Are your plants dying despite regular fertilization? Maybe that's where the error lies. We show you which five mistakes you shouldn't make.
Plants give us food, beautify our homes and simply put us in a good mood. It's all the sadder when they look limp and hang their heads, even though you're trying really hard to take care of them. Missing or wrong nutrients are often the problem when plants are ailing and do not want to grow as well as usual. That's why many gardeners use fertilizer right away - but stop! Did you know that wrong fertilization can even be harmful to plants and is a common reason for ailing? So that your plants are optimally cared for and bloom in all their glory, we will show you here which mistakes you should not make when fertilizing.
1. Error when fertilizing: Too much fertilizer
A little more fertilizer can't harm the plants, can it? Wrong - more fertilizer does not lead to more growth in plants, but can do exactly the opposite. Massive over-fertilization can even lead to the death of some plants. The reason for this is, among other things, interactions between the individual nutrients, but also between the nutrients and the plant. For example, if the phosphate content is too high, other nutrients such as iron or manganese can no longer be absorbed. The plant can show signs of deficiency despite the plentiful supply of nutrients. On the other hand, if the fertilization with nitrogen is too high, many plants develop lush leaves, but hardly any flowers (and thus fewer fruits). Other symptoms of over-fertilization are susceptibility to diseases and a lack of robustness against wind and weather. Burning of the leaf edges or wilting can also indicate excessive use of fertilizer.
Last but not least, the excessive use of fertilizer is harmful to the environment. Excess nutrients can be washed out by rain and end up in the environment, for example in groundwater. There they bring numerous, sometimes serious consequences fornature with itself. You should therefore always follow the dosage information on the packaging and, if in doubt, use too little rather than too much.
2. Errors when fertilizing: Pay attention to the soil
Not every soil is the same: What sounds trivial at first actually has a huge impact on the right amount and choice of fertilizer when fertilizing. For example, nutrient-poor sandy soils need significantly more nutrients than particularly humus-rich areas. But the pH value also plays a crucial role in nutrient uptake - as soon as certain pH values are exceeded, many nutrients are no longer available to the plants. For example, nitrogen can only be used by plants at a pH value of 6.5 to 8.5. Therefore, if the soil is too acidic, no nitrogen fertilization will help to compensate for the lack of nutrients. Instead, you should first regulate the pH of your soil by adding lime. But soil that is too alkaline also limits the availability of important nutrients, such as potassium. Therefore, they should be treated with an acidic substrate. You can easily determine the pH value of your soil yourself by using a test strip available in garden centers or hardware stores. A pH between 5.5 and 6.5 is optimal for most garden plants.
3. Mistakes when fertilizing: The right choice of fertilizer
Universal or special fertilizer? When you look at the range of garden shops, many people get dizzy just by the number of different types of fertilizer. There is a separate variety for almost every plant and soil type, but universal fertilizers are also available that are said to be suitable for almost all plants. The question often arises whether it really has to be an expensive special fertilizer or whether a cheaper, general version is not absolutely sufficient. In fact, a whole range of plants need a fertilizer that is specially tailored to their needs in order to thrive optimally. Sour bed plants - like the rhododendron (Rhododendron) - like acidic soil and may react very sensitively to fertilizer mixtures that are enriched with lime. It is also worth using a special tomato fertilizer for tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), as it has a special nutrient composition. Many other fertilizers have too high a concentration of nitrogen for tomatoes and lead to adiminished harvest.
Numerous crops, including potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), courgettes (Curcurbita pepo) and practically all types of cabbage, are heavy feeders almost can't get enough fertilizer. Nevertheless, they should (if at all) only be fertilized extremely sparingly with chemical preparations. Due to its immediate effect, the plant may initially be over-fertilized, but by the time the next dose is given, the nutrients have long since been washed out and the plant is undersupplied. Organic fertilizers are therefore more suitable for crops, as they release the nutrients evenly and over a longer period of time. Depending on the type of plant, it is therefore worthwhile to resort to different means to optimally care for the plants.
4. Mistakes when fertilizing: use chemical clubs
When it comes to fertilizer, many people think of pure chemistry, after all, the range of mineral products is huge and is also used by many. With their precise instructions and their special adjustment to the needs of different plants, these preparations claim to be miles ahead of the alternative, organic solutions. But organic fertilization has a whole range of advantages that beat chemical clubs by far: Organic long-term fertilizers, but also compost, horse manure and the like release the nutrients much more slowly and more evenly. This means that they have a continuous long-term effect without the need for constant re-fertilization. This goes hand in hand with the fact that the nutrients from these fertilizers are washed out much less by the rain and therefore do not pollute the environment. At the same time, their production is simple, environmentally friendly and also cheap. Leaves, vegetable scraps and grass clippings are available in every garden at no additional cost and can easily be processed into compost yourself.
But even simple household remedies can be real miracle weapons: A stinging nettle broth is quick to make and ideal for fertilizing. But even coffee grounds, with a lot of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, are far too good to be thrown away and still make many plants happy. Even the water from boiling eggs can be reused and, once cooled, is both food and drink for your plant.
5. Mistakes when fertilizing: sun or rain?
The sun is shining and the air is warm - lovely weather to be in theto go garden. But even if sunshine is quite pleasant for gardening, you should not use fertilizer on such days. In fact, applying fertilizer when exposed to the sun can have the exact opposite effect. Instead of helping the plants to grow, liquid fertilizers in particular in combination with sunlight can, in the worst case, cause severe burning on the leaves and exposed roots (another reason not to rely on the chemical club in the garden). At the same time, fertilizer is more difficult to distribute on the dry soil and later has an uneven effect.
It is therefore better to fertilize early in the morning, when the sun is less intense and the soil is still damp from dew. Even when the sky is overcast or after a downpour, the fertilizer can end up in the bed. Incidentally, during the winter, plants (with the exception of some tropical exotic species) do not need fertilization and should instead enjoy their deserved rest.
The most common mistakes when fertilizing: Summary
Here you will find a summary of all the mistakes you should avoid when fertilizing:
- Too much fertilizer can be harmful. Therefore, you should pay attention to the dosage instructions.
- Soil conditions and pH value must be taken into account when fertilizing.
- Not every plant tolerates every fertilizer. Special fertilizers are often the better choice for ericaceous plants, exotic plants and tomatoes.
- Instead of mineral fertilizers, it is better to use organic alternatives - these are more environmentally friendly and release their nutrients longer and more evenly.
- Fertilize when the sky is cloudy or early in the morning, avoiding the midday sun. Most plants do not require fertilizer in winter.
If you would like to find out more about the ingredients and effects of our organically certified and animal-free Plantura fertilizers, we have compiled all the information for you here.