Used Coffee grounds. You can ask Starbucks or a local coffee shop to save some for you. Maybe a local garden center.

kentstar

The Espoma line is very close to organic and very good fertilizers--Plant Tone, Flower Tone, Bulb Tone, etc.

For specific soil building, organic fertilizers include rock phosphate, limestone, greensand, dried blood, fish meal, (and many others). You won't know what you need until you have a soil test done. (For example, my soil, though low in nitrogen and phosphates, is very high in potassium and magnesium. So I must avoid even organic fertilizers that have too much magnesium--no dolomitic limestone for me!)

I'm sure some place in Jersey is selling organic fertilizers, but it will probably take some hunting.

Do you need to fertilize? Have you had your soil tested to determine if it is lacking in nutrients? Do you mulch your garden at all?

We often get caught up in the mindset - promoted heavily by fertilizer manufacturers - that routine fertilizing is necessary to have a 'good' productive garden. This is not necessarily the case. Depending on existing soil conditions and whether you mulch and with what, applying ANY kind of fertilizer - organic or synthetic - may not be necessary. And applying fertilizer when it is not needed can be just as detrimental to the plants and the soil as not applying when it is needed. So test you soil first, then apply specific nutrients accoording to the test recommendations.

As to the fertilizers, the plants don't care whether the nutrients are organic in origin or from synthetics so using one or the other is a matter of personal choice. There are some advantages to going organic, primarily that it encourages a healthy soil biology and is less inclined to contribute to pollution. Any animal feeds will be an organic nutrient source so look at feed stores - prices there tend to be less than at garden centers for larger quantities. And retail garden centers (rather than home improvement stores) will tend to offer a range of organic fertilizers including various plant and animal meals. They will often offer blended organic fertilizers as well (like Espoma and other brands) but that will vary a lot by location and demand.

Although technically (and legally) not considered a 'fertilizer', compost is an excellent source of a full range of plant nutrients. If applied consistently as a mulch or topdressing, there is very little need to ever supplement with any kind of labeled fertilizer. If you don't have enough of your own yet, you might consider looking into bagged or bulk compost.

Here's a couple of potential sources for organic products - have no idea where they might be in relation to you, however :-) And the attached link lists NJ garden centers by county - check to see if any near you carry organic products. I'm sure there must be at least a few - NJ has a very active organic farming and CSA population.

Glenwild Garden Center, Bloomingdale
Sickles Market, Little Silver

Here is a link that might be useful: NJ garden centers

Costco right now has huge bags of Espoma Holly Tone which would probably last years for your holly, azaleas and hydrangeas (blue, right?). I want to get one before they run out because my azaleas are pretty sad and my blue hydrangeas have started to turn purple.

Compost is a great idea -- try to get bags of different kinds if you decide to buy, then mix them up. That way you have a better chance of getting a good mix of nutrients.

Here is a link that might be useful: tips on buying compost

In central NJ, I gotta believe there's an Agway, Southern States, Tractor Supply or other farm store not too far away. You can use alfalfa in any of its forms - pellets, cubes or meal. The meal blows around a bit and I always end up with it in my pockets and socks. Cubes take wahile to break apart. Pellets are by the easiest to use. All may smell a bit once they start to rot, but the smell doesn't last long.

If there's a horse farm nearby, they'd probably share their manure pile with you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Agway locations in NJ

One of the best places we found to purchase quality organic fertilizer is at, Organic Garden Grower.com
By far the best places online.

