permaculture

126 Facilitator’s Handbook for Permaculture Workshops

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Presentation : About natural fertilizers

Method : Facilitator presentation and group brainstorm

Tools : Images that help explain how compost and liquid fertilizer works

References : PC Book MOD 4 - Healthy Soil

Objective    :  Participants    learn   about   the benefits    of  natural fertilizers

Compost is made up of organic matter which is broken down by soil biota into

a concentrated, nutrient-rich source.

Compost is mainly made up of carbon and nitrogen. Plant material is mostly carbon with

a small amount of nitrogen. Manure is mostly nitrogen with a small amount of carbon.

Compost also contains many other nutrients, minerals, trace elements, and soil biota.

Compost can be added at the bases of fruit trees or amongst vegetable crops to provide

extra nutrients and improve the soil quality, which is very important for future crops.

There are many different ways to make compost – From a simple mix of rice husks and

cow manure to various combinations of many different types of materials. What you use

depends on what materials are readily available.

The facilitator can encourage a discussion with the participants to identify:

• Different readily available compost ingredients.


• Different ways to make compost ingredients more readily available.


• The essential functions compost provides for plants and for the soil.

Liquid fertilizer is a very good nutrient rich natural fertilizer made from small amounts

of manure and other ingredients. It is easy to prepare and very useful for nurseries,

small gardens, large crops, rice paddies, fruit trees, and other tree crops. It can easily

be spread over a large area. Liquid fertilizer can be made in any size container from a

bucket to a steel drum - the more the better. It can be made and stored anywhere. It is

a very strong concentration and needs to be diluted with water before use, which means

it should be stored near a water supply.

The facilitator can encourage a discussion with the participants to identify:

• Different readily available liquid fertilizer ingredients.


• Different ways to make liquid fertilizer ingredients more readily available.


• The essential functions liquid fertilizer provides for plants and for the soil.

The facilitator can also encourage a discussion with the participants to identify the

differences between natural fertilizers (compost and liquid fertilizers) and chemical

fertilizers, as well as their impacts.