I bet you thoughtfertilizing your gardenwas pretty basic – just plunge a bunch around the plants and irrigate it in . unluckily , it is n’t that simple and should n’t be done that style for a miscellany of reasons .
But first: Do your plants really need fertilizer?
Many plant problem can not be puzzle out with fertilizer – pay aid to your dirt first – lend organic material like compostregularlyto improve ground tilth , drainage , and nourishment .
There are 18 essential nutrient that plants require to raise and survive . Carbon , Hydrogen , and Oxygen are needed in the gravid amount and are obtained from air and water . The next 6 nutrient are look at macronutrients; … Nitrogen , Phosphorus , and Potassium … . Calcium , Magnesium , and Sulfur . The remaining 9 elements are take micronutrients and admit Chloride , Iron , Boron , Manganese , Zinc , Copper , Molybdenum , Nickel , and Cobalt … Each of these wager an significant office in the different social structure and functions of the flora … [ and ] if one essential nutrient is lacking , plant growth will be poor even when all other indispensable nutrient are abundant . These nutrients primarily total from the grunge ; however , when the soil ’s nutrient reserves become blue , nutrients can be supplement through the addition of … plant food , compost , and manure .
As we emphasize fourth dimension and again , never fertilize your garden without doing asoil testfirst . In most soils , especially where compost is tote up on a regular basis , there is enough richness to develop the majority of industrial plant . If stain is cared for correctly in theperennial gardenwhere roots run thick , fertilizer will rarely be necessary ( I ca n’t remember the last fourth dimension I fertilized my bloom beds ) .
Vegetable garden should be tested every other yr for richness . Due to the high turnover of plants in veggie gardens , there MAY be a need for atomic number 7 , but seldom anything else . If you followcrop revolution basics , compost , mulchingandcover crop with legumes , the motivation for additional fertilizers is rare . Whengrowing vegetables or flower in containershowever , plants will need to be fertilized regularly .
And just because the leaves are yellowing , veggie are pocket-size , florescence is recent or your plants “ look like they need fertilizer ” , fertility may not be the problem . Many factors regulate a plant ’s growth includingsoil pH(the quantity of acidity or alkalinity ) , stain drainage , weather conditions , disease and soil temperature . Fertilizer ca n’t fix any of these .
What problems occur if I fertilize when my garden doesn’t need it?
Fertilizer food required by veg in the highest quantity are nitrogen ( N ) , phosphorus ( atomic number 15 ) and atomic number 19 ( K ) . Other nutrient , including iron , copper , manganese and zinc are needed in much small amounts . With the exclusion of nitrogen and phosphorus , most of these nutrients are most likely available in the land at adequate or even undue amounts . bestow nutrients that are not needed can cause deficiencies of other nutrients and can cause an asymmetry of nutrient . Nobody can enjoin you what your soil really take without referring to a soil trial convey by an analytic research laboratory .
When shouldn’t I fertilize my garden?
How to properly apply fertilizer
Does it matter if I use liquid or granular fertilizer?
Liquid fertilizer make nutrients forthwith available to plants . So if a stain test indicate an immediate need , limpid fertilizers are better . Granular fertilizer take metre to disclose down in the land into a operational form . They are intimately apply betimes in the time of year before planting or at planting time .
Resources : Do plant food avail or hurt plants ? , University of Minnesota Extension;Starting a Garden : Fertilization , University of Illinois Extension;Fertilizing The Vegetable Garden , Colorado State University Extension;Different elbow room to go for compost and commercial plant food , University of Saskatchewan .
