Just like all living things, plants require many various nutrients to be able to grow. Fertilizers are nutrients for plants that fall into two separate groups; micro-nutrients and macro-nutrients. Plants need micro-nutrients in smaller amounts than macro-nutrients. Below, you’ll find a table that gives you examples of micro and macro-nutrients required by plants. The table gives you the rates of nutrients that an average plant needs for healthy growth.
It’s vital to note that the macro-nutrients only make up a tiny portion of the plant. Most of the plant is carbon and water. It’s also crucial to remember that plants don’t use the pure forms of these nutrients either. Nitrogen, which makes up about 78% of our atmosphere, is useless to plants. Plants instead require complex molecules such as nitrate N03-, ammonium NH4+, and nitrate N02-. These molecules are created naturally through the roots of unique plants called legumes.
We as human beings also create large amounts of plant-available forms of nitrogen through industrial processing. This process requires lots of fossil fuels, and due to this, cannot be used in organic gardening. We use Manure, animal by-products, and plant by-products make-up nitrogen-rich fertilizers for organic gardens.
Before picking, buying and applying any fertilizers to your garden, we suggest you read up on the process HERE. Remember to use your fertilizer safely, as too much can be very bad for nature and may ruin your soil.
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