Monday, November 21, 2016

Plant Nutrition

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Just like animals, there are nutrients which are essential to plant survival.  Three major macronutrients have been identified which are essential to plant survival: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.  In fertilizers and other applications, these nutrients can be abbreviated as NPK.  Each of these essential nutrients is associated with a different function within the plant: nitrogen is for leaf growth, phosphorus is essential for the roots, and potassium assists in flowering and forming fruits.  The NPK ratio is printed on fertilizer bags.  Fertilizers in which the ratio of each is about the same is a general-purpose fertilizer.  However, the nutrient concentrations may vary based on the intended use of the fertilizer.  For example, different levels of NPK would be found in fertilizer for fruits than in fertilizer for grasses.  Most fertilizers also contain smaller concentrations of other, less vital nutrients.  Some examples of nutrients of lesser importance include sulfur, magnesium, zinc, and iron.  If you were to fertilize a garden of fruits and vegetables, you should always choose to use a fertilizer high in phosphorus.  Phosphorus is important in fruit development, and using such fertilizer produces larger and better-tasting fruits.

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