Nutrition is provided by supplying the plants with the missing or unavailable minerals needed to produce leaves, shoots, roots, flowers and fruits.Well-nourished plants will decorate the garden, balcony or apartment throughout the season, and the resulting crops (fruits, vegetables, herbs) will be he althy and tasty.Fertilization is a procedure that brings many benefits, provided that a few basic rules are followed.
Mineral fertilizers are various types of water-soluble s alts. Since too much s alt in the soil is harmful to plants (causes root damage), we must remember that fertilizing too often is much more dangerous than not fertilizing it.
To supply plants, we can use multi-component universal fertilizers - intended for all plants or dedicated to particular groups of plants (e.g. for roses, heather plants, lawns, balcony plants, etc.).In fact, both types of fertilizers contain the same macro- and microelements, but in slightly different amounts, proportions and in a different form, adapted to the specific requirements of plants in the case of dedicated fertilizers.
The use of single-component fertilizers is more difficult, because it requires soil analysis, and therefore such products are less often offered to amateurs.
Ingredients that plants need
The condition of our plants depends on the nutrients contained in the substrate.In order for species to grow, bloom and bear fruit properly, they need a number of macro- and microelements.
Macronutrients are components consumed in large amounts, they constitute over 1% of the dry weight of plants, they include: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca).
The content of micronutrients is much lower, but they are essential for the structure and functioning of plants. The most important are: iron (Fe), manganese (M), molybdenum (Mo), boron (B), zinc (Zn), sulfur (S) and copper (Cu).
If the substrate in which we grow plants contains a sufficient amount of all nutrients, the supply is unnecessary, and sometimes even inadvisable - the plants will take only as much of the given nutrient as they need at a given moment. Frequently pruned trees and shrubs, especially shaped hedges, as well as low-cut rose bushes and shrub hydrangeas every year, which need to rebuild lost shoots, require regular feeding.
An additional source of food is needed by vigorously growing perennials (e.g. perennials) and annual ground and balcony plants (almost all species).
Multi-component mineral fertilizers can be used for most crops. These preparations are most often available in 3 forms: liquid, loose and as the so-called coated fertilizers.The advantage of liquid and loose (water-soluble) fertilizers is their fast action - the plants watered with the fertilizer solution immediately receive the necessary ingredients. However, because they are short-lived, the treatment must be repeated several times.
Loose fertilizers, especially granulated or in the form of sticks, work slower, and must dissolve after spreading around the plant. Coated fertilizers with a controlled release of nutrients are the safest because the nutrients are released from the granules slowly over a specified period of time (e.g. three months).
They are very convenient to use, it is enough to apply them once a season, but they start working with a delay, only after about 2 weeks after application.They must be mixed with the substrate, never leave them on top of the soil or substrate in a pot.These fertilizers are recommended primarily for the cultivation of plants sensitive to soil salinity.
We use foliar fertilizers when we want to quickly improve the condition of plants. The treatment should be performed in series, at intervals of several days. The quick-acting fertilizer is foliar application of calcium nitrate.
A valuable supplement to mineral fertilization is the use of organic fertilizers, ie compost or decomposed manure.Apart from nutrients, this type of fertilizer contains many beneficial soil microorganisms, contributes to the increase in humus content and positively influences the water and air conditions of the substrates, especially in light and sandy soils. Manure should be mixed with the soil immediately after spreading.
Fertilization rules
The most important principle of fertilization is strict adherence to the manufacturer's recommendations. Under no circumstances should fertilizers be used more often and in higher doses than indicated on the packaging.
A mistake often made by novice gardeners is fertilizing "in advance". Unfortunately, plants cannot store excess nutrients and this type of action can only harm them.In the case of newly planted plants in the first year after planting, we should not fertilize them at all. We can start feeding in the second year, after good rooting, preferably with half of the dose recommended by the manufacturer.
On sandy, permeable soils, it is safe to fertilize plants with smaller doses, e.g. divide the recommended dose of loose fertilizers into 2 parts and apply them with an interval of 2 weeks. On heavy, clay soils, one treatment is usually enough.Liquid fertilizers are diluted in water and applied to plants previously watered with clean water.Never water with a fertilizer solution on dried-up plants showing symptoms of water deficiency.
Sprinkle fertilizers evenly around the plants, keeping a distance from the base of the shoots, and mix them with the top layer of the substrate.Slow-acting fertilizers can be poured into shallow holes in the soil, which are then covered with the substrate. When using loose fertilizers, make sure that the wind does not lift them on the leaves, because they can cause burns.
Deficiency symptoms
Recognizing a nutrient deficiency is not an easy task, but some symptoms may indicate which macro- or micronutrient is missing.
- Nitrogen deficiency is manifested by inhibition of growth and uniform brightening of the colors of the youngest leaves. Plants become slack, pale, older leaves may turn yellow, flowering is delayed and fruiting weakened.The greatest demand for nitrogen occurs in spring, during the period of intensive plant growth.Symptoms of nitrogen deficiency are most easily noticed in shallow plants rooting, e.g. in rhododendrons.
- Phosphorus deficiency causes reddish blades, petioles and stems.Purple-purple discoloration is accompanied by slowing growth.In the summer, the plants' demand for phosphorus increases, which corresponds, among others, to for flowering and fruit setting.
- Plants experience a potassium deficiency especially in the summer and autumn, when they prepare for winter dormancy. In the case of potassium deficiency, the first symptoms appear on older leaves in the form of lightening of the tissue between the veins.The lighter spots die off with time and the edges of the leaves dry up.
- Calcium deficiency is manifested by deformation of young leaves, dieback of growth tips.
- Magnesium deficiency causes yellowing of the tissue between the veins of the leaf blades of older leaves.
- Iron deficiency causes similar symptoms (on young leaves) to magnesium deficiency.
