How do fertilizers help plants

These are the three macronutrients that plants use in large concentrations as they grow. The only way to know the proper balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for your specific soil is through a soil test.

Your soil test will provide you with a recommended balance of N, P, and K and the pounds needed for your gardening space. With that information, you can choose a fertilizer source that best matches your needs. For a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a soil test, check out this recent video , or visit the UMN Soil Test Laboratory for written instructions.

Finally, understand the nutritional needs of your plant. Some plants like herbs grow fine in rather poor soil. Other plants like tomatoes need regular fertilizing to promote bloom, fruit set, etc.

Fertilizers are also available that are specially designed for particular plants such as tomatoes, orchids, evergreens, and plants that require acidified soil such as Azaleas and blueberries.

Organic fertilizers take time to become available to plants. The nutrients in organic fertilizers are bound up in carbon, and so after being applied they slowly convert to usable nutrients the plant can take up through its roots. Synthetic fertilizers are readily available to plants after being watered in, but they are more likely to burn plant roots if applied incorrectly.

If you have a plant that is demonstrating nitrogen deficiency chlorosis — yellow leaf tissue between green leaf veins , it might be best to use a fertilizer that is quickly available synthetic to give the plant the needed nitrogen.

Without nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the plant simply cannot grow because it cannot make the pieces it needs. It's like a car factory running out of steel or a road crew running out of asphalt. If any of the macronutrients are missing or hard to obtain from the soil, this will limit the growth rate for the plant. In nature, the nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium often come from the decay of plants that have died.

In the case of nitrogen, the recycling of nitrogen from dead to living plants is often the only source of nitrogen in the soil. To make plants grow faster, what you need to do is supply the elements that the plants need in readily available forms. That is the goal of fertilizer. Most fertilizers supply just nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium because the other chemicals are needed in much lower quantities and are generally available in most soils. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium availability is the big limit to growth.

The numbers on a bag of fertilizer tell you the percentages of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium found in the bag.

So fertilizer has percent nitrogen, 8-percent phosphorous and percent potassium. In a pound bag, therefore, 12 pounds is nitrogen, 8 pounds is phosphorous and 10 pounds is potassium. Decomposition of fertilizer is slow. Plants, using compound fertilizer as base fertilizer, should apply fertilizer in accordance with fertilizer requirement pattern. This kind of fertilize can provide several quick nutrients and play a catalytic role in plants growth.

It has an important effect on raising the utilization ratio of fertilizer and improving the quality of farm products. Soil amelioration The physicochemical properties of soil are basic elements for plants. Mineral nutrition is significant material foundation in living activities.

There are great differences in demand of minerals for different plants. Organic fertilizer is the a general designation that uses local materials in the countryside. It contains diluted urine, composting heap, green manure, miscellaneous manure and cake fertilizer, etc.

These materials provide necessary ingredients for improving the soil. Soil organic matter can improve the physical and chemical properties of soil, which is conducive to the formation of soil crumb structure, thus contributing to plant growth and fertilizer absorption.

The substances, such as vitamins, black rot acid, fulvic acid, brown rot acid, and low molecular weight organic acid and butyric acid, have a direct impact on nutrition functions of plants in physical activity and stimulation, respiration enhancement and root growth promotion.

Organic fertilizer business develops super fast in the world. Most potential investors show great interest in Organic Fertilizer Production Process , and make good preparation for their new business.

Increasing production When soil is barren and plants growth is slow, it is time to use fertilizer. Although the types of fertilizer are different, the common goal is to increase production. Fertilizer is characterized of quick efficiency, high use ratio and remarkable effect, widely used in agriculture. Only when using fertilizer properly can attain objectives.

The inappropriate preparation or using too much fertilizer may cause side effect.