Nursery and Garden Supplies – the Importance of Fertilizers for Plants

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Just like humans, plants also need their essential minerals and nutrients to grow strong and healthy. The best way for them to get that is for gardeners to use fertilizers as they provide them with all the needed nutrients that can’t be found in the soil. Fertilizers can be applied as solids and liquids. Solid fertilizers are usually granulated or powdered, while the liquid ones need to be diluted in water as they are more concentrated. No matter which ones you choose, the important thing to understand is how they work and affect your plants.

Different elements in fertilizers

Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus(P) and Potassium(K), or shortly NPK, are the three basic elements contained in fertilizers and each one of them has its own function. The higher the number, the more concentrated the nutrient in the fertilizer will be. For example, if the number listed on the fertilizer is 20-5-5 it means that this product contains four times more N than P and K. Knowing the NPK values will help you choose the best nursery and garden supplies for your plants.

Each of these nutrients has its own role in the growing process. For example, Nitrogen is responsible for the healthy growth of the leaves, Phosphorus is important for root growth, fruit, and flower development, while Potassium helps the overall function of the plant. So based on this info, you can easily choose the right fertilizer. For instance, if you are growing flowers you may need a fertilizer with a higher amount of Phosphorus to encourage blooms. For for more leafy vegetables, you will need a fertilizer with a higher Nitrogen number.

SOP fertilizers for bigger fruits and a better color

SOP refers to fertilizers that contain both Sulphur and Potassium in water-soluble forms. Compared to other water-soluble fertilizers, these have a lower salt index and chlorine levels, higher purity and solubility and lower moisture content. They are safe and easy to use for many different crops, cotton, potatoes, bananas, flowers, strawberries, tobacco, and home gardens. These fertilizers are great for improving the growth of roots, improving the resistance against diseases and pests, enhancing color and flavor in fruits, boosting the size of fruits, increasing the content of vitamin C in the soil, extending shelf life, enhancing storage and shipping quality and similar.

Liquid fertilizers for faster results and better coverage

These nursery and garden supplies cost less but offer better and faster results. They are easy to store and rather simple to use. This makes them the preferred option when compared to granulated fertilizers. Crop production is generally costly, so this is another reason why farmers choose liquid ones over other types of fertilizers. They are also easy to distribute and are used in large areas.