Types of fertilizers and what are, description and application for crops

Soil depletion is considered a natural process when growing any plants. Crops draw many nutrients from the soil. The higher the yield of varieties that are grown, the faster the soil is depleted. To replenish the reserves of valuable elements in the soil structure, mineral or organic fertilizers are used. With the correct use of such tools, it is possible to maintain normal soil properties.

What is this?

Fertilizers are called substances that are needed to saturate garden and indoor plants with nutrients.Thanks to their use, it is possible to make the soil more fertile. With the help of special dressings, it is easy to saturate the soil with important substances that are required for the normal growth and development of crops. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, manganese.

With insufficient fertilizer, there is a risk of various problems:

• weakening shoots;
• lack of flowering;
• yellowing and dying of foliage;
• appearance of rot;
• reset ovaries;
• spread of infections;
• withering.

What are plant fertilizers?

Today, quite a lot of different types of dressings are on sale. They differ in composition, mechanism of action and methods of application.

By origin

All plant nutrients are divided by composition. Depending on the origin of top dressing, it can be divided into 2 broad categories:

1. Mineral - are trace elements that are released in a form convenient for assimilation.
2. Organic are the waste products of plants and animals. Decayed remains also fall into this category. They decompose in the soil into individual components and due to this they are well absorbed by crops.

The composition of mineral fertilizers may contain one active component or a combination of them. In the first case, drugs are used to make up for the lack of certain elements. Complex preparations are required to be applied according to the schedule in order to avoid problems. Mineral top dressings usually contain potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen. Other substances may also be present in their composition, but in a smaller volume.

Organic preparations are used in agriculture much more often. They are easy to make yourself or buy ready-made.

According to aggregate state

Top dressing may differ in the form of release. To choose the optimal composition, it is recommended to take into account your convenience and processing area. For indoor flowers, you should use a liquid composition or sticks. If you want to process the whole field, it is better to use aqueous solutions or powders. They need to be applied using special equipment.

Depending on the form of release, fertilizers are divided into 2 large categories:

1. Liquid - used for soil application or foliage spraying.
2. Solid - are granules, powders, sticks, tablets. They must be applied to the soil in a dry form or used to make aqueous solutions.

Beginner flower growers or gardeners are advised to buy top dressing that is designed for certain varieties of plants. Manufacturers take into account the characteristics of plants and add nutrients in specific proportions to their products.

According to the method of action

Depending on the method of action, the following types of fertilizers are distinguished:

1. Direct - designed for direct plant nutrition. They contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur. Also, drugs may include iron, magnesium, phosphorus. Such tools are simple and complex.
2. Indirect - used to influence the soil in order to improve the conditions for fertilizing. So, ground limestone or dolomite helps to neutralize the acidity parameters. To acidify the soil, sodium hydrosulfite must be applied.

According to the method of application to the soil

Depending on the method of applying the composition to the soil, the following types of dressings are distinguished:

• main - this method is aimed at saturating the soil with the nutrients needed by a particular crop;
• pre-sowing - consist in the processing of seed material before planting;
• feeding - make up for the deficiency of certain elements;
• intrasoil - imply incorporation into the root zone;
• superficial - while top dressing is scattered over the surface of the soil.

Selection rules

Any substances must be applied to the soil clearly according to the instructions. It is important to choose the right combination of nutrients and take into account a number of factors.

When choosing top dressing, it is always recommended to take into account the acidity of the soil. Normally, the pH parameters should be 6-6.5. With these indicators, plants develop normally. If they are above 7, this indicates that the soil is alkaline. In this case, nitrate preparations are needed. If the soil acidity index is less than 5.5, potassium, magnesium and sulfur are poorly absorbed. In this case, ammonium substances are more suitable.

When choosing top dressing, it is important to take into account the type of crops. They are divided into indoor, garden, fruit and berry and decorative. Each species has specific nutritional needs. Depending on this, the type of fertilizer also differs. It should be borne in mind that an excess of certain elements in the soil can lead to unpredictable consequences. If there is any doubt about the need to use certain means, you can use universal preparations.

Also, the need of plants for specific substances can be determined by their appearance:

1. With a nitrogen deficiency, the foliage becomes small and dull, acquires a yellow tint and crumbles. At the same time, there is a culture lag in growth.
2. Lack of phosphorus is accompanied by the appearance of dull spots on the leaves. They may be reddish or purple in color. There is also a delay in flowering and fruit ripening.
3. If plants lack potassium, the leaves turn pale and become bluish. In addition, there is a risk of thinning shoots.
4. Calcium deficiency manifests itself in the form of whitish leaves and the death of shoots.
5. Lack of magnesium is accompanied by falling leaves. Moreover, it acquires a reddish or yellow tint.

Popular Manufacturers

Today, many companies are engaged in the production of fertilizers. The most popular brands include:

• PhosAgro;
• EuroChem;
• Uralkali;
• Akron.

How to properly use garden fertilizers

In order for the application of fertilizers for the garden to be successful, it is important to choose the right composition and follow the recommendations for its application:

1. On heavy types of soil, top dressing is used in the fall, on light soils - before planting, so that nutrients are not washed out of the soil.
2. Liquid food for crops is important to use after rain or good watering. It is important to avoid getting them on the foliage.
3. It is better to fertilize between rows.
4. It is recommended to spray plantings in the morning or evening. During the day, this is allowed only in dry and cloudy weather.

Proper application of fertilizers allows you to saturate the soil with nutrients and make plants stronger and he althier. At the same time, it is important to pay attention to the choice of the composition of the drug and strictly follow the instructions for its use.

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