Green plants are able to make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. Through this process, plants combine carbon dioxide from the air, water, and soil nutrients, such as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfates, to make nutrients. Sunlight is used as an energy source to power this process. While the simplest food products come in the form of carbohydrates, which consist only of carbon dioxide and water, higher organic compounds such as proteins and minerals which are essential building blocks for growth require soil nutrients. Fertilizers act as a source of these nutrients. Fertilizer also adds porosity to the soil, which is important in that it increases the soil's ability to hold water and air without drowning the plant.
Fertilizers can be in solid or liquid form. The type of fertilizer needed for your crops depends on the type of plants you have grown. This is due to the fact that each plant has its own requirements for different substances necessary for its growth. During seasons that stimulate certain plants to grow rapidly, such as spring, these plants should be fertilized once a month or two. On the other hand, plants that experience continuous growth throughout the year require a constant supply of fertilizer.
What are fertilizers?
As mentioned earlier, fertilizers are substances that act as sources of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, iron, phosphorus, sulfur and other elements. Nitrogen is the most important of these as it is used to make proteins. Protein is one of the main food groups, along with fats and carbohydrates. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, which contain only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, proteins contain nitrogen in addition to these three elements. Proteins are the building blocks of life. In order to provide this essential element, fertilizers are rich in nitrogen, generally around 50%. A peat-like fertilizer containing nitrate F is preferred for use in greenhouses by hobbyists. Greenhouse grade calcium nitrate can also be used in large-scale agriculture.
Use of fertilizer
Fertilizers are generally recommended for certain types of plants. Before applying to your plants, you should read the label carefully and get expert advice on their use. Suppliers and catalogs can also provide you with useful information regarding their use. The opinion of a qualified agronomist or plant pathologist would certainly be more useful.
It is important that the fertilizer provides balanced nutrition to the plants for their growth. Liquid or soluble fertilizers give faster results than solid fertilizers. Their application is as simple as watering the plants. However, higher than recommended doses are not recommended as they can damage their roots and possibly kill them. It is therefore a good idea to apply lower doses than the recommended doses for plants. This can easily be done by diluting the fortified with water.
Applying a mix of different grades of fertilizer is also a good technique to match the needs of the type of plant being grown. This will also ensure that the plant receives the specific chemicals it needs at different stages of its life.
Greenhouse plants need your attention. Checking them daily to make sure they are safe is satisfying and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Make sure it is disease and pest free and thriving. Their survival is your success.
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