Universal fertilizer: explanation, examples & advantages

Universal fertilizer - one for all plants? Here you can find what universal fertilizers are, what the differences are and what universal fertilizing costs.

“Universal fertilizer” - a term that arouses hope when the searcher looks over the sheer in the garden center an infinite mass of names and promises wanders, which make us sweat on our foreheads on the fertilizer shelf drives. But: one for all? Unfortunately we have to slow down the tender plant of budding hope at this point. In the following article you will find out which promises liquid and solid universal fertilizers from different manufacturers can keep.

What is a universal fertilizer?

In order to answer this question for you, we need to give you a quick overview of plant nutrition. Plants need exactly 14 so-called essential nutrient elements for growth and reproduction. As the name suggests, you cannot do without any of these in order to complete a full life cycle (from germination to the emergence of germinable seeds). These 14 essential nutritional elements can be divided into macronutrient elements and micronutrient elements. This title indicates how large amounts the nutrients are absorbed and does not contain any information about their importance.

Nutritional element	Element icon	Function (examples)
The macro sewing elements, of which N, P, K as the main nutritional elements (Intake in higher amounts)	nitrogen	N	Green plant pigments, photosynthesis, proteins, DNA
phosphorus	P.	Enzymes, DNA, flower and fruit formation
potassium	K	Water balance, cell walls, metabolism, frost resistance
magnesium	Mg	Green plant pigments, photosynthesis
sulfur	S.	Proteins, enzymes, metabolism
Calcium	Approx	Cell walls, cell respiration, cell division
The nutrient elements (Intake in small quantities)	iron	Fe	Photosynthesis, cell respiration, enzyme activity
manganese	Mn	Pigment and enzyme build-up
zinc	Zn	Pigment and hormone build-up
copper	Cu	Pigment build-up and photosynthesis
boron	B.	Cell walls, flower and fruit formation
molybdenum	Mon	Nitrogen conversion
nickel	Ni	Enzyme component
chlorine	Cl	Increase in cell pressure

A slightly more detailed description of the function of the main nutritional elements can be found in this article.

What is a universal fertilizer?

The so-called universal fertilizers are liquid or solid Complete fertilizer. In any case, they contain the three main nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). In addition, there is a selection of other macronutrient elements and trace elements that are found in vain in this abundance in most other fertilizers. The composition differs slightly from product to product. Most universal fertilizers have a balanced nutrient composition in common. This means that the main nutrients are contained in roughly equal proportions. This balance is intended to ensure that the universal fertilizer is suitable for most fertilizing projects. To find out which nutrients it contains, you can simply study your fertilizer's declaration of goods. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer has an NPK ratio of 6 - 3 - 4. This means that the fertilizer contains 6% nitrogen, 3% phosphorus and 4% potassium.

Summary of universal fertilizer:

• Plants need the 14 essential nutrient elements in order to be able to live and reproduce
• Of these 14 nutritional elements, the main nutritional elements N, P and K are required in the greatest quantities
• Are universal fertilizers Complete fertilizer (NPK fertilizer), which also contain many other macronutrient elements and trace elements and whose nutrient content is balanced
• The standardized information on the nutrients contained always follows the pattern N - P - K and means the percentage of nutrients contained
• N, P and K are followed by information on other nutrients they contain

What kind of universal fertilizers are there?

After a selection of liquid universal fertilizers you will also find solid universal fertilizers a little further down. There are products that are purely mineral-based and contain no organic ingredients. The raw materials for mineral fertilizers are mined in fossil deposits or artificially formed in chemical reactions. At the same time, there are also purely organic alternatives and mixtures that contain both mineral and organic components. The organic raw materials often come from agriculture and the food industry.

Examples of solid universal fertilizers

In the following we have compiled some solid universal fertilizers for you and described them in more detail:

Manna special professional universal fertilizer: 7 - 5 - 9 with magnesium

The solid universal fertilizer from Manna contains magnesium as well as the main nutritional elements. It also contains organic matter that brings in trace nutrients and keeps the soil healthy. The main nutrients are present in various chemical compounds, so that fertilization takes place quickly and nonetheless over the long term. Due to the high content of organic matter, the fertilizer can be used all year round. Price: 25 kg cost around 40 euros.

Keyzers Universal Garden Fertilizer: 16 - 8 - 10 (+3, +8) with trace nutrients

Keyzer's universal garden fertilizer contains N, P and K as well as magnesium and sulfur, but no organic substance. Because of this, soil degradation can be expected using only this fertilizer. The nitrogen content is high. The trace elements contained are the same as in Keyzer's liquid fertilizer, but in a different chemical form. They lack a so-called "chelator" that keeps the plant nutrients dissolved. It is therefore possible that the nutrient elements fertilized in this way are not more readily available than the nutrient elements that may already be present in the soil. Price: 2.5 kg cost around 25 euros.

Organic universal fertilizer from Plantura: 6 – 4 – 4 (+0, +2)

Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer does not contain any animal ingredients. Like all organic fertilizers, it promotes the quality of the soil in terms of structure and nutrient availability. Because scientific studies show that additional sulfur increases plant growth and yield noticeably, an extra portion of sulfur is also included. All specified nutrients and trace nutrients are released during the biological conversion. It also contains a small amount of sodium. This can have a positive effect on the growth of some plants (natrophilic plants such as spinach, purslane and sugar beet). The effect starts a little late, but is long-lasting. Price: 1.5 kg costs around 15 euros.

