Over the years an enormous mythology has grown up around the magic of fertilizers. The head gardeners of the pre-war estates had their very own secret potions. Today you will discover feeds that are claimed for being ideal for everything in a garden.
The fact is a lot less thrilling. All nutrient-providing ingredients have to be reduced to the exact same simple compounds before the roots are capable of absorbing them. That means the nutrients in a liquid fertilizer containing organic salts may be immediately available to the plant roots, on the other hand the plant foods locked up in a coarsely-ground organic mix may need to wait months before release.
There is no good or bad here, the desired speed of release as well as the ideal balance of nutrients will depend on the soil type, the season and the plant. No single fertilizer is the very best in all situations.
Every gardening expert agrees that nitrogen, phosphates and potash must be added to your soil. The fertilizers that provide these nutrients are described as either 'organic' or 'inorganic'. Most authorities agree that both kinds do important but rather different jobs.
Organic Fertilizers:
These materials are of animal or vegetable origin. Most of them provide nitrogen, and this organic nitrogen needs to be transformed into a simple inorganic form before it can be absorbed by the roots. This breakdown is performed by soil bacteria. It is important to keep in mind that these organisms are not usually active in cold, acid or waterlogged soils, so the speed of action is dependent upon the soil condition.
Inorganic Fertilizers:
Some of the fertilizers are minerals extracted from the earth - Chilean Nitrate is every bit as natural as Bone Meal. Others are manufactured and have absolutely earned the titles of 'synthetic' or 'artificial' fertilizers. Plants are unable to tell the difference between plant foods from natural or synthetic sources - breakdown to the same nutrients occurs before any uptake by the plant.
Inorganics are generally quick-acting, providing plants with a supercharge when used as a top dressing. They tend to be less expensive than organics and have become much more accepted than the old-time favourites. Only one organic fertilizer, Bone Meal, has kept its place amongst the best-selling plant foods.
SOLID FERTILIZERS.
Garden shops exhibit a big selection of solid fertilizers, powders or granules which can be sprinkled on top of soil by hand or applied through a fertilizer distributor. Powders are dustier to apply than granules but are generally quicker acting. Sticks of concentrated fertilizer for insertion in the soil are also obtainable.
LIQUID FERTILIZERS.
Liquid feeding means applying fertilizer diluted with water all around the plants. In the beginning it began with soaking bags of manure in a barrel of water, bottles of concentrated liquid fertilizer then became popular and in recent years soluble powders have taken pride of place. All are applied through a watering can or hose-end diluter.
STRAIGHTS.
A straight fertilizer is based on a particular active ingredient. It nearly always contains just one major plant nutrient, although a few (e.g Bone Meal) contain a tiny amount of a second one.
COMPOUNDS.
A compound fertilizer is based on a mixture of active substances. It nearly always includes all three major plant nutrients, although a few contain only nitrogen and phosphates.
FOLIAR FERTILIZERS.
Several foliar feeds are solid, either as leaf-feeding fertilizers or mixed with pesticides as multipurpose products. When sprayed onto leaves the nutrients enter the sap-stream within in a few hours, even where root action is restricted by poor soil conditions. A useful technique especially for Roses and sick plants. For optimum effect make certain that sufficient leaf growth is present and spray in the evening when rain is not forecast.
STEADY-RELEASE FERTILIZERS.
Many standard compound fertilizers contain both quick and straightforward slow-releasing sources of nutrients, so feeding goes on for some time. A real steady-release fertilizer, however, is a complex chemical which provides a prolonged supply of nutrients as it breaks down in the soil or as the outer coating dissolves. One of the best known example is Urea-formaldehyde.
Author Resource:
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