Introduction
With so many different types of fertilizer, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the right kind for your garden.
What kind of fertilizer do I need?
Fertilizers are designed to help plants grow. Fertilizers contain nutrients that the plant needs to survive, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These three nutrients are called major nutrients.
These major nutrients are critical for the survival of your plants because they help them grow new leaves and flowers and produce fruit or vegetables. However, there are also secondary or micronutrients that play an important role in growing healthy crops. These include calcium (which helps keep roots strong), iron (helps build chlorophyll) and magnesium (helps regulate enzyme activity).
How often should I fertilize my garden?
In the early spring and late fall, fertilize your garden three times per season: once in early spring, once mid-summer and finally in late summer.
It’s important to note that if you have a lot of weeds in your garden, it may be beneficial to fertilize more frequently than this – perhaps every two weeks.
Fertilizing during winter months is also necessary if you are growing vegetables or other plants that need extra nutrients throughout the winter months.
How much fertilizer should I use?
Fertilizer is applied by the pound. When you are using any fertilizer, it is important to know how much to use and how often. This can be calculated by determining the number of pounds of fertilizer per acre or thousand square feet needed for your particular plants.
Your best bet when calculating this is a product like Miracle-Gro® 6-2-1® All Purpose Plant Food in Granular Formula that comes with an easy-to-use guide on the label so you can quickly determine how much you need for each application.
Should I fertilize before it rains?
If you have an established lawn, fertilizing before a rain will be better than after. When you apply it before the rain, it is more likely to be absorbed into the soil and do its job. If you apply it after a rain storm, it can wash away before doing anything.
Fertilizer should be applied to your lawn at least three weeks after mowing (so that it doesn’t get cut off with all those blades). You can also fertilize your lawn one month before mowing if necessary. However, this won’t give as good results as waiting until later in spring or summer when temperatures are higher and grasses are actively growing again.
If possible, try using slow-release fertilizer instead of granular products like Scotts Turf Builder or Miracle Gro because these tend not to wash away easily either!
What about the type of soil I have?
If you want to get the most out of your fertilizer and grow healthy plants, it’s important to choose a product that is suitable for your soil type. Sandy soils benefit from high levels of phosphorus and will react negatively when treated with potassium-heavy fertilizers. Conversely, clay soils need high levels of potassium in order to thrive.
There are a lot of things to think about when choosing the right fertilizer.
There are a lot of things to think about when choosing the right fertilizer. First, you’ll need to decide which kind of plants you’re growing and how long until harvest. Next, you must consider what type of soil they are planted in, as well as how much water they need to grow and stay healthy. Finally, consider how the temperature will affect their growth cycle over time (you can read more on this in our section on plant care).
Of course, there are also many other factors that go into picking out the right option for your garden: whether or not it’s organic or synthetic; if it contains any additives like enzymes; what percentage of nitrogen (N) versus phosphorous (P) or potassium (K) is included; whether it’s granular or liquid based—the list goes on!
You may find yourself overwhelmed by all these options at first glance but don’t worry—we’ve got some tips for helping narrow down your choices so things don’t get too overwhelming!
Conclusion
This is a lot to think about, but it’s not as hard as it may seem. Think about what kind of fertilizer you need and how often you should apply it. For example, if your soil needs fertilizing more often than once every two months, then you probably don’t want to use organic fertilizer that takes longer to break down or chemical fertilizers that need reapplying frequently. Also think about what type of soil you have when choosing which type of fertilizer will work best for your situation!