Fertilizer Basics – What it is and why you need it!

 

Do you have trouble growing a garden? Is it growing but showing a decrease in production?  Maybe your plants just aren’t looking as healthy as they used to.

The issue may have more to do with the condition of your soil rather than your gardening skills. The good news is that you can grow your best garden ever. All you need is a little help from fertilizer!

Mad gardening skills are optional.

Fertilizer vs. Plant Food

True or False: “Fertilizer” is the same as “plant food”.

You may be surprised to learn that they are NOT!

Many people use the terms interchangeably. The fact is that plants get their “food” from the sun, air and rain. Plant anything in a sunny location and it will grow. With or without fertilizer. A field of wild flowers is a good example of this. Check out the term “photosynthesis”. You’ll get a better idea of how that works.

It can be likened to eating a meal versus taking a vitamin supplement.

 Fertilizers feed the soil…not the plant.

 

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Fertilizer 101:

All fertilizers will contain at least one of three minerals:

Nitrogen (N): This nutrient helps make the plant leafy and green. Adding too much nitrogen will make plants big and bushy but bear very little fruit. What purpose does it serve if it’s not bearing fruit? Unless it’s lettuce…then, you’re good!

Phosphorous (P): Plants that bear lots of flowers or fruit usually have a good balance of phosphorous. On the other hand, they may need more of this mineral if they’re dropping blooms before producing any fruit.

Potassium (K): This nutrient is responsible for the overall health of your plants. Not only does it help your plants use photosynthesis more efficiently, it also encourages a strong root system. Your plants may need potassium if they have weak stalks or the stems won’t hold fruit.

“Grade” Explained:

The ratio of these minerals (NPK) in commercial products are called “grade”. For instance, 5-10-10 indicates the fertilizer contains 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphate and 10% potassium.

“Complete” fertilizers are those that contain all three minerals. “Incomplete” fertilizers will only contain one or two of these minerals and will be identified with a zero. For example, 10-0-0 or possibly 5-0-10. There are as many grade options as there are types of fertilizer!

While it makes sense to use a complete fertilizer for all your garden needs, not all gardens need complete fertilizer. Typically, gardens are short on nitrogen but abundant in the other minerals. You may do more harm than good if you continually use a complete fertilizer.

On the other hand, a compost pile that contains a lot of chicken manure will be pretty high in nitrogen. The same can be said if you use horse or cow manure. Comparatively speaking, a healthy compost pile has an equal amount of these minerals. Remember this when you’re thinking about improving your soil.

“Feeding” Explained:

The type of plants you grow will determine how much fertilizer is needed. Remember, fertilizer feeds the soil and not the plant. The plant will still grow without fertilizer because it pulls what it needs from the soil. So please don’t be confused when you see the term “feed”.

Some plants, like tomatoes and peppers, are “heavy feeders”. This means they pull lots of nutrients from the soil. If you want the plant to keep producing, you need to feed the soil larger, more frequent amounts of fertilizer.

“Medium feeders” include most of your root crops: think onions, carrots and beets. These will require a moderate amount or frequency of fertilizer.

“Light feeders” like lettuce and beans may only require one application of fertilizer during the growing season.

If you’re checking your plants daily, you may notice little changes. These changes are your plants way of letting you know something isn’t right.

Before You Fertilize:

Know what your soil pH is before you do anything to the soil. Too much of a mineral is just as bad as not having enough. For instance, some plants like a lot of acidity. Other plants, not so much. A simple soil test will let you know if anything is missing.

Let’s say you’ve planted tomatoes. They started out like gang-busters but then the leaves turned yellow. Or the blossoms fall off before the fruit develops. The issue is with your soil, not your plants.

Are your plants growing but not producing fruit? If the plant does produce fruit, is it deformed or shriveled?

This is a clear indication there is a nutrient missing in your soil. This is where a soil test comes in handy. You will save yourself a lot of heartache if you know what your soil needs before you plant.

 

 

 

I’ll admit it…we’re still learning:

Our gardens have always been productive. Adding fertilizer wasn’t even on our radar.

Until last summer. We noticed a slight decline in the amount of peppers we grow for our homemade hot sauce. Also, the plants themselves didn’t look as healthy as in previous years. This was our reality check that something needed to be done.

We decided to save time and treat all the gardens in one fell swoop. If you’re on my email list, you’ll remember that we tilled in a truckload of mushroom compost at the end of last garden season. This may become a yearly task. Time will tell.

We will also be practicing crop rotation. But that’s a whole ‘nother post!

Organic vs. Synthetic:

I firmly believe that compost is the best thing for a garden. However, I haven’t had success maintaining a compost pile. One year it was too dry. The next year it rained constantly. Bleh! Purchasing compost was our best bet. To be honest, having a truckload delivered was cheaper than purchasing bags of it from the garden center!

Not only was it cost effective, but it saved me from having to decide which commercial fertilizer to buy. The number of options made my head spin as did some of the prices! Let me tell ya’, the high-priced product is not always the better product. Take a closer look and you will find that these “specialty” fertilizers are pretty much the same.

Now, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on having a compost pile. In fact, I’m more determined than ever to make it work! That may be a future post as well!

The Important Difference:

Organic compost nutrients are absorbed gradually over a period of time. Synthetic products work quickly and are a good option when a plant needs immediate attention. But wait…

Not all fertilizers are “all natural”. Some are manufactured while others are truly organic.

Did you know that much of the manufactured stuff comes from commercial or industrial waste? As a result, some of them contain heavy metals that can be bad for the soil. Commercial compost is not regulated so there is no way to know exactly what’s in it. But it may be something you don’t want in your garden!

Affordable Fertilizer Alternatives:

If you’re like me, you prefer a fertilizer that is easy to use, inexpensive, readily available and free of chemicals. If purchasing a truckload is not in your budget, check out this post on easy, affordable garden fertilizers. You probably have most of these around your home.

I have used some of these organic options in the past and I’m curious to try more. Why? Because the smaller amounts are easier to manage than shoveling a truckload of compost! Treating a single plant is also less time-consuming than treating the whole garden. I’m all about making life easier! Check out the list and see if these organic options will work for you.

 

My Two Cents:

Fertilizers don’t have to be expensive, complicated or harmful to man and beast. Organic compost may be the best fertilizer you can give your garden but it’s not always feasible. Fertilizer “tea” may be a good option if you don’t have time or space for a compost pile. Teas are simply organic matter covered in water and allowed to ferment over time.

No soil is perfect. To be honest, it can take years of amending to make it so. As gardeners, we need to help it along. And as long as plants continue to take advantage of soil nutrients, soil will need tweaking from one growing season to another.

Now that you’re an expert (sorta) on fertilizers, it’s time to go forth and grow something awesome!

Before you go, don’t miss out on future posts! Join my tribe and get my monthly newsletter containing informational tips and tricks for garden, home and health! You’ll automatically get my Fertilizer Tracker when you join! And I’d be tickled pink if you followed me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Until next time,

lisa