Farmers use fertilizers to help their crops grow. Whether it is a small flower garden or it is a large farm of vegetables, one will need different fertilizers for the various crops, soil conditions, and weather conditions.
Most fertilizers will be sold as having different ratios of the ingredients potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. Nitrogen is the component responsible for plant growth. Lawn service companies will often use fertilizers with low amounts of phosphorous.
Phosphorous is the substance that promotes fruiting and flowering, and most lawn grasses do not flower. The amount of potassium in most fertilizers is the same. Chemical fertilizers cannot be applied anyhow. Different states will regulate the application to protect the soil from pollution.
Whatever the case, the following methods will be used:
Deep soil applications
Sometimes organic manure is poured on the soil surface. Some people opt to use a plow to spread the manure and mix it up with soil before they plant. One may also apply the fertilizer in bands after making plow furrows.
Other people choose to broadcast it on already plowed soil and then working the ground using a cultivator. Whatever the case, this method is the easiest.
Broadcasting
In this case, the one with the fertilizer will follow a drop spreader to scatter the fertilizer on the soil. This method is best used in flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, and lawns.
The compost can be broadcast before being plated to and then watered to help it dissolve into the soil. If the method is used on already grown plants, it is referred to as topdressing.
Banding
When one has a row of vegetables or flowers, banding can help. Here, the fertilizer is poured two inches away from the plant on either side in a two-inch deep furrow. When one waters the farrows, the manure is placed between the seed furrow and the irrigation furrow.
In cases where one uses a hose to water, the fertilizer is positioned beneath an emitter. Sometimes it may also be placed on either side of the plant half into its growth, and the process will be referred to as side dressing.
Liquid application
Some fertilizers are water soluble. These can be applied using spray cans or sprinklers. Some people use furrow irrigation to spread them as well.
A small amount of the fertilizer may be applied to young plants during transplanting in starter solutions. There are also plants that need micronutrients like iron and zinc that they may not absorb from the soil but may absorb through the leaves.
In such cases, water-soluble fertilizers are sprayed when the leaves begin showing signs of deficiency. The drawbacks of using liquid application are such that if the liquid is too strong, it could burn leaves.
Fertilizers are essential to the health of your lawn, but they must be used with regards to security. In most places, the manufacture, sale, and transportation of fertilizers are regulated.
States will further have statutes addressing how fertilizers are applied. Following such guidelines benefits human health and the environment.
