Feed your garden and it will feed you! Fertilising plays an important role in maintaining productive soil and crops. It supports the natural processes happening below ground while making sure plants have access to the nutrients they need, when they need them.
By topping up nutrients where needed you’re helping both your soil and your plants work together, setting your garden up for strong, healthy growth through the seasons.
WHAT DO FERTILISERS DO?
- Replace nutrients removed from the soil by plants as they grow.
- Replace nutrients (washed) leached out of the soil by rain and watering.
- Keeps the soil in balance and correct nutrient deficiencies.
There are two fertiliser types - organic and synthetic.
Organic fertilisers are derived from plant or animal by-products and have the added benefit of feeding plants as well as the soil.
- Organic soil conditioners include sheep pellets, compost and blood & bone. Soil conditioners need time to break down and start working with soil microbes before plants can access the nutrients. They all help improve the physical condition of the soil by adding organic matter, improving soil structure, supplying nutrients to plants through soil microbial activity. The addition of organic matter also improves water retention in the soil.
Synthetic fertilisers are formed through a chemical process into a form that plants can easily absorb, they can be tailored to plants specific growing requirements.
- Synthetic or man-made fertilisers provide a balanced blend of the nutrients that are in a form that plants easily absorb. Because they don’t need breaking down they deliver fast and reliable feeding. They are tailored to specific plant growing requirements - for example Tui Tomato Food is rich in potassium for flowering and fruiting, as well as being boosted with magnesium and calcium to prevent blossom end rot.
For a well-balanced garden, add organic matter regularly, choose a fertiliser that suits your gardening style, mulch in summer to help retain soil moisture, and water consistently. Keeping these elements in balance will support steady growth and you'll be rewarded with a flourishing garden.
Choose the right fertiliser for your plants using our handy guide here >
UNDERSTANDING plant nutrition
Plants need a mix of nutrients to grow well. Some are needed in larger amounts (macronutrients) and some in tiny amounts (micronutrients). The big three macronutrients - N-P-K - are usually highilghted on the fertiliser bag. These are the ones plants use the most.
- N = Nitrogen for leafy green growth
- P = Phosphorus for strong roots
- K = Potassium for forming flowers and fruit as well as maintaining overall plant health.
Different plants need different amounts of each, which is why plant specific fertilisers work so well - they’re blended with the exact ratios your crop prefers.
Secondary macronutrients: Calcium builds strong stems, improve soil health, break down organic matter; Magnesium assists in chlorophyll production, the green pigment in plants, needed for plant growth; Sulphur assists in the formation of chlorophyll, improves resistance to pests and diseases, tolerance to cold, and fruit flavour.
Micronutrients: also called trace elements, are required in tiny amounts and include iron, chlorine, copper, manganese, zinc, selenium, molybdenum and boron. They are quickly used up by plants or leach out of the soil, like us taking vitamins where our body absorbs what we need and flushes out the rest. If one of these micronutrients is deficient it may cause abnormalities. If a trace element is present in too high a concentration it may lock up other elements.
If one or more nutrient is missing, another will take its place but won’t fully perform the function of the missing nutrient - so balance is essential.
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