New to organic?

I seen a bag of green sand at the garden shop. The list of N P K was minimal. What is it good for?
What is a good organic source for nitrogen?

Thanks

Gary

Hey garyt; Greensand is used primarily for potash as well as other trace minerals.
A good source for N besides compost is bloodmeal. Actually Hoof and Horn meal is also really great but takes several months before it becomes available to plants.

Good organic sources of nitrogen that don't involve slaughtering animals include bat guano (this can be very high nitrogen, so even though sometimes it may seem expensive, it is used sparingly), and alfalfa meal. You can also get cotton burr compost, which is not all that high in nitrogen but will increase your soils N content some and is a nice composting material.

Too much nitrogen can cause a number of problems, depending on the plant and soil, including decreased flowers/fruiting and increased pest problems. Generally (in my experience), the key to successful organic gardening is taking time to prepare the soil before planting with compost and according to the needs of existing soil structure, and then application of a balanced organic fertilizer at a schedule depending on the plant (s).

And a really good idea is to have your soil tested before you add anything. You local county extension agent can provide you with a soil testing kit, information on how to use it properly and it will be sent to your state lab for the tests. Normally the fee is minimal.

Greensand is also used to loosen heavy clay soil to improve drainage.

Google for organic fertilizers for more detailed information.

Manure and compost are two of the best.

I totally agree with doccat5-- plus a lot of county extensions have really cool web pages these days. You can learn a lot about your local soil types even without doing a test, but you never know exactly what you've got in your location (especially if anyone has ever lived/farmed/dumped crap there before you) unless you do a test.