Which fertilizer for which plant?

Who doesn't know that, you want to do something good for your darlings and don't really know what the plant tastes best. The first route usually leads to a hardware store, where the customer is confronted with too many different fertilizers. From special fertilizers to organic fertilisers to “all-rounders”, there should be something suitable for everyone.

But what is the difference?

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Are special fertilisers really the only right solution for orchids or cacti? Will organic fertilisers save our world? Are blue grain and co pure poison for our vegetables in the garden? Many questions which usually have a strong influence on the choice of fertiliser. But let's first approach the topic from a purely objective point of view. What is actually fertiliser?

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Fertiliser: A product is called fertiliser, which provides the plants with the necessary nutrients in chemically pure or bound form, as salts in a high concentration.

What kind of nutrients are these?

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the main nutrients. (Macro elements)

Magnesium, calcium and sulfur are the secondary nutrients. (Micro elements)

Boron, manganese, silicon or molybdenum are the trace nutrients.

Nitrogen is very important for photosynthesis. So nitrogen has a particularly positive effect on leaf growth. (Vegetative growth)

Phosphorus is very important to transport and convert all substances from "A" to "B" in the plant. The phosphorus is, so to speak, the delivery service and the factory rolled into one. It is therefore also essential for the development of flowers, fruits and roots. Because in order to develop these generative plant organelles, a lot of energy is required, which is generated exclusively in the green, photosynthesis-driven parts of the plant.

Potassium is regulated and supports many mechanisms in the plant, making it more resistant to many stress factors such as heat, cold, dryness and wind. A plant that is adequately supplied with potassium has stronger and thicker stems, more roots, more dense leaves and a more compact appearance.

How do I fertilise?

It always depends on the type of plant and the season.

At high temperatures and sufficient water, the nutrient salts dissolve faster in the soil than in cold and dry conditions.

You can understand this with a light experiment in the kitchen:

Put a teaspoon of salt in each of 2 glasses. Now fill both glasses with water of different temperatures and take a sip from both glasses.

You will find that the warm glass tastes significantly salty than the cold glass of water. Because in cold water it takes a long time for the salt to completely dissolve in the water.

It might sound strange, but you have to fertilise more in winter than in summer!