Balcony and garden plants need several nutrients in order to grow healthily, and also to produce a good crop of fruit and blossoms. These nutrients can be added to the ground in the form of fertilizers. If you stick to some easy, basic rules regarding fertilizing, you can hope for a good harvest. Moreover, your plants will become resistant to diseases and vermin.
Which fertilizer is the right one?
If you are looking for a suitable fertilizer, you have the choice between mineral and organic fertilizers. Talking about mineral fertilizers, you often come across the term NPK fertilizer. NPK signifies nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Nitrogen is needed by plants for growth. Phosphorus strengthens the roots and provides magnificent flowers, leaves, and fruits. Without potassium, the water supply of the plant is disturbed. Using such fertilizers, deficiencies of your plants can be avoided reliably and quickly. Long-term mineral fertilizers in contrast, submit the nutrients more slowly. Reason is that the nutrients are surrounded by a resin cover which decomposes gradually. Organic fertilizers also have a long-term effect. The best known organic fertilizers are compost and horn shavings or meal. Compost, for example, is suitable as nutrition of many bushes and shrubs. Semi-mature compost is especially rich in nitrogen. It should only be applied to the soil surface as it can damage the roots of the plants if worked in too deeply. Mature compost contains only a few nutrients but improves the soil structure. Additionally, special fertilizers for which the nutrient content is tailored to specific plant species, such as roses, are available.
Lawn is ideally fertilized once in the spring, then in late summer and at the end of the growing season, in fall. The fertilizer should be applied ontocut grass to make sure that it quickly comes in contact with the soil. After fertilizing, the lawn should be watered so that the fertilizer dissolves and can finally take its full effect.
When to fertilize?
Basically, you should only fertilize in the growing season which begins in February and ends in August. If fertilized longer, the plants can not adequately prepare for their period of rest. They will sprout out new, thin shoots which are sensitive to frost.
