Plants get all of their nutrients from the soil. Whether you are growing plants for agriculture or have a small garden in your house, the soil naturally available in the area might not have all the nutrients for your plants. This is why many people opt for fertilisers to provide nutrients required for healthy growth, in addition to what the soil provides.But there is no one-fertiliser-for-all-plants. Each fertiliser works differently. And if you want to buy one for your plants, here are some tips to do that.
A fertiliser contains 3 primary nutrients that every plant needs: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K). The role of nitrogen is to encourage stems and leaves; phosphorous contributes to the rooting, flowering and fruiting, and potassium is important for winter hardiness and the general health of the plants. All three of these elements are present in different ratios in different fertilisers. People buy the one wherein the ratio is best for their plants. The ratio is written on the packet as X:Y:Z. For instance, the ratio in urea phosphate which is said to be one of the best water-soluble fertilisers in India is 17:44:0.
Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are the 3 major nutrients needed by plants, but not all. Plants also require elements like magnesium, sulphur, calcium, and 7 others in trace amounts. These are already present in a good fertiliser. But when you step out into the market or planning to buy it online, make sure the fertiliser you are buying has the trace elements your plants need.
The nutritional requirement of every plant is different. This is why there is no one fertiliser that is best for every plant. That fertiliser is best for your plants that meet all their nutritional requirements. In this case, it is best to study about nutritional requirements of your plants, following by searching for fertilisers that have those nutrients. You also have to keep in mind what your goal is with a plant. For instance, a garden that is leaf-heavy will need a lot of nitrogen. However, if you have a tomato plant, the leaves will grow at the expense of the tomato. As mentioned in the first point, phosphorous contributes to the growth of fruits and flowers. So, if you want your tomato plants to grow tomatoes, the fertiliser you use need to have a sufficient amount of phosphorus to achieve that.
The role of fertiliser is to make a plant grow healthy and enhance its fruit-bearing ability. For this purpose, many people resort to excessively using fertilisers to further speed up the yield. This is harmful to plants because excess nitrogen sucks out water from the ground. Plants wither as a consequence of this. Remember to always use fertilisers in optimal amount to harm the plants.
Fertilisers are important for plants, and you should buy them for their growth. It is also important that you make an informed decision and buy the fertiliser that is best for your plant. The aforementioned points will help you do that.