when is the right time to use it on your plants

All living beings, including plants, need the right nutrients to be able to develop in a healthy and luxuriant way. Therefore, fertilizer is essential for them but when is the right time to use it?

The purpose of the fertilizer is to feed the plant. With the act of fertilizing you will provide the plants the right amount of fertilizer, which it will have to be put in place and at the right time. Two conditions that they will also allow you to optimize the fertilizer and protect the environment.

An example? If heavy rain falls, you will not be able to give your plants the fertilizer because it will wash away and end up in a nearby watercourse, polluting it. Fertilizers, in fact, could release potentially harmful nitrogen gases into the air.

Only by absorbing nutrients will plants be able to produce leaves, flowers and fruits. If the soil is depleted you will notice it immediately: Leaves will start to turn pale, growth may become slow, and more. The impoverishment of the land it can be solved by fertilizing. The right fertilizer It will also help you avoid plant diseases.

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Let’s see in detail the timing for using the fertilizer.

Types of fertilizer

Not all fertilizers are the same. The fact is that most plants need it. Not only the type of fertilizer varies but also the dose, the frequency of administration, the type of formulation (liquid and grain fertilizers exist) and the desired effect.

We must consider that the fertilizer is composed of macro and micro elements. The first category includes: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; in the second category, on the other hand, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and many others.

The main distinction between fertilizers takes place based on the origin of their nutrients: natural, mineral or organ minerals. Let’s explore this useful distinction.

Natural fertilizers

Natural fertilizers are used and allowed in organic farming. Their composition is based on vegetable-based ingredients (e.g. seed flour, cocoa shells) and / or animal (e.g. seabird guano). Organic materials that make up the fertilizers they transform, through a very slow process, in nutrients for the plant. The process is called mineralization because the raw materials to be used by the plant must decompose.

Mineral fertilizers

Fertilizers of mineral type are very important for plants and they give them nutrients in the form of salts and minerals. This last they dissolve thanks to the humidity of the soil. Only in this way will plants be able to obtain them. Mineral fertilizers work for plants that need high energy supplies in a short time. They are also used if the plant lacks nutrients.

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There are mineral-based fertilizers, which release nutrients also thanks to the heat of the water. The release occurs gradually and takes between 3 and 6 months, gradually but continuously. In this way, the whole season will be covered.

Organo-mineral fertilizers

It is a fertilizer that works thanks to the decomposition of organic material with microorganisms present in the soil. In this way, nitrogen is produced. The organic mineral fertilizer is an association of the two fertilizers, remaining 100% natural.

Fertilizer: when to use it

The fertilizer should be administered when the plant is in its growth phase. Generally, this is the period from spring to the end of August. At the end of winter, when the plant is in vegetative growth, it is the perfect time to fertilize house plants. The same period is also right for the lawn and outdoor shrubs. Fertilization must continue throughout the summer.

If the summer is particularly hot, however, before fertilizing you need to give the plant plenty of water. The act of fertilizing should take place early in the morning or in the evening, after the sun has set.

It is also important to observe the state of the plant. If the leaves appear pale, its growing very slow, then your plant will need nitrogen. If the leaves and flowers are very small then it will need phosphorus. If, on the other hand, it looks withered, then it lacks potassium.

Some plants, Furthermore, they need to be fertilized more than others. Just think of roses which, if not properly fertilized, may not bloom. Or to Surfinie and Petunias which, without being fertilized, end their flowering in August. Not to mention edible fruits such as watermelons, melons, large consumers of nitrogen and potassium. Regarding fruit treesinstead without being fertilized they could get sick and to make flowers and fruits too skimpy.

Fertilizer: when is the right time to use it – photos and images

Now you will have a clearer idea of ​​how and when to use fertilizer with your plants. We remind you that it is also very important to read the labels of the fertilizers you are going to use. Good job!