FERTILIZER

April 27, 2021

Are your houseplants hungry? If they’ve been in the same soil for a while, they probably are. Over time, watering leaches out nutrients, and since they're in containers, they can't send out roots for more food. Signs of distress include stunted or weak growth, yellow leaves or chlorosis (yellowing between the leaf veins). Fresh fertilizer can give them a boost, but before you apply it, check that your problem isn’t due to something else, like insects, disease or improper watering. Once you’ve eliminated those possibilities, you can get your houseplants back on the road to good health. Most gardeners have heard that plants need fertilizer. But what kind of fertilizer, how the heck do you use it? Even for experienced gardeners, the options can feel overwhelming. And searching online often yields confusing or conflicting advice. The good news is, choosing a fertilizer and supplying your plants with the nutrients they need can be easy, if you know a few simple facts.
WHEN TO FERTILIZE? A rule of thumb is to fertilize only when your houseplants are actively growing. Feeding them (synthetic fertilizers) while they're dormant can burn their foliage or even kill them.When you fertilize, don’t overdo it. Too much can be worse than not enough, so follow the directions on the product you’re using. If you want to stay on the safe side, dilute liquid fertilizers by half.
WHAT IS FERTILIZER? A substance added to soil to supply one or more plant nutrients needed for growth. You might have heard that fertilizer is “plant food.” Plants make their own sugar through photosynthesis, but they can’t live on sugar alone. Just like us, plants need a variety of nutrients and minerals to be healthy. We get these from our food. Plants get them from the soil.These nutrients naturally cycle between plants, animals, and soil. But every system needs an occasional fertilizer boost. Even in nature, plants can be fertilized by the bodies of returning salmon, seasonal floods or fires, or migrating animals bringing in fresh manure. Periodically applying fertilizer mimics these natural systems. It replenishes the nutrients in the soil to ensure that our plants have everything they need to thrive.
FEED YOUR SOIL, FEED YOUR PLANTS Whatever methods you choose, the important thing is to remember to feed your soil! Healthy, nutrient-rich soil is the key to healthy plants. By relying on granular organic fertilizers, in combination with compost and mulch, you can easily build healthy soil that will only improve with each passing year.
SINGLE INGREDIENT FERTILIZERS We usually recommend pre-made mixes for those who are just looking to boost their garden’s nutrition overall. But you can also buy fertilizer ingredients individually. Applying single-ingredient fertilizers can be a good way to correct specific deficiencies. Different sources of the same nutrient can also act differently in your soil. For example, blood meal will supply nitrogen that is ready for your plants to use faster than other organic nitrogen sources. You can even make your own custom blends with your favorite ingredients. Some gardeners like to create different custom blends for different plants, according to each plant’s specific needs.
FERTILIZER VS. COMPOST It’s important to understand the difference between fertilizer and amendments like compost. Your soil and your plants need BOTH to be at their best. Fertilizer is all about providing nutrition. Amendments like compost have their own role to play in building healthy soil: they provide the right conditions for soil to come to life. You could think of compost as habitat for the microbes that help your plants thrive. But you also need organic fertilizer to feed those microbes.All growing plants need 17 essential elements to grow to their full genetic potential. Of these 17, 14 are absorbed by plants through the soil, while the remaining three come from air and water.Generations of soil science have yielded knowledge of how to test nutrient levels in soil, how plants take them up and how best to replace those nutrients after harvest. That’s where fertilizer comes in. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or NPK, are the “Big 3” primary nutrients in commercial fertilizers. Each of these fundamental nutrients plays a key role in plant nutrition. Plants need three nutrients in large amounts. These “macronutrients” are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. All three nutrients play several different complex roles in the life of a plant. A plant needs all three of these nutrients in the right balance to thrive. A deficiency in any of these nutrients can cause stunted growth, discolored leaves, and other symptoms. Plants also need a wide variety of nutrients in smaller amounts. These are called “micronutrients.” A few key ones include calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
1. Nitrogen (vigorous leaf production) is considered to be the most important nutrient, and plants absorb more nitrogen than any other element. Nitrogen is essential to in making sure plants are healthy as they develop and nutritious to eat after they’re harvested. That’s because nitrogen is essential in the formation of protein, and protein makes up much of the tissues of most living things. Below is a picture of corn that is nitrogen deficient. 2. Phosphorus (Blooms and fruits) is linked to a plant’s ability to use and store energy, including the process of photosynthesis. It’s also needed to help plants grow and develop normally. Phosphorus in commercial fertilizers comes from phosphate rock. Below is a picture of corn that is phosphorus deficient. 3. Potassium (Root growth and water absorption) is the third key nutrient of commercial fertilizers. It helps strengthen plants’ abilities to resist disease and plays an important role in increasing crop yields and overall quality. Potassium also protects the plant when the weather is cold or dry, strengthening its root system and preventing wilt. Below is a picture of corn that is potassium deficient.
THE THREE NUMBERS When you look at a box or bottle of fertilizer, you’ll see three numbers arranged in a row. Those numbers tell you how much of each macronutrient is in the fertilizer. For example, a “5-10-5” fertilizer contains 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous, and 5% potassium. This is good to know if you get a soil test and you need to correct a particular deficiency. Your soil test results may even specify a particular ratio you should look for.
