Fertiliser Musings

Ever wonder why your crops have heaps of great looking leaves and no roots like no potatoes or crap short carrots?

What about not much leaf and good root system… read on brother!

Even though I understand the 3 main functional groupings of fertilisers I still get it wrong and I know why - I don't think about it at the crucial time, simple. So this is my latest focus - well kind of..

Alright, to be simple the 3 main groups are NPK most crew know this.. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, shown on fertiliser bags as a ratio. 

The best way to remember is group what you are growing onto 2 plant types, plants you grow for their leaves like lettuce, spinach etc and the plants that you grow for their roots and fruit like carrot, corn, tomato, peas, beans and flowers (the later keeps wife happy!).

So for the leaf group you need mostly nitrogen, and for the crops you're growing for their roots/fruit deal you need phosphorus, the potassium helps keep the plant strong and resist disease etc don't get hung up on this or trace elements just now otherwise you will bore yourself to tears - or I will writing it - just get the basics right and you're good to go.

If you get weird stuff going on and the plant doesn't look right, trace elements will be a conversation and google is your best friend! Plus always go organic if you can - hey don't put poison on your food!

When shopping for the fertiliser focus on the NPK ratio that best suits your needs like for me now is highest Phosphorus because I have had a couple of ordinary root crops ie, spuds and tomatoes... drop me a line if you have some recent issues and I will try and answer them - that is about plants my friend! 

:) T

Sneak peak in my garden pantry