Benefits of using a good quality fertiliser
Fertilisers are designed to help improve the quality of your plants. This can either be by working above ground level on the plants and encouraging ‘greening’ up of the leaves and brighter, healthier blooms; or by working under the ground level and encouraging strong root structure and hardiness.
There is no set rule of when and what fertiliser to use, it is all dependant on your garden and what you are growing. A strong nutrient soil will not necessarily need added fertiliser. However as more and more plant growth is generated in the soil, if there is no conditioner added then it will reduce the natural level of nutrients in the soil and fertiliser will be needed to encourage good plant growth, as nature can only do so much during continued cycles of use.
The most common fertilisers contain the minerals nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (N:K:P or NKP) and the various compounds of these make up different types of fertilisers meaning that one product can provide several different nutrient types at the same time.
Plants are not able to absorb nitrogen from the air, so they need a high nitrogen fertiliser, especially in the spring/summer, to boost the levels of it in the soil for the plants to take up, giving greener leaves and a healthier growth.
Phosphorous needs to be water soluble for plants to access this nutrient which is why it is at a higher level in fertilisers designed for use over the autumn/winter period where there is more rain to wash it into the soil for the plants to take up. Then during the growing season plants can use this to convert the sun’s energy into food.
Within soil structures potassium is extremely low down under ground and is really only reached by mining type activities. This means that plant root structures are not able to access this nutrient on their own, therefore they need this type of fertiliser especially in the winter to increase their root growth and reduce wilting or water loss.
It is always important to follow manufacture instructions to ensure that the required results are achieved, as over application can destroy the plants. And with delivery in Edinburgh, the Lothians and throughout Scotland to your garden by our team, it makes it even easier to feed your garden just what it needs.
