Plant Food Plant Fertilizers A Brief definition J

Plant Food! Plant Fertilizers. A Brief definition. J. Green

What IS fertilizer? • It is PLANT FOOD.

Major elements • Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are the Major elements all plants need. • N-P-K example: 10 -10 -10 • Required in large amounts. They must be added by applying NPK fertilizer. 10 -10 -10, or 14 -14 -14, etc. • Also called the Macronutrients

3 Major elements nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium

• What do we mean by “up, down, all around? ”

NITROGEN! (N) • MAKES MY LEAVES TURN GREEN • The UPPER or ABOVE GROUND part of the plant is what N helps!

PHOSPHORUS! • Feeds the ROOTS! The underground part of the plant! • Also helps to promote BLOOMS!

POTASSIUM! (K) • Potassium is an ALL AROUND element that helps the development of cells, roots, stems. It helps all of the plants growing processes.

Up! Nitrogen! Down! Phosphorus! All around! Potassium!

Complete and Balanced Fertilizers • Complete fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, but not necessarily in equal amounts. • Ex. 10 -20 -10 Balanced fertilizers always contains equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. They may be 10 -10 -10, 5 -5 -5 or some other value.

Minor elements • Elements that plants need in minor amounts. They may or may not need to be added to the soil. • Calcium, boron, iron and others. • Micronutrients!

Chemical vs. Organic fertilizers • Chemical or Synthetic and are formulated to yield fast results. They are quickly absorbed into soil and usually require repeated applications throughout the growing season. No micronutrients provided. • Organic fertilizers are derived from plant, animal or naturally occurring mineral sources. Most contain more nutrients than chemical fertilizers. Micronutreints are present and naturally occurring

Compare N-P-K deficiencies

Nitrogen (N) Function: Promotes rapid vegetative growth and gives plants healthy green color. Symptoms: Stunted growth, pale, yellowish color, burning of tips and margins of leaves starting at the bottom of the plant.

Phosphorus (P) Function: Stimulates early growth and root formation, hastens maturity, promotes seed production and makes plants hardy. Symptoms: Small root growth, spindly stalk, delayed maturity, purplish discoloration of leaves, dying of tips of older leaves, and poor fruit and seed development.

Potassium (K) Function: Improves plant’s ability to resist disease and cold, aids in the production of carbohydrates. Symptoms: Slow growth, margins on leaves develop a scorched effect starting on the older leaves, weak stalk, shriveled seed or fruit.

Soil Sample Bag • On the bag, indicate tests desired by checking the proper box. • For lawns, sports fields, gardens and shrubs, a routine test will suffice. • Can be picked up and returned to the County Extension Office

Tools • Use a trowel or sampling tube to collect soil samples.

Sample to the Proper Depth • Remove any surface litter such as turf thatch or mulch. • For lawns, sample to a depth of 4 inches. • For gardens, ornamentals and fruit trees, sample to a depth of 6 inches.

Soil Sample Report • • Report Format – The report for each sample includes results, calculations, and recommendations and comments for up to four crops or landscape areas. • Recommendations can be obtained in lbs/acre or lbs/100 or 1000 square feet by using different crop codes.

Leaching • It is when the fertilizer nutrients are leached out (washed out) of soil over time from excessive water. • Caused from excessive rain or watering. • This is why you have to keep applying fertilizers to plants.