Gardening is very popular among our compatriots. In order for the cultivation of vegetables, fruits or ornamental crops to be successful, it is necessary to understand the basics of caring for them. It is very important to study in advance what fertilizers are. This will allow you to choose the right dressings and make them on time.
What it is? Fertilizer classification
It is no secret that for plants, as for any other living creatures, a large number of elements are necessary for development and growth. Not always can they extract these substances on their own. Lack of micro or macro elements will have a bad effect on plant health. Gardeners use fertilizers to meet the nutritional needs of different crops.
There are a lot of them. Due to the fact that they differ in chemical composition, some characteristics or origin, they are divided into several groups.
- Organic: they are obtained from the processing of plant and animal waste. These include manure, ash, bone meal, bird droppings, compost.
- Mineral fertilizers: they are chemical compounds. This group includes phosphoric, nitrogen, potassium top dressing.
- Bacterial: these preparations contain special microorganisms that favorably affect the development of plants. As such, they do not contain nutrients. The most popular bacterial fertilizer is nitragin.
- Growth stimulants: these substances have only recently gained popularity among gardeners. They help accelerate crop growth. These include drugs like Mikrassa, Root Mixture, and Bison.
Next, we will take a closer look at some types of fertilizers.
Organic
Organic dressing can be made in the same place where you grow this or that crop. These fertilizers have a multilateral effect on the soil. If used correctly, the yield of agricultural plants will increase significantly. They contribute to the cultivation of soil and improve its physical, chemical and biological indicators.
The purpose of organic fertilizers
Below we list what fertilizers are in this group, as well as in what cases they are prescribed.
- Manure has a beneficial effect on the condition of the soil. If you regularly use it, then the amount of humus will increase. In addition, crops will regularly receive the necessary micro and macro elements. Microorganisms contained in manure saturate the soil with nitrogen. Top dressing is prescribed in the spring or autumn time of the year.
- Slurry is manure diluted with water. The substance is 40% nitrogen and 60% potassium. From one large pet, you can get up to 2 tons of slurry. It is most effective when growing fruit crops.
- Bird droppings are prescribed in cases where you need to quickly fill up a nutrient deficiency. To obtain it requires the presence of poultry, such as chickens. With 1,000 individuals, you can collect up to 5 tons of crude material, which will consist of 90 kg of phosphate, 75 kg of nitrogen, 45 kg of potassium and 150 kg of magnesium and calcium compounds. Litter is prepared by drying and grinding the raw material.
- Peat is a mineral fertilizer that can also be used to mulch the soil. It is prescribed for various cultures.
- Compost is a mixture of organic fertilizers. The advantage of this top dressing is that the biological processes that take place in the compost contribute to the faster absorption of nutrients, as they become readily available. This substance is prescribed not only for fertilizing the soil, but also for preparing the soil for planting various crops. However, composting takes a lot of time: from 3 to 9 months.
- Siderata are special plants that are planted as top dressing. They saturate the soil with minerals. The most common siderates are cereals and legumes.
- Straw is a valuable organic mineral rich in cobalt, zinc, copper, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Straw is used in tandem with horse manure. How to apply as a fertilizer these substances? Straw is placed in the soil to a depth of 8 cm, after which manure is placed on top of it.
Mineral
Inorganic components can be purchased at any agricultural store, and their cost is not too high. Moreover, they have a wide spectrum of action. They include substances that are non-carbon based. Simple mineral fertilizers contain one active substance, and complex are a combination of various elements.
Simple mineral fertilizers
So, we list the names of mineral fertilizers and how to use them.
- Nitrogen: they dissolve quickly in liquids. They are prescribed at the end of winter - the beginning. It is necessary to first study the characteristics of the cultivated plant, since nitrogen feeding is not suitable for all species.
- Ammonia: they contain at least 30% nitrogen. However, they must be used with caution. Ammonium nitrate is ideal for potatoes. Feeding is inexpensive, but it is quickly absorbed. It is prescribed to strengthen plant immunity and increase productivity.
- Nitrate: nitrate nitrate is used to enrich any soil, with the exception of chernozem. There is not much nitrogen in it: only 17%, but it is enough for crops to sprout quickly. Nitrates are prescribed only to plants that are grown in open ground.
- Amide: they are composed of urea or calcium cyanamide. They enrich the soil with nitrogen, but are not processed quickly, so they are advised to apply at the beginning of March.
- Potash: they make up for the deficiency of potassium in the soil. The most popular is potassium salt, since it is suitable for feeding all types of berry crops.
- Phosphoric: they are divided into several species, among which simple superphosphate occupies a special place. It is suitable for all types of soils.
Complex mineral fertilizers
Classification and use of these substances are presented in our article. A feature of such top dressing is the presence in them of several active components. Here are some types of fertilizer:
- Nitroammofoska consists of 50% nitrogen and 50% phosphorus. It is prescribed for clay and sandy soils.
- Nitrofoska is a mixture of potassium, phosphorus and sodium. This is perhaps the most popular fertilizer, because it is used to feed all vegetable crops.
- Ammophos consists of magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It is prescribed for both open ground and greenhouses. Small, loose granules are suitable for enriching the soil in which flowers are grown.
- Diammophos is a mixture of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and other elements. The fertilizer is universal, it is prescribed for all soils and most plants.
Bacterial
Continuing the topic of what fertilizers are, we will talk about bacterial top dressing. Scientifically, they are called microbiological inoculants. They are assigned to all plants, without exception. The principle of their work is interesting: they do not contain nutrients, but, once in the ground, normalize the biochemical processes occurring there. This, in turn, makes nutrition of crops more complete. They are divided into several types.
- Biological fertilizers: they make nutrients in the soil more accessible. Plants more easily extract them from the soil.
- Phytostimulants: they synthesize phytohormones - substances that activate the growth of crops. As a result, the root system and vegetative mass increase significantly.
- Mycorrhizal inoculants: these fertilizers include fungi. They act on plants, increasing the ability of the root system to absorb nutrients. This helps increase yields.
- Biological remedies: they are used as analogues to chemical preparations. They increase the immunity of plants.
Growth stimulants
We conclude the story about what fertilizers are with the characteristic of popular growth stimulants.
- Heteroauxin was one of the first to be bred. It has a positive effect on the root formation process.
- Kornevin practically does not differ from the previous drug. Its main feature is that it acts on the culture longer.
- Ethamon also stimulates the development of the root system at the cellular level, significantly transforming plants and making their organs more susceptible to nutrients.
Growth stimulants are prescribed for any plants, but they need to be selected depending on the characteristics of the crop grown.
How to feed?
It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question "How to apply fertilizer?" It depends on many factors: on the type of plant, the growing season, the composition of the soil. Therefore, you need to consult with a specialist in advance on how to use compost, peat, manure or any other substance as fertilizer. Remember: a deficiency or, conversely, an excess of micro and macro elements in the soil can lead to the death of plants, so you need to carefully study the issue of fertilizing.