Vickie asks, “What is the best fertilizer to use on my plants?”
Before I go into a description discussing fertilizer, I want to stress the most important part of producing huge flowers or an abundance of vegetables is building a good soil. The garden soil is the foundation of great plants. You want to develop a loamy soil rich in organic material. A good source of organic material is composted leaves.
It is important to remember fertilizer is not medicine for sick plants. A good fertilizer provides the nutrients, or the food plants need. Some plants like cacti need very little fertilizer, while other plants like tomatoes are heavy feeders and need ongoing fertilizing.
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There are three letters/numbers on containers of fertilizer. The three letters represent Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous(P), and Potassium(K).
Fertilizers also provide other trace elements and minerals a plant needs. Nitrogen is needed to grow the bright green foliage. Phosphorus is needed for a healthy development of flowers, fruits, and seeds. Potassium is needed for a healthy root system and the overall health of the plant. The numbers describe the percentage of the three ingredients. Fertilizers for grass usually have a greater amount of Nitrogen to produce the deep green blades, while flowers may need a higher percentage of Phosphorous. Most plants do well with a balanced fertilizer, meaning the same percentage of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium.
I am not a Botanist or a Horticulturalist. In my opinion some of the most common brands of fertilizer can be too strong and damage or kill plants. In the last few years there has been a big trend to use natural or organic fertilizers. For the most part I do not believe they provide the amount of nutrients some plants need.
It has been my experience more expensive fertilizers that obtain Nitrogen from animal urine, instead of chemical Nitrates works much better for many plants. Plants seem to take up and use the Nitrogen in urine better than the Nitrogen derived from chemicals.
Through the years I have tried many brands and types of fertilizers. I have found the brands, Dyna-Grow and Jack’s 20-20-20 fertilizer are the easiest to use and provide the best results. Dyna-Grow is a liquid fertilizer that can be used every time a plant is watered. Jack’s is a water-soluble powder that mixes well and can be used once a week. Dyna-Grow can be purchased locally. Jack’s can be found at some nurseries. Both are available on Amazon.
I hope this takes some of the mystery out of fertilizers and you grow a garden that is the envy of your neighborhood!
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