Examples of liquid universal fertilizers

In the following we have compiled some liquid universal fertilizers for you and described them in more detail:

Wuxal universal fertilizer: Universal fertilizer solution 8 - 8 - 6 with trace nutrients

According to the manufacturer, the universal fertilizer from Wuxal is very plant-friendly, which is due to the type of nutrient compounds used. The trace elements contained are boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. Sulfur and calcium are absent for good reason; they would lead to undesirable chemical reactions in the finished mixture. Magnesium is also not included. Foliar fertilization is possible and accelerates the uptake of nutrients. Price: 1 liter costs around 10 euros.

Keyzers fertilizer: Universal nutrients 9 - 6 - 5 (+2)

Keyzer's universal fertilizer is nitrogen-rich. This makes outdoor use problematic, as nitrogen is very easily washed out by rain. Keyzer's universal fertilizer contains water-soluble magnesium. The trace nutrients are the same as in the Wuxal universal fertilizer described above. Overall, all nutrients are dosed higher, the dosage instructions have been adjusted accordingly. Price: 1 liter costs around 25 euros.

Cuxin Universal: 5 – 4 – 7

Cuxin's universal liquid fertilizer has a lower nitrogen content. The potassium content is increased. As a result, according to the application recommendation, the fertilizer can be used a little further into autumn without hesitation. In addition to the trace elements iron and zinc, it contains “organically bound raw materials” that are said to have a positive effect on plant health. Price: 1 liter costs around 9 euros.

Universal fertilizer: advantages and disadvantages

Even if the manufacturers of universal fertilizers almost advertise them as a miracle cure: Of course, the sensible use of these fertilizers has clear limits. Use the table below to get an overview of the good arguments for and against universal fertilizer.

advantages	disadvantage
The application is often simple and inexpensive	The long, sole use of mineral universal fertilizers leads to a deterioration of the fertilized soil. This can only be prevented by introducing organic material
If the dosage recommendation is followed, the occurrence of plant damage is very unlikely	Plants that have been cultivated for many years suffer from long-term use if the composition does not coincidentally exactly meet their needs
Buying just one universal fertilizer is often cheaper than buying a lot of specialty fertilizers	The manufacturer's often careless advertising as a universally applicable fertilizer can result in use on the wrong plant or at the wrong time
The large selection of universal fertilizers in all areas (solid, liquid, mineral, organic, organic-mineral) makes it possible to adapt the universal fertilizer exactly to your own needs	The introduction of all important plant nutrients does not necessarily lead to a better supply of the plant with these nutrients. The type of nutrient and the condition of the soil must always be taken into account

The advantages as well as the exact application quantities of our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer we have compiled for you here.

Use universal fertilizer correctly

As different as the various universal fertilizers just presented are, the application recommendations for them are just as different. However, if you pay attention to a few points, you are safe from the worst mistakes:

• Find out about the nutritional needs of the following plants before applying a universal fertilizer to them. Indoor plants: Tropical and subtropical lovers plants and cacti, orchids, palms and perennial herbs. Garden plants: rock garden plants, thick-leaf plants, bog plants, perennial herbs and heat-loving, frost-sensitive shrubs.
• Do not only use universal mineral fertilizers. The risk of leaching into the groundwater or loss of nitrogen in the form of nitrogen oxides or gaseous nitrogen is great. This represents a loss for you as a user and a burden on the environment. An exclusive use of organic universal fertilizers is possible and is recommended by us.

If deficiency symptoms occur despite administration of the universal fertilizer, do not increase the dosage, but try to find out

1. What nutrient your plant is missing.
2. Whether the nutrient may be present in the potting soil, but not available to the plants. Reasons for this can be, for example, an incorrect pH value, excessive or insufficient irrigation, incorrect soil composition or even an unfavorable degree of air humidification.

Tips on nutrient availability

In the following we have summarized some more information about the nutrient availability for your plant.

Nutrient availability depending on the pH value

While the main nutritional elements N, P and K are readily available from a pH value of 5 and also in the slightly alkaline range, it is the case with the most trace nutrients exactly the other way around: iron, manganese, copper, zinc and boron get better and better as the pH value falls (i.e., the degree of acidity increases) available. Especially in acid-loving plants, such as the rhododendrons and azaleas, a too high pH value sometimes results in an iron deficiency, even though iron is naturally present in the soil. It's just not available to plants.

Nutrient availability depending on irrigation

Plants absorb the necessary nutrients from the soil solution. The soil solution consists of water and all substances dissolved in it. If there is not enough water in the soil, the plant cannot absorb any nutrients. An interesting counterexample is the availability of manganese: very wet and oxygen-poor soils often contain a lot of plant-available manganese. The reason for this is the increasing acidity of the soil in the absence of air. This is an effect of the respiration of soil organisms that get along well without oxygen. As the pH falls, the manganese becomes readily available.

Nutrient availabilitydepending on the air humidity

Calcium can only be absorbed by plants if the evaporating water creates suction on the leaves. This suction transports water upwards through the ducts - this is where calcium is located, among other things. A problem arises when the humidity is very high. In this case, the leaf can no longer evaporate water well and the suction comes to a standstill. Then the calcium can no longer be transported and the result is ultimately a calcium deficiency, even if there is sufficient calcium in the soil. Such a situation can occur, for example, in an unventilated, damp greenhouse.

In our shop you will find information about sustainable Plantura organic fertilizer.