Today we needed to replenish the liquid bio-fertilizer (biol, in Spanish) at the Ranch. Liquid bio-fertilizers contain benefic microorganisms that improve soil quality and fertility (by breaking down nutrients for plants to absorb, for example), and they increase plant growth and yield.
Across the world, chemical fertilizers have been widely adopted to increase crop yield, but they are also damaging the soil, polluting the environment, and making soil more acidic. While bio-fertilizers add beneficial microorganisms, chemical fertilizers reduce their numbers. That's why it is important to share and spread these safe, sustainable practices like fertilizers that support the environment and enhance the soil rather than damaging it.
Chelo applies the bio-fertilizer to the new, baby tomato plants on the day that we transplanted them. The Ranch has had issues with pests and fungus and hasn't had a great tomato harvest yet this year, so she said that she wanted to spoil them with as much special treatment as possible! We dilute the bio-fertilizer with water and then add a half cup to each plant like you can see in the picture to the bottom left.
Bio-fertilizers have a lot of benefits-- they are low-cost, beneficial to the soil, chemical-free... So why are chemical fertilizers more popular? Chemical fertilizers have been so engrained into farming practices that it's difficult to introduce change. We will reflect more on this in another post.
How to make liquid bio-fertilizer
5 liters of molasses
1 kilo/ 1 liter of rock powder
Fill the rest of the with water
Submerge the permeable sack of Mountain Microorganisms
Seal the barrel airtight
Como hacer el biol
5 litros de melaza
1 kilo/ 1 liter de polvo de roca
Llenar el barril con agua
Sumergir el costal de microorganismos de montaña
Sellar hermeticamente el barril
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