Organic-Fertilizer.info - Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium</table> <meta name="description" content="An introduciton to the uses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in organic fertilizers."> <meta name="keywords" content="Nitrogen, Phosphorus. Potassium, fertilizer, fertilizers, organic fertilizers, organic fertilizer, organic gardening, gardening"> </head> <body> <center> <h1>Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium</h1> <table width="800"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"> <a href="http://organic-fertilizer.info">Organic Fertilizer Home<a><p> <a href="organic-fertilizer.php">Why Choose Organic Fertilizers?<a><p> <a href="nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium.php">An Introduction to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium</a><p> <a href="organic-fertilizer-list.php">A List of Commonly Used Organic Fertilizers</a><p> <a href="organic-fertilizer-recipes.php">Recipes for Organic Fertilizer Mixes</a><p> <a href="organic-gardening-news.php">Organic Gardening News</a><p> </td> <td> Organic fertilizers, like all fertilizers, are rated on the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that they contain, because these are the 3 most important nutrients that plants need to grow. For example, a fertilizer rated "7-4-2" contains 7% nitrogen, 4% phosphorus, and 3% potassium. It's important to consider these values for the various fertilizers you use, because different types of plants require different nutrients, and their needs can change through the season. <p> <b>Nitrogen</b> <p> Nitrogen produces vegetative growth in plants, so it is a vital nutrient for your garden. A lot of the nitrogen that your plants need is supplied naturally by the environment - 78% of the Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen, after all, so important quantities of nitrogen get dissolved in rain and snow, which then enriches the soil when it falls to the Earth. Chemically, this nitrogen needs to be "fixed" into a usable "nitrite" form before it can be absorbed by plants. This "fixing" is performed by micro-organisms in the soil, which is why it is so important to keep those micro-organisms happy. Plants of the legume family, such as peas, beans, and clover are known as nitrogen "fixers", because their roots provide a good home for the soil bacteria that performs this vital step in the "nitrogen cycle." <p> All plants need Nitrogen to grow, but it is especially important early in the season to help plants develop strong young leaves and stems. Later in the season, when plants may be focused on developing fruit, less nitrogen is needed and there should be more focus on other elements in the soil. <p> Plants that get enough nitrogen tend to be vigorous and deep green in color. Plants that lack nitrogen tend to be lighter green or yellow. Keep in mind that too much nitrogen can be a bad thing because it may cause the vegetative upper parts of the plants to grow beyond the root's ability to support them. This can lead to disease, or possibly prevent plants from being able to get enough water. <p> <b>Phosphorus</b> <p> Phosphorus is an important major nutrient that plants use during photosynthesis. When plants have the phosphorus they need, they can produce more energy for themselves, which in turn encourages root growth, flowering, and fruit production. <p> Since phosphorus tends to move slowly in the soil, it should be applied at an early stage - prior to planting, if possible. This will ensure that the phosphorus is available during the rooting process. For fruits and flowers, phosphorus may be applied prior to budding to encourage blooms, and to encourage the growth of fruit. Adequate phosphorus is associated with early crop maturity. <p> The most commonly used organic source of phosphorus is bone meal, which releases phosphorus gradually and is particularly alkaline. A faster acting source of phosphorus is fish meal, and it should be used around plants that prefer acid soils. <p> <b>Potassium</b> <p> Potassium promotes drought and disease resistance and winter hardiness. Most "winterizer" fertilizers used on lawns and shrubs in late fall are high in potassium. Potassium helps plants use water efficiently, and is essential to the function of over 80 enzymes within the plant. <p> Potassium is also known as "potash", which takes its name from wood ashes soaked in a pot of water - an ancient method of obtaining potassium. Wood ashes are, in fact, among the most commonly used sources of organic potassium. And, just as many fertilizer products containing potassium, wood ash also has a very basic pH value. Fortunately, many of the plants that require large amounts of potassium also prefer basic soils. <p> Potassium has a tendency to leach out of the soil if not replenished. Therefor, it needs to be applied throughout the season, especially for some plants like fruits, which consume a lot of potassium. In any case, any potassium product must be applied lightly, as potassium has a tendency to "burn" foliage, roots and microbes if used in high concentration. <p> - <a href="mailto:spike2131@hotmail.com">Bobby Williams</a> </td> <td width="180" align="center" valign="top"> <script type="text/javascript"> google_ad_client = "pub-1266148779782625"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; google_ad_channel =""; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "000000"; google_color_url = "336699"; google_color_text = "000000"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>