The F Word

I know, I know. Today's title is a poor attempt to grab your attention...but if you're reading this it worked. I've promised to write about today's topic for quite a while now. No, not the pesto night. That one's coming soon, I promise. Today's topic is the F word....Fertilizing. Plants need three main elements to grow: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Nitrogen stimulates healthy foliage, phosphorus is for flowers, and potassium promotes strong roots. Plants also need other minerals in smaller concentration for optimum growth. These include chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.

The three numbers prominently featured in fertilizer packages represent the N-P-K percentage of the fertilizer (example, 5-10-5). If you're growing plants for their leafs (think lettuce) then you want a fertilizer with a high nitrogen ratio. If you're growing plants that flower (think tomatoes) you want a higher potassium concentration.

Fertilizers can be classified into two categories: liquid/powder fertilizers and slow-release fertilizers. Liquid or powder fertilizers are meant to be dissolved into water. You apply them when watering your plants. Slow-release fertilizers are applied directly to the soil.  They come in time-release shells which dissolve over time releasing nutrients into the soil. They can last from 4-8 months, however, in containers, because of the frequent watering needed, slow-release fertilizers last only between 2-4 months. We recommend mixing slow-release fertilizer into your potting soil before planting and then supplementing with a liquid/powder fertilizer when necessary. 

If you've been reading our blog you may have noticed that we've talked about "balanced fertilizers". A balanced fertilizer is simply one with a 1-1-1 ratio of N-P-K (example, 5-5-5). To keep it simple you can use a balanced fertilizer for everything and supplement other elements when needed (for example, phosphorus booster for roses or tomatoes).

So now that you've learned your basics about the F word go and F something.