Info compiled by Kay Lueg, North Central Louisiana Master Gardeners
Plants need oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. They are essential for plants. Plants get these elements from the air and water. Other than that, there are three main macronutrients and three secondary macronutrients.
Most fertilizers have nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Next in line are the secondary macronutrients – calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
- (N) Nitrogen promotes green leafy growth.
- (P) Phosphorus promotes root development, flowering, and fruit development.
- (K) Potassium promotes stronger stems and over resilience and water regulation.
Secondary nutrients, in smaller amounts, are calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
And finally, there are micronutrients. They are needed in very small amounts.
Fertilizers provide food that boosts plant performance.
Not all plants need fertilizer. Some common plants in this category are bee balm (Monarda), butterfly weed, black-eyed Susan, ornamental grasses, hairy vetch and nasturtium.
With these plants, one can make teas, do chop and drop mulching, or plant as cover crops. Cover crops have to grow for 2 to 4 months and then be worked into the soil.
Back to the common commercial fertilizers, they can be the typical granules that are labeled with ratios of N-P-K. 10-10-10 is a good all-around fertilizer. 5-5-5 would be the same except that it wouldn’t be as strong.
Slow-release fertilizers like Osmocote are more expensive but easier to distribute. Also an application lasts longer. Best used in long term maintenance of established gardens.
Organic fertilizer is more expensive and doesn’t work any better. Actually, it works a lot slower than standard fertilizer. Nitrogen is nitrogen, no matter how it is presented. Ditto for phosphorus and potassium.
To wrap this up, there are a lot of ways to feed plants. Don’t be intimidated. Find what works best for you. Happy gardening!
