Fertilize plants: Tips & Procedure

Even fertilizing needs to be learned. We will show you how to optimally supply your plants with nutrients and when, how and with what to fertilize properly.

Regular and correct fertilization is a basic requirement for he althy and natural growth. What happens in cycles in natural sites is complicated in our gardens by the regular removal of clippings, fruit or foliage. Because the nutrient supply can sometimes seem a little puzzling, we would like to provide you with general information in this article to clear up this forest of questions.

When are plants fertilized and what is the best way to supply nutrients? We answer both questions and also explain how and how much fertilizer should be used.

When to fertilize plants?

There are better and worse times for fertilization - both over the course of the year and over the course of weather periods and days. A general fertilizer rule is that dissolved nutrients should only be present in the soil if plants can use them. Fertilization is therefore only done in spring, summer and autumn. Weather periods influence the timing of fertilization to the extent that in particularly dry or particularly rainy phases there tends to be no fertilization or only in appropriate amounts. Finally, during the course of the day you should ideally fertilize when the sky is overcast and the heat and sunshine are low.

Fertilize plants in spring

Fertilization in the spring is most likely to do justice to the principle of need-based fertilization. At the beginning of the year, the nutrients for the supply of the plants in the current year are applied. The adjacent soil influences when the first fertilization occurs: light, sandy soils are fertilized before budding - around February to March - while heavy soils are fertilized after budding as soon as the first growth spurt subsides. This is roughly between April and May. Based on this, oneorganic fertilizer about a month earlier than with a mineral or organo-mineral fertilizer. This is because organically bound nutrients must first be made available to plants in soil microbial and chemical processes. Because there are a wide variety of landscapes, zones and microclimates in German-speaking countries, this information is unfortunately not universally valid. The spring shoot takes place much earlier in milder regions, so that fertilization can also take place earlier. This occurs later in harsh zones and those at risk of late frost.

Tip - fertilize the lawn in spring: A lawn that is poorly cared for in spring can all too easily be crowded out by less demanding wild herbs. These simply start to sprout earlier and compete with the lawn plants for water, light and nutrients. Here you can read how to properly care for your lawn after the winter. Incidentally, you can also make your lawn winter-proof by using the right fertilizer to prevent frost damage to the lawn. For example with our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer.

Fertilize plants in summer

The following applies to mineral fertilizers: Unless you use a long-term fertilizer, several fertilizer applications per year are necessary to provide your plants with the best possible care. How many fertilizations you ultimately have to carry out depends on the preparation used, the corresponding manufacturer's instructions and the fertilized plant. However, you should definitely make sure that you no longer fertilize perennials and shrubs in the garden with a lot of mineral nitrogen when summer is drawing to a close. Quite a few plants can be stimulated to continue growing by the good supply of nutrients, which, however, neglects the formation of frost hardiness. It is better to use potassium-rich and nitrogen-reduced fertilization from July and not to fertilize at all from August at the latest.

You can also divide the organic fertilization into two doses: In the best case, a nitrogen-rich spring fertilization is followed by a potassium-rich fertilization in the later summer to prepare for the colder seasons.

Tip - Fertilize chillies in summer: If you fertilize chili plants in summer, make sure they have a sufficient supply of potassium and phosphorus for a good blossom and fruit set. If the soil is light, you should prepare the bed with compost beforehand.

Fertilize plants in autumn

You should stay away from mineral fertilizers in autumn if possible. At this point in time, all outdoor plants have long been prepared for the end of the growing season due to the cooler temperatures or shorter day lengths. Mineral fertilization at this point in time would no longer be used. In addition, during strong autumn thunderstorms, there is a risk of nutrients being washed out into deep layers of soil without roots, and the frost hardiness of the fertilized plants may suffer.

Organic fertilizers can be distributed in the fall without hesitation if you didn't get around to it in the summer. The soil organisms work much more slowly at cool temperatures anyway, so that the nutrients contained are released in much smaller quantities. However, you should be careful with very nitrogen-rich or liquid organic fertilizers. These have such a fast rate of action or such a high nutrient content that large amounts of nutrients can also be released here on warmer autumn days - and then leaching is also possible.

Tip - Fertilize strawberries in the fall: If you fertilize your strawberries, you will harvest better quality fruit. The perennials are fertilized when they are planted and then twice a year. One takes place in the spring and ensures good fruit set. The second offering falls in September and is smaller in size.

Summary: When to Fertilize Plants?

• Plants are ideally fertilized in spring and late summer.
• Mineral fertilizers should no longer be used in autumn.
• Organic fertilizers can be used more safely from spring to autumn.
• Fertilization at the beginning of the year should tend towards nitrogen, fertilization in late summer/autumn towards potassium.
• In very dry or very wet weather phases, fertilization is reduced or not at all.
• During the day, times with overcast skies and moderate heat should be chosen.

What do plants fertilize with?

Of course we cannot and do not want to dictate what you use in your own green paradise and what you prefer to exclude. However, the current state of research clearly proves that purely mineral fertilization is beneficial for the fertilized soil and thus for a long timeindirectly harms the plants growing on it. For this reason, we hope that you will observe the information on mineral fertilizers compiled below or that you will be convinced of natural fertilization.

