Not all fertilizers are the same. We show what to look out for when buying the right fertilizer and name recommended sources for it.
Just when spring awakens the garden again, everything sprouts and blooms, many gardeners think about the nutrition of their plants. If you then need a new fertilizer, you are quickly spoiled for choice: the shelves in garden centers or DIY stores are often endless and the declaration is far too confusing to be able to decide. Below we present the most important cornerstones that you should consider when choosing a fertilizer.
In order to be able to decide, you should get to know the differences between fertilizers. In the following paragraphs you will learn what to consider when buying, how to choose the right fertilizer and how to pay attention to quality. Then we give you some recommended sources of supply.
This is important when buying fertilizer
Before you buy fertilizer, there are a few important considerations to make in order to find the right fertilizer for you.
Necessary fertilization can only be carried out with the help of a soil test
Soils are largely formed from the mineral subsoil. This contains many plant nutrients that are released when it weathers. Externally, you cannot tell which nutrients are available from the mineral content of the soil, so that a soil analysis should always form the basis for choosing a fertilizer.
The fertilizer types
If you roughly sort fertilizers according to their ingredients, you can differentiate between mineral, organic and organo-mineral fertilizers. In addition, each fertilizer can be assigned more to the category "soil fertilizer" or to that of "plant fertilizer". Above all, soil fertilizers contain many stable and carbon-rich compounds that can slowly but sustainably increase soil fertility and provide nutrients over a long period of time. Only organic fertilizers can be soil fertilizers. Plant fertilizers primarily provide pure nutrients that theare used for plant nutrition, but can reduce soil quality in the long term. Plant fertilizers include mineral fertilizers and some very nutrient-rich organic fertilizers. Within these groups there are also fertilizers with or without long-term effects, liquid fertilizers or fertilizer sticks.
NPK Ratio
In the declaration, you should pay attention to the nutritional information, especially the NPK ratio. This is always given in the following order:
Nitrogen (N) + Phosphorus Oxide (P) + Potassium Oxide (K) (+ Magnesium Oxide (MgO), + Sulfur (S))
So an example would be the declaration "8 + 4 + 3 (+2, +1)". A fertilizer labeled in this way would contain 8% nitrogen compounds, 4% phosphorus compounds, 3% potassium compounds, 2% magnesium compounds and 1% sulfur compounds. The form in which the respective nutrient is present is always adjusted to the same reference values mentioned above, even if the chemical compounds contained are completely different. Sometimes trace nutrients are given as secondary components, of which organic fertilizers always bring a small amount. So if you know the needs of your plants and the nutritional status of your soil, you can choose the right fertilizer in this way.
Packaging and Price
As in many cases, package size and price are directly related to fertilizers. Because fertilizer can usually be stored in a dry, cool and dark place without any problems, it can be worth choosing a larger package size and using the fertilizer over a longer period of time. Of course, this does not apply to special fertilizers such as Epsom s alt (magnesium sulphate) or iron sulphate, which are only ever required in very small quantities.
Ease of use
Not everyone enjoys gardening and when plant nutrition becomes a nuisance, many quickly lose interest. For these reasons, it is sometimes worth paying attention to the properties of fertilizers when applying them: Granulated or pelleted fertilizers do not dust and are easier to grab and distribute. Animal-free organic fertilizers smell less than those made from ground animal raw materials. And you should only distribute the highly concentrated mineral fertilizer s alts with gloves. In addition, these must often not get onto paved surfaces, as they lead to unsightly stains there. Another important aspect of user-friendliness is thespecific information on the use on the packaging. Information is useful as to when the fertilizer may be used on which crop and in what quantity - and of course whether this could pose a risk to the user or the environment.
Ethics and Sustainability
Many garden lovers also love nature outside their garden fence and want to help to preserve it. For them, the sustainability and ethical acceptability of production can therefore be decisive. While mineral fertilizers are always obtained with a high energy input or through the mining of fossil deposits and their chemical processing, organic fertilizers are recycling products. The latter are always the better choice if you are aiming for a sustainable use of the world's nutrients. Raw materials of animal or plant origin can be processed in the organic fertilizers. Vegetable raw materials are produced using less water and land and often provide the right mix of nutrients for plants. In addition, most manufacturers of organic fertilizers still do not distinguish between commercial and organic, animal welfare-oriented slaughter animal husbandry. For a consistent animal lover or vegetarian, the use of organic animal fertilizers is therefore out of the question. Our Plantura organic fertilizers are completely animal-free and therefore ideal for animal lovers, vegetarians and vegans.
Alternatives to buying fertilizer
It doesn't always have to be the fertilizer bag from the trade. Compost also provides valuable nutrients in sufficient quantities and good quality. You can make compost yourself or buy it from a composting facility for often ridiculously little money per cubic meter. A worm box with compost worms also supplies fertilizer produced from our own organic waste - and that without having to travel far. Sometimes you can also use natural home remedies to nourish your plants, as you can find out in this article on natural fertilizers. And occasionally the neighbor's deposited horse manure is also suitable for supplying your bed areas.
Choose the right fertilizer
Which fertilizer is the right choice for you depends on a few factors: If you want to fertilize a specific plant or a group of plants with similar needs, you canbased on their needs. Good books, some trustworthy websites and catalogs from tree nurseries or perennial nurseries provide information on the nutrient requirements of garden plants. The time of year and the weather also play a role: If you want to fertilize in autumn for the coming year, all fertilizers with large mineral content are ruled out, otherwise a loss through leaching is inevitable. In particularly dry years, adjusting the fertilization can save your lawn: a more potassium-based fertilization improves the water balance, while a nitrogen-based lawn fertilization exacerbates the problem of lack of water. It is therefore worthwhile to find out more about fertilizing lawns from us. In addition, many trees and shrubs do not tolerate heavy nitrogen fertilization in summer because this hinders their shoot closure and frost hardening. Exact knowledge of the fertilizer recommendation can therefore be crucial if frost damage is to be prevented and good budding and flowering are to be achieved in the following year.
Pay attention to fertilizer quality
In fact, salmonella, uranium and various heavy metals have already been found in fertilizers of various price ranges. The performance of the fertilizer is also worth considering: a slow-release fertilizer promises a lower risk of over-fertilization and leaching. Organic fertilizers not only ensure that the plants shoot for a short time, but also provide fertile and productive soil as the basis for he althy plant growth. These additional qualities should be considered when considering the price one is willing to pay.
Where is the best place to buy fertilizer?
Before making the actual purchase, you should have already decided which properties the required fertilizer should have, because the choice should not be made on impulse, but after weighing up all the necessary information. You will surely find what you are looking for in our Plantura shop.
Our Plantura organic fertilizers
The range of fertilizers we have developed is fully committed to the sustainable and ethical production of animal-free organic fertilizers. Our Plantura organic fertilizers - such as the organic lawn fertilizer - are available for very different areas of application and offer a comprehensive information package for use in the form of suitable articles. Because we subscribe to current scientific opinion that the power for plant growth is in the soillies, our fertilizers are always soil fertilizers that stimulate soil life and thus increase soil fertility.