Fertilizers

What’s the deal with the 3 numbers on the fertilizer packages?

The 3 numbers denote three of the most important fertilizer components

  • NITROGEN
  • PHOSPHOROUS
  • POTASSIUM

Remember in science class when we all groaned when the periodic table came up?? I as well as many other classmates were like “pppphhhhhh….like I’m going to use this shit when I get out of here!” Ya, I was wrong…along with many other things. So here we go, back to science class.

These 3 numbers are elements from said Periodic Table, the numbers themselves are the percentages of these elements per weight of the package of fertilizer.  The balance of the package is made up of other nutrients or inert ingredients like minerals etc.

For example, lets say you have a fertilizer bag with the following info on it: 10-06-10

10-06-10 in a 5lb bag = 10 % Nitrogen – 6% Phosphorus – 10% Potassium

To determine the weight if each element in the bag there is a simple calculation: % of element x weight of bag = weight of specific element

  • .10 x 5 = 0.5lbs of Nitrogen
  • .06 x 5 = 0.3lbs of Phosphorus
  • .10 x 5 = 0.5lbs of Potassium

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO KNOW?

You want to grow stuff right? Well if you test your soil and you determine that you’re low on lets say phosphorus, and it’s suggested on the bag that you apply 1 pound of phosphorus per 1,000 square feet of lawn, then the 5lbs bag mentioned above would cover 300 square feet, that literally gives you how far that bag will go.

(1,000 x 0.3 = 300) at the recommended rate.

Before anyone asks, you can get the basic soil test kits here in Canada at any hardware or garden center store. Look for the PH, NPK test kits – they’re multi coloured.


Nutrient Basics

There are 17 essential nutrients required for optimal plant health and produce. I have broken them down to 3 basic groups that you can read about below:

Primary Nutrients

NITROGEN N

Nitrogen helps with leaf development through Chlorophyll and cell formation.

PHOSPHORUS K₂O

Promotes blooms, fruits and stimulates roots. Too much is not a good thing and can cause harm

POTASSIUM P₂O₂

Promotes all around well being through disease resistance, root development and use of water to resist drought

Hydrogen H

Coming almost entirely from water, it’s necessary for building sugars and other molecules to produce glucose for plant energy

Carbon C

Plants take carbon from the air and use it as a primary energy source and building block for plant tissues. Without it, plants will die

Oxygen O

Through photosynthesis only the leaves and stems of a plant acquire oxygen, the roots of a plant are forced to take in oxygen through air spaces in the soil. As very little is used for respiration, most oxygen is expelled as a byproduct

Secondary Nutrients

Calcium Ca

Calcium helps to neutralize organic acids, it’ll raise the PH

Magnesium Mg

Acts as a phosphorus carrier in plants, and is necessary for cell division and protein formation.

Sulphur SO

Must be converted to the sulfate (SO₄²⁻) form by soil bacteria, and is part of every living cell. It is required for synthesis of certain amino acids and proteins.

Micronutrients

Chlorine Cl

Iron Fe

Zinc Zn

Manganese Mn

Boron B

Copper Cu

Molybdenum Mo

Nickel Ni

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