Basic Fertilizer Information

All fertilizers, either chemical or organic in nature have three main nutrient ingredients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. The percentage of each nutrient is represented by numbers prominently displayed on the container, for example 6-20-22 or 25-5-5. The order is always the same, nitrogen then phosphorus and then potash.
Nitrogen is for the green parts of the plant, leaves and stems. Phosphorus feeds the plant for vigorous growth of flowers, fruits and roots. Potash also helps in development of the flowers, fruits and roots but also helps the plant-utilized trace elements such as iron, boron and magnesium.
Fertilizers for established lawns are formulated with high levels of nitrogen and lower levels of phosphorus and potash. When starting new lawns either by seeding or sodding use a high phosphorus formulation for better root development for the new lawn. Flower and vegetable gardens produce best using high phosphorus, potash formulations. There is a plethora of fertilizer formulations available to the gardener, all touted by their manufacturers as “The Best” fertilizer. Using the rule of thumb, high nitrogen for lawns and high phosphorus, high potash for flowers and vegetables you can’t go far wrong. Before using a fertilizer read the label and follow the application recommendations.

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