Main Types of Fertilizers for Garden Plants

Soil does not always contain the necessary amount of nutrients for proper development of garden plants. Fruit-bearing and flowering plants always require additional feeding. For normal growth and development of your plantings, you must always have three types of fertilizers.

Mineral Fertilizers

Depending on the type of organic salt in the composition, they are divided into nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrient mixtures. You can buy fertilizers, artificially synthesized, or use natural ones (ash, Chilean nitrate, dolomite or phosphate meal). Complex nutrient preparations contain several components for comprehensive soil enrichment.

Nitrogen is the most in-demand element in the process of building plant cells. It is required in much greater quantities than other elements.

Some plants do not tolerate organic fertilizers. For example, petunias and asters require exclusively mineral fertilizers.

Organic Fertilizers

They are not directly absorbed by plants. However, they create a nutrient-rich environment for beneficial microorganisms, fungi, and worms in the soil. During their activity, bacteria destroy pests and produce necessary microelements for plants.

Main types of organic fertilizers:

• peat;
• manure;
• compost;
• fermentation residues;
• compost.

Organic fertilizers can even cause harm, as they may contain residues of leaves and stems from diseased plants. As a result, after fertilization, the disease may reappear. They are usually used in combination with fungicides.

Humic Fertilizers

This type of fertilizer is synthesized from natural materials such as peat, brown coal, and sapropel. The humic acids contained in it can increase the nitrogen level in the soil, thereby improving its structure and enhancing plant growth activity. Fulvic acids contain a lot of oxygen and hydrogen and actively react with soil minerals.

Humic fertilizers are used to feed fruit crops and ornamental plants. After application, yield significantly increases, and quality characteristics improve. Humates reduce nitrate levels in fruits and can protect weak plants from severe drought or frost.

This type of fertilizer is fully ecological and compatible with many mineral and organic fertilizers. It accelerates biochemical reactions in the soil, activates microorganisms, thereby improving soil composition. It can be used to treat seeds, seedlings, spray crops throughout the entire vegetation and fruiting period.