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I鈥檓 still reading a great library book, 鈥�1519 All-Natural, All-Amazing Gardening Secrets鈥� from the Reader鈥檚 Digest. And truly, there are hundreds of wonderful tips that I鈥檇 like to tell you about! So make a cup of tea and let鈥檚 sit down for a few minutes; I鈥檒l tell you some great information that I read about fertilizer. That鈥檚 a timely topic for us!
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All our plants take nutrients out of the soil to grow and produce flowers and vegetables.听 That鈥檚 why good soil is the first building block of our gardens. But plants can use some extra help from fertilizers.
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Have you ever stood and looked at the vast and confusing array of fertilizes that are available? What to choose?听 First of all, be aware of what the numbers mean on the label. There are usually three numbers that stand for the proportion of certain nutrient in the fertilizer. The numbers may vary, but the order of the nutrients is always the same: nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium.
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The next thing to keep in mind is what each of these nutrients do, and why you might want a higher proportion of one than another. A balanced fertilizer of 20-20-20 supports leaves, roots, and daily health of the plant.听 But if we want to target certain concerns, we might look for different numbers.
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Nitrogen helps new leaves and branches to form on our plants. If a plant is lacking nitrogen, it will have pale, sickly leaves and will be growing slower than it should.
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Phosphorous works to give the plants strong and healthy roots, and also helps flower form. If our plants needed more phosphorous, they will be struggling to produce flowers, and the leaves might be an unhealthy reddish color.
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Potassium is the nutrient that gives our plants good overall health. It the plants are having a potassium deficiency, they鈥檒l look droopy with weak stems and brown edges on the leaves. The plant will possibly drop its fruit before maturity.
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Knowing what each nutrient does helps us choose the best mix for our plants. Let鈥檚 use tomatoes for an example.听 They are hungry plants and benefit from fertilizer. But we want to focus on the plants producing tomatoes, not growing lots of foliage. So we should look for a fertilizer that has a higher middle number (phosphorous) because why, class?听 Because phosphorous helps fruits form. So a 5-10-5 might be the best choice.
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Whatever kind of fertilizer you choose, always read and follow the instructions carefully, because too much of a good thing can be a bad thing for our plants!
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Before we finish our tea, let鈥檚 review a few upcoming events. The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be holding their annual potluck supper and wind-up on Wednesday, June 21. This gathering is for members only (and significant other). Members, for full details please call Liz at (306) 782-2830.
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The SHA (Saskatchewan Horticultural Association) is holding their 11th Annual Bus Tour July 18-20. This trip is open to all interested gardeners; Liz can give you details of that as well.
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Don鈥檛 forget, the Yorkton In Bloom competition is coming up! The deadline to enter is July 7, and judging will take place July 10-12. Call (306) 786-1776 to register or find out more! And the Yorkton Gardeners鈥� Market will begin on Saturday, July 22 at the Prairie Harvest Christian Life Centre (corner of Melrose and Simpson Street).听
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Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca, and have a great week!
