We all agree that like us, plants require nutrients to grow and thrive. They also need oxygen from the air for root respiration and other nutrients like, carbon and hydrogen. In fact, plants need about thirteen ingredients for optimum growth. Such ingredients includes Calcium, Sulfur and Magnesium, and others that are usually ignored. Out of the thirteen, Nitrogen (N), Potassium (K) and Phosphorus (P) are the most popular ingredients labeled. These nutrients are vital to the soil’s health. Each offers different type of nutrients to your plants, understanding the impact they each make to your plants is crucial.

You might say, “Well I didn’t have to worry about any of that, my garden thrived and I grew plenty of vegetables last year.” You may be right, however you must remember that even if you started with good quality soil, each time you grow any plants from that garden, they take in all the nutrients and leave the soil infertile. Soil infertility can be caused by other factors like digging or tilling the soil, poor runoff, leaching from rainfall and much more. One way of replacing lost nutrients into your soil is by fertilizing your garden.

First, let’s take a look at closer look at those key ingredients.

Nitrogen (N): Nitrogen is an essential element of all amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Nitrogen helps plants create proteins needed to produce new tissue. Nitrogen is also an element of chlorophyll, the substance that gives plants their green color. One way of figuring out if your plant is receiving sufficient nitrogen is usually by the leave color. A dark green color most likely means your plant is receiving proper amount of nitrogen. It’s important not to add too much nitrogen to your soil as it will cause your plants to grow more foliage than producing crops. Although nitrogen can be added to soil in either organic or inorganic forms, plants take up only inorganic nitrogen. When planting, keep in mind that certain plant like soybean (from the legume family), will produce their own nitrogen into the soil by using the Rhizobium bacteria through a process called “symbiotic” associations.

Potassium (K): Like Nitrogen, potassium also plays in important role in plant growth. It promotes growth and amplifies protein production. Most importantly, potassium improves resistance to diseases and insects. Keeping your soil moist increases the movement of potassium to plant roots and boosts availability. Oxygen and potassium works hand in hand. If your soil is too wet and unable to breath, it will mostly not be able to take in necessary potassium. So it is very important not to soak your soil as it will decrease the uptake of potassium. Potassium deficiency will lead to slow or immature growth, frail and unhealthy roots. One way of telling potassium deficiency in your garden is by also looking at the color of the leaves, yellow or white spots on the leaves usually means a lock of potassium intake. In any case of potassium deficiency, they are a few method of adding more potassium back into your soil. Potassium chloride, potassium-magnesium sulfate or Manure are great source of potassium. But using a potassium chloride fertilizer is one of the most common way to add potassium to your garden. When using either method, it is strongly suggested to research each method as results will vary for different plants.

Phosphorus (P): Like its cousin nitrogen and potassium, phosphorus is equally as important to your soil. Its main role is to store and transfer energy. Phosphorus availability is measured by three factors: Soil pH, amount of organic matter, and proper placement of fertilizer phosphorus.

Sufficient phosphorus in your garden soil will stimulates early plant and root growth and accelerates maturity. Like any other nutrients, too much of phosphorus can be damaging to your plants. Excessive phosphorus in your soil will reduce the plant’s ability to grow and produce. On the other hand, like any other nutrients, phosphate can be lost from your soil over time through soil erosion. Various phosphate fertilizers, like rock phosphate or rock dust, manure and bone meal are available to fix that. Rock phosphate consists of soft rock of smaller particle size and are recommended to use in soils with pH level above neutral (pH7). Manure contains soluble, organic and inorganic phosphate compounds.

Concentration of phosphorus from manure vary based on material used for vermicomposting, a process of composting. And lastly bone meal, a flour-like material like powder composed of primarily animal bone should not be applied to soil with a pH level above 7.

Few of us have ideal garden soil, but if you are among the many of us who don’t have the ideal garden soil, there’s hope! There are easy ways to improve your garden soil by using fertilizers. Luckily, there is not shortage of fertilizers in the market. They are available in powered and liquid form, organic and inorganic. Each bag or liquid bottle of fertilizer sold will label each ingredients and the percentage available, for example 5-3-3 or 5-10-5 and the list goes on. These number are very important because they tell you the percentage of Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphate and other nutrients available.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the different type of soil nutrients, you’re one step closer to having a successful growing season. Adding in soil amendments and soil fertilizers will not only improve the structure of the soil but it will add missing nutrients into the soil. Adding organic matter to the soil will add bulk to sandy soil or help with drainage if you have heavy or clay soil.

It is recommended to add in 3 to 4 inches of organic matter to your garden each year as it will improve the productivity of your vegetables. Here are some common organic soil amendments:

• Compost enriches and add in organic matter to your soil. It also improves soil structure, helps retain water and prevents run-off. It can be made in a worm composting bin in your backyard or indoor.

• Animal manure like compost also add organic matter to the soil. It’s an excellent source nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and other nutrients. Manure can differ from each other so be cautious when using.

• Peat moss offers several benefits to the soil. Unlike compost or manure, it breaks down slowly in the soil, therefore doesn’t require frequent application. It holds moisture and releases it to the plant roots as needed, making it favorable in sandy soil. It also helps holding key nutrition into the soil.

• Seaweed, derived from sea plants, it contains low quantity of nitrogen and phosphorus. It prevents fungal and diseases and is an excellent source of growth hormones and nutrients to the soil. It is available in liquid, powder and pellet from.

• Green manures are plants grown in the fall and tilled under in the early spring, often called “cover crops”. Some examples are buckwheat, clover, fava beans, fall rye, field’s peas, and oats. They will add bulk to the soil and improve drainage and aeration. Some variety will add nitrogen to the soil.

When you first start to go down the path of Eco-friendly gardening, deciding on the right organic gardening supplies for the best effect can be somewhat overwhelming. The first thing to do would be to do a little research. I can’t stress enough the importance of taking the time to do some research before starting any project. I will be discussing more the difference between organic and inorganic fertilizers in future posts.

As stated in my previous post, you should always have a garden soil test kit, if not an inexpensive test kit is the first purchase you need to make when checking the pH level of your soil. You’ll find one at any gardening supplies store. The instructions that come with the kit will be easy enough to follow even for a first-time user. Remember, even if your soil has proper nutrients, your pH level can be out of whack and if your pH level is not within the normal range between 6.0 to 7.0, some plants may have difficulty absorbing some nutrients. Hopefully this article will guide you in the right path.
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Sources:
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1637.pdf
https://morninghomestead.com/best-liquid-fertilizer-pastures/
https://morninghomestead.com/best-bloom-boosters-reviews/
https://morninghomestead.com/best-hydroponic-nutrients-reviews/
https://extension.usu.edu/waterquality/agriculturewq/fertilizer
https://morninghomestead.com/best-tow-behind-broadcast-spreader/
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