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At the nursery where shelves of umpteen gardening products in equally appealing bright packaging are displayed, the choice of the correct fertiliser may be intimidating and confusing.
This need not be so if you become familiar with the basic role of the fertilisers ’ three main components (macro ingredients).
These are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).
Look for the three numbers on the bag which represent the ratio of the macro ingredients it contains, such as 3:1:5 or 2:3:2, and so on.
Next, familiarise yourself with what each component can do for your plants.
Nitrogen (N) is the greening nutrient that promotes leaf growth, a good leaf colour and new shoots.
Yellowing leaves are a sign of nitrogen deficiency; phosphorous (P) promotes healthy root and stem formation. It should be used directly around the roots in the planting hole, not broadcasted in the whole of the flower bed.
Potassium (K) boosts flower and fruit production. A natural source of potassium is found in wood ash.
A fertiliser contains a balanced mix of all three components or just one or two of them.
That which has a NPK combination of 3:1:5 has three parts nitrogen; one part phosphorous and five parts potassium.
A fertiliser bag contains just a percentage of the nutrient ingredients.
If it were purely mixed with just the three, it would be too strong and harmful to the plants.
For this reason, it is mixed with a carrier which is an inactive substance, ensuring a safely controlled application.
The numbers on the bag, for example, 2:3:2 (22) indicate that 22% of the contents of the bag is pure fertiliser.
If the numbers are followed by SR, it means that it is a slow release fertiliser.
It might be an old wives ’ tale that introducing a new plant to the soil in your garden with a handful (if it ’ s a shrub or a teaspoonful if it ’ s a seedling) of bone meal around its roots diminishes the shock to a plant from being wrestled from its planting bag to grow in new soil. But I believe it
How to choose a fertiliser:
Decide what the needs of your plant are — whether it is an abundance of flowers, good fruit, healthy leaves, and a robust root system, or a combination in varying degrees.
To have a healthy lawn, use a fertiliser with higher nitrogen content that has a NPK of 7:1:3 or 3:2:1.
Check the instructions on the packaging as fertilisers high in nitrogen usually need to be watered in with a hose.
If it rains around the time I want to cast fertiliser across the lawn, I go out in the rain in a swimsuit or rain coat to spread the lawn fertiliser on the grass.
Fertiliser spreaders are available to make the task of scattering an equal amount of the product easier.
Plants grown especially for a bounty of flowering blooms, such as roses, would require a fertiliser with a higher amount of potassium with a NPK of 3:1:5 or 8:1:5.
Personally, I prefer using Starke Ayres Organic 3:1:5 fertiliser on my flowering plants.
A good general fertiliser, which may be used year round in the garden, has a NPK 2:3:2 content.
The other elements in some fertilisers:
Some fertilisers contain moderate amounts of micro nutrients such as calcium (Ca) for growth of fruit, flowers and vegetables in acid or potassium rich soils.
Magnesium (Mg) promotes rose blooms and tomato production. It is also required for photosynthesis.
Sulphur (S) supports general plant growth.
Trace elements are only required in small amounts, occurring naturally in organically produced fertiliser.
Iron (Fe) will boost poor soils where plants have yellowing leaves; manganese (Mn) assists azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas in poor soil; molybdenum (Mo) promotes nitrogen metabolism, production of proteins and vitamins and greening leaves; zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) enhance fruit and vegetable production.
Should I choose an organic or inorganic fertiliser?
Inorganic fertilisers are petroleumbased.
They contain chemicals which are plant nutrients: nitrogen; phosphorous and potassium — but should not be used in organic gardening.
Use inorganic fertilisers sparingly and in conjunction with organic matter (mulch, compost or manure) to prevent their causing break down of the soil, reducing its quality.
Organic fertiliser is completely harmless to the environment, man and animals.
It is comprises decayed plants such as seaweed and animal matter (manure, bones and fish substances).
An example of organic fertiliser is bone meal, which I always add to the planting hole. It is a rich source of phosphorous and encourages root growth.
It might be an old wives tale that introducing ’ a new plant to the soil in your garden with a handful (if it s a shrub or a teaspoonful ’ if it s a seedling) of bone meal ’ around its roots diminishes the shock to a plant from being wrestled from its planting bag to grow in new soil.
But I believe it.
Important: Apply fertiliser over damp soil. Take care that it is not too close to the stems or on the leaves.
When should you apply fertiliser? Use it at the time of planting and according to the instructions on the bag.
After heavy rains, nutrients in the soil will have been leached out — requiring that you apply extra fertiliser.
This weekend sees the start of our new gardening column In the Garden ”, written “by feature writer, garden enthusiast and former schoolteacher Julia Smith, who has returned home to live in Chintsa East. The “” column looks to inform both novice and accomplished gardeners how to make the most of their green patch.