Natural Garden Fertilizer: An In-Depth Analysis

Are you getting impatient for your plants to grow? Well, it's a natural reaction so you don't need to tear your hair out over it. There are dozens of natural garden fertilizers on the market. And while it's always good to give your plants a little encouragement along the way, try not to kill them with kindness. Use the following tips below to help ensure you are using the right amount of natural garden fertilizer for the right amount of nutrients.

Question: How do you know what's inside the bag?

Well, there are certain rules actually that makers of natural garden fertilizers must follow when they label their products. Understanding these rules can make comparing natural garden fertilizers much easier.

First, identify the major ingredients commonly found in natural garden fertilizers. Have you noticed that most fertilizers have three numbers found on the front label? The numbers are separated by dashes, so you have something similar to this: 5-10-5. This is actually the fertilizer analysis or percentage weight of the three major nutrients that your plants need - nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K).

So, if you purchased a 10-lb. bag of natural garden fertilizer with the label of 5-10-5, that means it contains 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous, and 5% potassium. That's a total of 20% worth of major nutrients that plants need.

What does the rest of the 80% consist of? Most makers would include additional nutrients to their natural garden fertilizers, plus filler material.

Natural garden fertilizers that contain all three of these major types of nutrients are often called complete fertilizers. For most people, complete fertilizers are the best fertilizers to use when growing plants. That because the three nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, work synergistically with each other to help plants grow and stay healthy.

Among other benefits, nitrogen in natural garden fertilizers helps encourage foliage growth. Phosphorous on the other hand contributes to many fundamental plant processes, such as rooting and setting flower buds. And lastly, potassium contributes to the overall health and vigor of plants.

However, plant needs may vary, so it doesn't always stand that complete natural garden fertilizers should always be your choice. Buying a natural garden fertilizer may depend on several different factors, not least of which is the nutrient content of your soil. That is why, before buying and applying natural garden fertilizer, the one suggestion that experts always have for garden makers is to conduct a soil test first.

Having your soil tested before starting to add amendments to it will tell you what you actually need. If your soil pH is too high or too low, your plants will not be able to access some nutrients, even if they are present in the soil. Soil, after all, is the most important part of gardening. Natural garden fertilizers are only an aid and a means, so you shouldn't consider them as the messiah to a dying garden. It could be that the soil in your garden is just bad and need to be replaced or treated.

Secondly, fertilizer choice depends on the type of plant being grown. When you choose a natural garden fertilizer, don't just suppose that because the bag says 20-20-20, your plants will immediately take to it. There is no one size that fits all. You will need to take in several other factors.
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Corrie Duana writes for ArticleZone.com, a site full of helpful insight about Home Improvement and Gardening.