose is sufficient to fertilize huge growing areas. Second, they can be easily mass produced in a short time. This also makes them considerably cheaper than organic products.
In addition, chemical fertilizers don’t alter the color or flavor of fruits and vegetables. So, they can guarantee consistent results in different harvesting seasons.
Organic fertilizers on the other hand are relatively harmless in contrast to chemical products. However, mass production takes more time, especially those based on compost.
It’s also true that most organic fertilizers have a strong smell. That’s because of the smelly nature of their components, like guano, feather meal, blood meal and fish meal. Bad odors can also attract flies and other nasty insects. So, using organic products will also increase the consumption of pesticides.
Compost-based organic fertilizers contain both good and bad microorganisms. Therefore, it isn’t good to exceed the recommended dosage. If you do, you may cause other serious problems like fungus proliferation.
Forbidden Products
Some artisanal fertilizers lack of quality certifications and distribution permits. In some cases, it’s impossible to know where and when these products were manufactured. Irregularities like these are very common in many products sold on the Internet. Therefore, you must be very careful before buying fertilizers for the first time.
In addition, some of these fertilizers contain highly polluting substances that can pass into water bodies. According to The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances from the USDA, you should avoid fertilizers with any of these ingredients:
- Strychnine
- Sodium fluoaluminate (mined)
- Potassium chloride
- Calcium chloride
- Wood ash lye soap from manure burning
- Arsenic
- Lead salts
- Rotenone
- Sodium nitrate
- Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate)
Some of these ingredients may be disguised behind complex chemical compounds. Therefore, research each component of these compounds on the Internet to verify that the fertilizer is 100% safe. Also, if you notice a strong manure odor on the product, reject the product immediately.
In case you use any chemical or organic fertilizer, make sure the crops are away from rivers and lakes to prevent contamination.
Composition
Each fertilizer manufacturer has its proprietary combination of ingredients. However, there are three basic components that can’t be missing from any formula. They’re:
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
Nitrogen is especially effective in green-leaf plants. Its basic function is to promote growth and intensify color. However, if applied excessively, it may interfere with flower and fruit development. Nitrogen is usually applied in high concentrations during early stages of growth.
On the other hand, phosphorus promotes root growth and the production of flowers, fruits, and seeds. It also provides a brighter and healthier look to fruits.
Potassium helps to strengthen the natural defenses of the plant, making it more resistant to external agents. It also promotes cellular development and carbohydrate metabolism. As a result, fruits grow bigger than normal.
NPK Numbers
The NPK numbers are those ones that you usually find in the bags of most commercial fertilizers. For example, “10-10-10” or “4-5-2”. Each number represents a percentage of the total weight of fertilizer. Each number is read as follows: “nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus”.
At a “10-10-10” concentration, 10% by weight is nitrogen, other 10% is potassium and the other 10% is phosphorus. This is also known as a balanced formulation, because all the concentrations are equal. On the other hand, if at least one of the NPK numbers is “0”, it’s an incomplete formula because of the lack of a certain nutrient.
Choosing the right formula isn’t easy. You should first know the requirements of your crops. For example, in the early stages, it’s recommended to apply more nitrogen to strengthen the roots. However, if the soil is already rich in nitrogen, you would be affecting the normal growth of the plant.
The excess nitrogen would force the plants to produce more foliage but fewer flowers and fruits. On the other hand, a low nitrogen level would make the leaves look pale and yellowish.
If you don’t want to rely on trial and error to determine the exact amount of required organic nutrients for soil, make a soil test, organic nutrients for weed, best organic flowering nutrients. That way, you can easily determine how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is necessary to achieve optimal plant development.
FAQs
As you can see, there are so many things about fertilizers that you probably don’t know. In this FAQs section you’ll also find valuable information that will help you clear up some doubts.
Q1. Can organic fertilizer attract insects?
Yes. Some insects are attracted to the strong smell of organic fertilizers. Therefore, it’s convenient to apply pesticides in the area to prevent your crops from being eaten.
Q2. Chemical vs. organic. What type of fertilizer is most effective?
By far, chemical fertilizers are the most effective due to their high concentration. That mean, a small dose can accomplish the same as a large amount of organic fertilizer.
Q3. What happens if I apply too much organic fertilizer?
Applying too much fertilizer can cause fungi and bacteria to proliferate. It can also burn your crops.
Q4. Why do organic fertilizers smell so bad?
Because some of their ingredients are in a state of decomposition due to their high content of microorganisms.
Q5. Can organic fertilizers contaminate water bodies?
Yes. If applied in large quantities, like it happens in large crops, part of the product can mix with groundwater and pass into water bodies.
Q6. What is the best lawn fertilizer?
There are many types of lawn fertilizer with iron available in the market. Some are new lawn fertilizer and some are pet safe lawn fertilizer as well as natural fertilizer, lawn starter fertilizer, homemade lawn fertilizer, non burning lawn fertilizer, low nitrogen lawn fertilizer, winter lawn fertilizer, milorganite organic lawn fertilizer and so on. Of course good lawn fertilizer is good for plant & organic garden as organic garden fertilizer or organic garden mulch, organic garden compost, organic garden soil, organic herb garden and any type of organic gardening.
Q7. What is organic plant fertilizer?
These organic fertilizer for plants are not different anything. Fertilizer for bougainvillea plant, blueberry plant fertilizer, azalea plant fertilizer, orchid plant fertilizer, air plant fertilizer or nitrogen fertilizer for plants are same. These fertilizers doesn’t use any chemical or similar anything. Most of the organic fertilizers are homemade. These are balanced fertilizer also.
Final Verdict
Certainly, choosing the best natural fertilizer will make your fruits and vegetables grow like never before. However, make sure to apply the recommended dosage for the best results. Also check out the ingredients of the product and make sure there are no toxic substances in it.
In conclusion, if you want to find the best natural fertilizer for vegetable garden, carefully follow the tips in this buying guide.