How to apply fertilisers to your garden

Learning how to apply fertilizers to your garden is crucial if you want to reap big. But this is only possible if you do it correctly and at the right time. Continue reading to know more and considerably increase the productivity of your garden.
Fertilizers provide essential elements that plants need to synthesize their nutrients. However, fertilizing may not be helpful if you’ve enhanced your soil with compost. 
If your plants seem stunted or unhealthy, try fertilizing them. If you see no change, then look elsewhere because nutrients aren’t lacking. 
There are two types of fertilizers – granular and liquid. You need to know more about each class if you must know how to apply fertilizers to your garden. 
 

1. Granular (Dry) Fertilizers 

This type of fertilizer comes dry and in the form of small pellets. You can measure it and spread it. Granular fertilizers have the benefit of longevity. 
 
Here Is How to Apply
You should apply the amendment at the beginning of the growing season. Broadcast the grains by hand or using a spreader on the surface of the soil around the growing plants. 
Use your how or fork to work the fertilizer into 4 to 6 inches of the soil. A good idea is to add a little amount into the planting holes and mix it well with the back-fill.
Or, you can add the small amounts of the dry fertilizer into rows where you’ll plant seeds or plant plugs. Water the plants soon after to help the amendment leach down to plant roots.
Subsequent applications: Do this during the growing season. Apply small amounts of fertilizer to the top inch of the soil around plant roots. This method is called top-dressing.
You can also apply the granules on the top inch of earth along the crop rows. Do the same around perennial beds and drip lines of shrubs and trees. You’ll find the information on how often you should top-dress on the product labels.
 

2. Liquid (Synthetic) Fertilizer

These are highly concentrated liquids added to water for you to use as plant nourishment. You can apply them to the soil or spray them on the foliage. 
The formulation of liquid fertilizers contains a mixture of synthetic chemicals. Each formula provides a plant’s essential nutrients, including phosphorus, nitrogen, iron, and potassium. 
Ideal for container gardens and annuals, these fertilizers are fast-acting. Their high nitrogen content promotes rapid growth and prolific blooming.
 
Here is How to Apply
Mix your liquid fertilizer in a watering can and apply it to the soil surface. But plants can absorb liquid nutrients well via their roots and pores in their leaves. 
Vegetables, flowering plants, and fruiting trees respond very well to foliar sprays. Many gardening experts agree that biweekly foliar sprays can give you excellent returns. 
We refer to this method as foliar feeding. It provides growing plants with critical nutrients needed for overall growth and productivity. 
To apply synthetic foliar fertilizer, add the recommended amount to your backpack sprayer (You can use two Behind Sprayer for your large garden, read more at OutdoorGardenCare).  Mix the solution thoroughly and directly spray all plants. Target the underside of the leaves because pores are most concentrated here. 
Be careful not to use a backpack sprayer used with herbicides. Chemical residues can mix with the fertilizer and cause your plants serious harm. 
 
When to Apply Fertilizers to Your Garden 
Knowing when to apply fertilizers is sometimes as essential as knowing how. Manufacturers do a great job by providing this information on their product labels. Ensure you read it carefully. 
Nevertheless, it’s good to know some tips. Perennials and woody plants tend to use more nutrients during the growing season. It will pay if you apply the fertilizer when your plants break dormancy during the spring. 
Halt your application soon after the initial fall frost. Pay attention to the instructions provided to know how often you need to feed your plants.
Food crops, on the other hand, may need fertilizing throughout the growing season. The so-called heavy feeders may require more frequent applications than light feeders. 
A good idea is to apply your dry fertilizers right before the beginning of long rains. This will help work the amendments into the soil where plant roots can easily access them. 
For the liquid types, apply them on dry days either late in the evening or early in the morning. Doing this will give the growing plants enough time to absorb the nutrients. Don’t apply foliar fertilizer on a scorching day. The heat and the fertilizer might instead burn the leaves.
 
Final Thought 
Plants need moisture, light, and nutrients to thrive and produce. Sun provides light and rainfall, and irrigation includes moisture. Fertilizers, compost, and manure provide nutrients.
More often, nutrients are deficient due to overuse. Knowing how to apply fertilizer to your garden is the first step to getting a bounty harvest. We hope you are now well conversant. 
 
 

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