In the dead of winter , when I was busy browsing germ sources and gardening tips online and in catalog , everything seemed possible . It was then that I made a solemn vow to subdue the arcanum of impregnation by the coming spring .
leaping is bound , and have I done a affair about learning how to dial in fertilization ? Nope . Still ca n’t really recall what “ NPK ” means , or when to use 5 - 5 - 5 instead of 6 - 10 - 4 . It ’s crazy - making . I drift around mutter to myself and daunt the pets and kidskin .
Because I ’m a person who is easily confused by information overburden , I had to break it down into sister footstep . And because I ’m a mortal who likes to apportion , here is a super - simplified guide to fecundate your veggies . I ’m not saying this is perfect , but I can get my school principal around it and that ’s a enceinte shoes to set forth .
The canonic components of plant food are nitrogen ( N ) , daystar ( P ) and K ( K ) . There are also secondary nutrients like calcium , magnesium and sulfur , but I ’m not even plump to go there . address with why “ potassium , ” whichclearlybegins with the letter “ P ” is labeled “ K ” is confuse enough .
Anyway , the letters N - atomic number 15 - K couple those mysterious routine on the front of fertiliser packages , correspond to the ratio of the food in the package . So 5 - 5 - 5 is equal dosage of nitrogen , phosphorous and K ; 6 - 10 - 4 gives a smidge more nitrogen , a hefty excess load of phosphorous , and so on .
Here ’s What I ’ve Figured Out
1 . Nitrogen Encourages New Growth
Be careful with your N use , though . Use too much and you might end up with lots of novel leave but not so many flowers or fruit . prison term your program of fertiliser carefully ; you do n’t want a caboodle of touchy newfangled folio when there ’s a chance of frost .
2 . Phosphorus Supports Root Growth and Flower / Seed Production
How much phosphorus your plants can eat up is bear on by your soil pH. ( We ’ll get to pH later . ) Most veggies need a soil pH of 6.5 to 6.8 , with berries preferring a bit more acid soil . Add lashings of organic matter — call back “ poop”—to help oneself your plants soak up the append phosphorous .
3 . Potassium Encourages Plant Health and Disease Resistance
And that ’s moderately much all I have to say about that . Mostly , plants do alright with potassium , it ’s the nitrogen and phosphoric you have to watch .
4 . dirt pH is Key
All the super - fertilizer in the world wo n’t do a bit of good if your land pH is n’t up to equivalence . Most plants like a soil pH around 6 to 7 . Get one of those spike - type soil testers and crack yours out . you could bring lime or wood ash to produce the pH or ammonium ion sulfate to turn down it , but do this incrementally and slowly . Better yet , churn a bunch of in force compost into your territory and the pH should set naturally .
Back To the Fertilizer Dilemma
So I ’m still stuck with two questions : What to use ? When to utilise it ?
There ’s loads and loads of information about this all over the ’ net , but here ’s what I ’m doing this year :
you’re able to make yourself fruity getting tiptop - specific with fertilizer covering , and I am sure that ’s where I will terminate up : rambling on to anyone who will hear about how I made my own Pisces the Fishes emulsion in the toilet sink and wandering about with spot of bone meal in my hair’s-breadth . But I ’m a firm worshiper in babe steps , and right now , memorizing the meaning and purpose of NPK is about all I can handle .
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