What is a synthetic fertilizer?
Synthetic simply means “man made” and the common nitrogen sources such as ammonia, ammonium sulfate, and urea are by-products from the oil and natural gas industry. Synthetic fertilizers are typically manufacturered into salt compounds. You know what salt is? Table salt (sodium chloride) is a collection of sodium molecules and chloride molecules held together (bonded). When placed in water, the water molecules will diverge on the sodium chloride, break the bonds between their molecules, and pull them apart into their individual chemical elements: “sodium” and “chloride” (strong little critters, aren’t they?). This is why salts tend to “melt” in water. Plants need little sodium or chloride, and therefore table salt (sodium chloride) is not used as a plant fertilizer. Other salts may contain molecules such as potassium, nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium instead. These elements are useful for plant growth and are commonly referred to as essential (chemical) elements. Table salt is just one