NAVIGATING FERTILIZER OPTIONS For most situations, choose a granular, organic fertilizer mix that is either labeled “All Purpose” or labeled with the kind of plant you want to fertilize. For example, there are “Tomato and Vegetable” or “Tree and Shrub” mixes. Once you have your mix, just follow the directions on the package.Don’t worry too much about which brand to choose — it’s a matter of personal preference. A person may choose a certain brand because it has worked for them in the past, because they have preferences about ingredients, or because they believe in a certain company’s sustainability practices. But from the standpoint of feeding your garden, all of them will work just fine.So, that may be all that many gardeners want or need to know. As long as you stick with organics and don’t vary too wildly from the instructions on the package, it’s hard to go wrong.ORGANICS VS. SYNTHETICS There is a world of difference between organic and synthetic fertilizers. The differences include both where they come from, and how they affect your soil and your plants.ORGANIC Organic fertilizer is made from the same things that supply plant nutrients in nature. Many gardeners prefer organic fertilizers over chemical ones because they break down over time and improve the soil, helping it hold more nutrients and water. Organic fertilizers usually come from plant waste (compost), animal waste (manure) or powdered minerals like bone meal. They're sometimes called “natural,” although they may have been lightly processed. That can include minerals, plants, and animals. For example, kelp and bone meal are both common ingredients. Most commercial organic fertilizers contain at least some byproducts of animal agriculture, but vegan options are available too. Organic fertilizer often comes in the form of a fine powder, or small granules. These granular organic fertilizers work by feeding the microbes in the soil. Those microbes then feed your plants. Since the microbes will slowly release nutrients as they digest the fertilizer, it would take extreme over-applying to harm your plants. It only takes a couple of applications of a granular organic fertilizer to feed your plants steadily all season long.There are also liquid organic fertilizers. These are nutrients from natural sources that are already dissolved in water. Your plants will be able to use these nutrients right away but for a shorter period of time. Think of them as a quick boost that can help supplement your slower-acting granular fertilizer. "Homemade" Fertilizers Want to nourish your houseplants naturally and save money? Try using kitchen leftovers or household items, like these: 1. Eggshells. Save your used eggshells, crush them and add them to boiling water. Let them steep overnight, then strain the water and use it to give your plants a calcium boost. 2. Used coffee grounds. Mix equal amounts of the grounds with tap water to refresh acid-loving plants like ferns. The grounds contain potassium and magnesium, which encourage plants to grow. You can also water with a solution of one green tea bag steeped in two gallons of water. Allow the water to cool before using it. 3. Aquarium water. When you clean your freshwater fish tank, save the water for your plants. Fish waste is good for them. Never use the water from a saltwater tank. 4. Epsom salt. Raid your bathroom cabinet for Epsom salt; it contains magnesium and sulfate to help make plants green and lush. Water them twice a month with a tablespoon of Epsom salt dissolved in a gallon of cool water.
SYNTHETIC Rather than being derived from naturally-occuring nutrient sources, synthetic fertilizers are created from scratch through human-made chemical reactions.While synthetic fertilizers will supply a heavy dose of nutrients that is instantly available for plants to use, they come with more risks than organics — to your plants, the soil, and the surrounding environment.Instead of feeding soil microbes, synthetic fertilizers deliver plant nutrients that can immediately dissolve in water and be used directly by plants. The downside of this is that they can harm soil life, making your soil much less healthy in the long-term. They also pack more nutrients than plants can use at any given time. The excess ends up in waterways, where it can cause problems for everything living downstream. You are much more likely to “burn” your plants with synthetic fertilizer than with organics. Fertilizer burn happens when plants get too much of a nutrient all at once, resulting in crispy, unhealthy leaves. Severe fertilizer burn can kill a plant. Applying a small amount of synthetic fertilizer can help revitalize a hanging basket or provide a quick boost to an annual bed, but it’s important to keep the long-term effects on soil and the environment in mind.
What do I use to fertilize my plant kids? First remember this: To each his own, I have spent A LOT of money testing out fertilizers and these two have been the two that have made my plants the happiest. They have become my tried and true plant fertilizers and what I always suggest BUT this does NOT mean that these are the only options! If you use something that works best for you already then stick with that. If it aint broke don’t fix it. 😊
What are worm castings and why are they good for soil?In short, worm castings are the super food of garden plants . Worms, as scientists are discovering, can also remove heavy metals and other toxins from soil. This can be especially useful in the reclamation of landfills and other contaminated sites. It can also be helpful in keeping your garden soil first-rate.Benefits That Worm Castings Bring To The Soil NPK Levels In Worm Castings. N-P-K rating: 1-0-0.
Liquid Dirt, wtf is this? The multistage fermentation process balances the NPK with the other nutrients in the “Liqui-Dirt” formula. Thus producing a mixture that is absorbed into the plants roots with no other enzymatic digestion required to metabolize throughout the plant. What I love about the products I use is I never run the risk of "burning" my soil just overwatering but we avoid that by re-reading that post 😉🌿💚