Here is a link that might be useful: OrganicGardenGrower.com

www.theurbanfarm.com....some of the best organic fertilizer today...i like the texas tomato food for my tomatoes and vegetables....very fast shipping and nice folks who will help you....highly recommend these people....the indian

plants are not children ... they do NOT need to be fed ... frankly.. ever ... and if you can wrap your head around that.. you will go far ....

your plants are not potted ... so there should not be any issue of watering washing all the good stuff out the bottom ...

so then.. all it comes down to.. is building a good soil ... by adding organics/compost to your soil ... and the plants will take care of themselves ...

there is a forum for composting ... if you havent found it already ...

alfalfa is what goes in the front end of animals ... so we can compost what comes out the backend... lol ... alfalfa is rabbit food.. and can be found at any store that sells such.. like tractor supply ... but do stay out of the pet aisle.. and find the bulk aisle for such ... and watch out for salts added to pet food ...

i grew T roses for years... you might consider dumping those... since they are extremely heavy feeders.. as well as all the sprays you need for bug and disease avoidance ... in other words.. you can reduce or avoid chemicals.. thru plant selection ...

i have mineral sand in my garden .... similar to beach sand .. perhaps a bit finer ... and grow most of what is you your list ..... i NEVER fert ... i am too cheap ... lol ..

ken

I now get mine thru Mills Mix.com I order the alfalfa, cotton meal, green sand,and fish meal in 50lb bags but I have a lot to feed. I used a local source for nitrogen. Shipping is free from millsmix. You can as mentioned call around to find sources where you might find smaller amounts. First place I found was call Country Brothers Supply. They didn't stock it but could order it. I also use organic liquid fish and sea weed fertilizer. A big help for my garden came when I began adding chopped leaves, straw, sprinkles of grass clippings and anything else i could find. With time my soil became excellent. Things were just added on top for the worms to eat and carry down to the roots. Anything that will decompose adds to your soil. Well I would through a dead animal in there thou.

BTW .. one of the best ways to use alfalfa.. is to make a tea out of the raw material.. and water with such ...

do understand... A is also a lure.. if you have rabbits in the area ... they will come to find out.. what you are doing with it ... hence making tea of it ...

ken

I am another one who never fertilizes my perennial and shrub beds. As GardenGal said, fertilizing where not needed adds to pollution of both ground water and surface water since excess will often leach out. The key to healthy plants is healthy soil, so if possible improve the soil in an entire bed before planting, and in an established bed use an organic mulch. I use a combination of compost and wood shavings, neither of which cost me anything except labor. They break down over time, releasing nutrients at a rate that the plants will use them, and the organic matter mixed into the soil by the microscopic and macroscopic critters increases its moisture holding capacity. The surface mulch helps maintain even moisture levels as well.

So get a soil test done. In most states you can get one done by the local land grant university or by cooperative extension, but I know Cornell U does them from mailed in samples. Once you know what your soil's pH and nutrient levels are you can make informed decisions on what if anything your garden needs. Adding nutrients without checking what is needed can harm plants and your garden goals; for instance plants grown with too much nitrogen may be more susceptible to disease and insect damage and have leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

Agree with what others have said about testing your soil first, usually through your state ag center. I have a home tester which cost apx $35, & have compared the ag center's reports on my 3 soil samples w/ what my own tester shows - pretty accurate. High end testers cost apx $75-100.

I grow the herb comfrey, make a tea like the alfalfa tea described above & apply it with a sprayer or a watering can. I would worry that comfrey used as a mulch or in compost might grow new plants all over the place. Comfrey tea smells until the leaves turn black, then it stops smelling. As I remember the alfalfa tea that I made never stopped smelling until I poured it on the plants, then there was no smell. Comfrey grows very quickly here, dies back somewhat in the winter & costs almost nothing. See links below.

Has anyone mentioned a worm box (vermiculture)? Very cheap as the worms eat your rotten produce, newspapers & eggshells & provide liquid gold to your garden.

Info on comfrey as fertilizer, see p2 of link for "liquid fertilizer":

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/comfrey-power

Comfrey needs room as it has a huge taproot. It can also throw a seed. I am currently cutting off the flowers until I can get the sterile one, Russian Comfrey Bocking #14, developed for this use & recommended. Also see book on link below:

http://www.nantahala-farm.com/comfrey-root-bocking-14-s.shtml