Fertilize plants with minerals

Mineral fertilizers contain nutrients for plants in a pure, concentrated form. When applied to the soil, the fertilizer s alts are dissolved by the water in the soil and the individual nutrients can be immediately absorbed by plants. The soil as a mediator between nutrient input and roots is largely ignored. Normally, this complex ecosystem is responsible, among other things, for the recycling of nutrients from organic material. The fact that its function remains unused ensures that the soil becomes less fertile in the long term, because it loses its vitality and thus its ability to convert, store and provide nutrients itself. In addition, there is a loss of water holding capacity, aeration and root penetration due to the degradation of humus. For this reason, you should use mineral fertilizers with caution - if at all:

• Have a sample of your soil analyzed. Knowledge of the type of soil and the nutrients it contains will help you to fertilize as needed.
• If the dosage of mineral fertilizer exceeds the needs of the plants, fertilizer damage and leaching are likely. Always strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• The decrease in humus content is only slowed down by the parallel application of structural material - such as wood chips, straw or bark mulch.
• If mineral fertilizers are used during drought, the soil should be kept well moist over the following days. Otherwise, the increasing concentration of nutrients can damage your plants.
• Mineral fertilizers should not be mixed with each other or with lime, otherwise undesirable chemical reactions can lead to outgassing or soil fixation.
• Mineral fertilizers work quickly, but only for a short time. If you want to protect your soil and save yourself some work, you should choose the higher-priced slow-release fertilizers.
• Mineral fertilizers never bring all trace nutrients with them. With continued use, a floor can become depleted of these, leading to deficiency symptoms that are difficult to identify.

Fertilize plants organically

The simpler andmore natural way to fertilize plants is the organic one. Organic fertilizers consist of more or less heavily modified organic material, in whose grown structures the nutrients necessary for plants are integrated. If such a fertilizer gets into the soil, exactly the same processes take place that also ensure the supply of nutrients in natural locations. During the conversion by soil organisms, nutrient surpluses are created that are used by plants. In addition, after the death of the microorganisms involved, nutrients are also released again. Parallel to the release of the nutrients and even after the materials have been completely broken down into molecular building blocks, complex "humus molecules" can build up, the so-called humic acids. These form the basis for fertile soil humus. The use of organic fertilizers has the following advantages for you:

• The soil life is promoted and ensures a loose, structured and well-aerated soil. This makes it easier for the plants to absorb nutrients.
• The resulting humus stores water and nutrients, which both protects against over-fertilization and provides supplies for plants when needed.
• With organic fertilizers, over-fertilization cannot occur because all the nutrients are never available at the same time. Due to the natural long-term effect, the amount of fertilizer required is reduced to one or two doses per year.
• In addition to the main nutrients, various trace nutrients are always included.
• The production of organic fertilizers uses less energy and resources compared to the production of mineral fertilizers, so it is more environmentally friendly.
• Organic-mineral fertilizers are also available, which combine rapid action and soil care. These also include our Plantura organic fertilizers, in which only animal-free raw materials are processed.

Fertilize plants with home remedies

Some of the home remedies used in the home or garden are also suitable for fertilizing plants. Of course, compost made from garden and kitchen waste provides all the nutrients your plants need. And fertilizing with ash or eggshells can provide your plants with calcium and increase soil pH if needed. In addition to smaller amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, coffee grounds fertilizer primarily provides structural materialhumus build-up. Horse manure as a fertilizer is also a potent supplier of all three main nutrient elements, which you should not use on undemanding plants and which, for hygienic reasons, has not lost anything on vegetables with a short cultivation period. The same applies, of course, to animal or human manure made from urine, which contains valuable plant nutrients, but also various bacteria and even ingested medication. In this article you can read how you can easily make fertilizers such as plant manure yourself.

When using home remedies, you should be aware of the nutrients they contain. Some of the concentrations are very low or surprisingly high - in any case, reliable information cannot be found anywhere. In almost all cases, supplementary fertilization with a full-fledged fertilizer - such as our Plantura organic fertilizers - is appropriate.

How much and how to fertilize plants?

Whenever you want to take care of a plant or an area, you have to follow these four steps:

1. In the field, there should always be a soil analysis at the beginning. This tells you - depending on the extent - whether your soil is sandy, loamy, silty or clayey, what the pH value is and what the humus content is. In addition, the nutrients present in the soil are given approximately and even fertilizer recommendations are made.
2. Find out about the nutrient requirements of the fertilized plants. Follow the fertilizer recommendations of the soil analysis and the information provided by the fertilizer manufacturer.
3. Choose a fertilizer that suits the needs of the plant at the time. With a predominantly organic fertilizer, the risk of incorrect fertilization is lowest.
4. Fertilize in the evening or in the morning when sun exposure is low and the soil is moist. Water liberally after fertilizing to allow the nutrients to release.

Tip - Soil pH affects nutrient availability: Soil pH is a measure of the acidity of the soil solution. It influences the availability of nutrients via chemical reactions and affects soil life. For optimal availability, a pH value of 5.5 to 6 is aimed for on light soils, while a value of 6.5 to 7.5 is considered optimal for heavy soils. Outside of these ranges, it is more difficult for many plants to absorb nutrients. Determining the pH value is part of aSoil analysis or you can do it yourself with simple test kits.

General Fertilizer Rules: Summary

If you follow these general rules, nothing stands in the way of successful fertilization:

• Fertilize as needed and find out about the needs of your plants and the condition of your soil.
• Fertilize with organic long-term fertilizers because the soil is an important factor for good plant growth. Avoid using mineral fertilizers if possible.
• Fertilize only during the growing season and preferably not in the earliest spring and late autumn.
• Use home remedies wisely and supplement them with a wholesome fertilizer.
• Spread fertilizer in the morning or evening and then keep the fertilized soil moist.
• To avoid mistakes when fertilizing, you can also learn from the mistakes of others. You can find the five most common mistakes when fertilizing here in our special article.