How to Pick Your Fertilizer

Soil, low in nutrients is unlikely to yield flowering trees, or a bountiful harvest of vegetables. So, you will find that adding fertilizer to the land becomes a necessity in most instances; but you need to first have a basic understanding of the soil in your proposed plot, and information on the various types of fertilizer in the market, before you make an “informed choice”.

Fertilizer is made up mainly of nitrogen (N), phosphorous/phosphate (P) and potassium/potash (K). When buying fertilizer, you will generally find three numbers displayed on the bag in the above-mentioned sequence, each of which indicates the percentage of these three main elements. Each element has its own specialized function. Nitrogen promotes active plant growth and provides the foundation for the creation of plant protein. Phosphate helps in root formation, and is especially beneficial to all flowering plants. Potash makes the plant hardier, by helping it survive cold winters and by increasing its resistance to disease. Potash is also instrumental in photosynthesis and promotes fruit and vegetable formation.

Depending on its origin, fertilizer can also be broadly categorized under organic or inorganic, as the case maybe. Inorganic fertilizer is made up of synthetic chemicals and/or minerals. Its nutrient content solubility and nutrient release rate is comparatively high. Whilst organic fertilizer, which comes in the form of compost, vegetable peelings and green manure, not only promotes healthy living, but improves the bio-diversity of the soil and its productivity.

Once you have all the relevant the information in hand, now it is just up to you to decide as to which fertilizer best meets your requirements.

Tags: Gardening Advice, gardening and fertilizer
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