Taking the Mystery Out of N-P-k
Every gardener wants to have the best yield possible, but it’s hard to remember what, when and how to apply fertilizer.
You use fertilizer as an “additive” to soils. This process helps you make sure that the nutrients essential to maximize the growth and health of the plants in your garden are available. Usually, this means Phosphorous, Nitrogen, and Potassium.
These basic elements are usually in the form of chemical compounds that can be converted by the plant to access the needed elements. For instance, plants require Nitrogen, but use it in the form of larger compounds like ammonia (NH4) or nitrate (NO3-). Soils naturally contain these required chemical compounds, but often there is an imbalanced ratio.
Soil is very much a living, breathing, organic system of nutrients and matter, which plants draw from to build themselves. Over years of use, soils become less nutritious. To mend this, we add inputs back into the soil. Often times, this is in the form of a fertilizer.
Fertilizers are compounds that gardeners can use to increase the amounts and balance the ratios of these essential chemical compounds. Luckily there are many organic products on the market.
Replacing and fortifying nutrient levels is key to maintaining healthy soils. Some organic options are:
- // animal manure
- // compost
- // fish & seaweed
- // worm castings
- // bone meal (adds phosphorus)
- // blood meal (adds nitrogen)
Try these Organic Fertilizer options found at Amazon
Light Feeders
These vegetables require a small amount of fertilizer at planting. No additional feeding is usually necessary.
- // Bush Beans
- // Mustard Greens
- // Peas
- // Southern Peas
- // Turnips
Moderate Feeders
Liquid fertilizer works well for these moderate feeders. Avoid manure on root crops, it can cause scabby patches on them.
- // Beets
- // Carrots
- // Okra
- // Pole Beans
- // Potatoes
- // Sweet Potatoes
Heavy Feeders
Liquid fertilizers work well for heavy feeders. Feed once when warm weather hits and again later in the season.
- //Broccoli
- // Brussels Sprouts
- // Cabbage
- //Cantaloupe
- // Cauliflower
- // Corn
- // Cucumber
- // Eggplant
- // Kale
- // Kohlrabi
- // Onion
- // Pepper
- // Rhubarb
- // Squash
- //Tomato
- // Watermelon
Check Out Our Awesome Infographic Below for the Guide to Garden Fertilizers.
Source: Fix.com
I’ll have to check a few of these out as I wasn’t aware that there was really anything that I could use outside of manure. But, you mentioned several fertilizers that weren’t manure at all. Do you have any other suggestions about the kinds of fertilizers one can use? I really just want to make sure that I am getting what I can to make sure that my garden looks good.
Good day
You can buy Organic origin fertilizer by certificates as
1. Potassium Nitrate
2. Potassium carbonate
3. Ammonium Nitrate
These products for organic farming. More information www organic-fertilizer eu
Thank you for all of the useful information on fertilizers. I know that when I garden during the summer I use fertilizer on everything. I didn’t know that fertilizers help balance the chemicals in the soil. Cool info!
Really enjoyed finding this today, Shelle! Thanks for all the info you’ve put together! I wish you still lived nearby and could come over and teach me how to start my garden this year, lol! But loving your helpful articles!
I have been using worm tea but don’t know much about it.such as is it good for light or heavy feeders.I have been diluting 2 ounces per gallon of water. I can’t tell if it is making a difference.