The best fertilizers and tips for your garden

the essentials in brief

• Plants need, among other things, phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe)
• The right fertilization depends on the nutritional needs of the plants and the pH of the soil
• In spring, beds should be fertilized with three liters of compost per square meter
• Compost, Horse manure and coffee grounds are good organic fertilizers

What nutrients do plants need?

Plants need nutrients and trace elements for healthy growth. These are naturally present in the soil, although the composition can vary depending on the type of soil. The vitality of a plant is influenced by the nutrient that is present in the minimum. If the concentration of a substance is too low, deficiency symptoms occur.

Fertilize efficiently

The right thing Fertilize is a science in itself, as numerous factors influence the frequency and intensity of the nutrient supply. Heavy consumers need more nutrients than low consumers. A fertilizer recommendation is only possible if the soil has been analyzed beforehand.

How to fertilize correctly:

• Spread three liters of compost per square meter annually in spring
• Heavy eaters in late spring Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) re-fertilize
• Provide plants in acidic locations with horn shavings once a year

Soil pH

Lime is used in acidic soils

How well the nutrients can be absorbed by the plants depends on the pH of the soil. This describes the acid content and can be in the acidic, neutral or basic range. The majority of all cultivated garden soils are slightly acidic and have a pH of 6.0. Most plants prefer this value.

The pH value can be increased by adding lime. The substrate becomes loose and microorganisms make nutrients available to the plants. It is enough to lime every three to four years. Otherwise there is a risk that the soil will leach out. If the substrate is too basic, it can be mixed with bog soil.

Soil type

A basic distinction is made between light, medium and heavy soils. The soils in Central Germany are mostly heavy because they are loamy. Heavy substrates can store nutrients better than sandy soils, which predominate in northern Germany. They therefore have to be fertilized less often, while sandy soils require a more frequent supply of nutrients. These can be improved with green manure or compost.

Fertilization tailored to the soil:

• heavy soils: supply nitrogen
• Medium-heavy soils: fertilize in case of deficiency symptoms
• light soils: improve with compost, green manure or mineral fertilizer

When is the best time to fertilize?

When you need to fertilize your plants depends on the environmental conditions. As soon as the growing season begins and the plants sprout, nutrients are needed. It is ideal if you have already fertilized before budding. Subsequent fertilizers are not a problem, as long as you follow a few rules:

• Fertilize in the morning so that the plant can absorb nutrients with the water during the day
• Do not fertilize when it rains, as the nutrients will be washed away
• Before supplying mineral nutrients, moisten the substrate so that the nutrients can dissolve

Hungry plants like tomatoes need fertilizer several times

Fertilize in the course of the year

Slow release fertilizer such as horn shavings can be incorporated into the bed as early as late autumn. They decompose slowly so that in spring the plants are supplied with nutrients just in time for budding. Depot fertilizers or granules are added directly to the planting hole so that perennials and woody plants can draw nutrients directly.

Compost as a universal fertilizer is worked into the substrate in spring. In this way you guarantee your plants an optimal start to the growing season. If you are using readily available synthetic fertilizers, consider using them when needed.

• only fertilize in the growth phase between March and August
• Use nitrogenous mineral fertilizers only between the end of March and July
• Administer potassium-based fertilizers in late summer

Fertilize organically

Organic fertilizers are an ecological alternative to artificial fertilizers. Agriculture produces by-products that are used as natural nitrogen fertilizers. These slowly release the nutrient as they break down in the soil over time. Over-fertilization is thus prevented. Compost is an ideal organic one Complete fertilizerthat activates soil life.

Fertilizers with main nutrients:

• nitrogen: Horn shavings, feather or bone meal
• iron: Herbal manure
• potassium: Sheep's wool pellets
• phosphorus: Rock flour,(€ 12.33 at Amazon *) Cattle and horse manure

Horse manure

Horse manure contains a variety of important nutrients and also improves soil vitality. This organic fertilizer is ideal for heavy consumers and can also be used to provide nutrients for lawns, hedges and fruit trees or flower beds. Do not use fresh manure as this can contain seeds of various weeds. In addition, the ammonia content in fresh manure is very high, which negatively affects the quality of the soil. Manure stored for a year in which the seeds have been killed by sunlight or hot rotting can be used for fertilization without hesitation.

How to use horse manure correctly:

• suitable for tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini and corn
• about two to four liters of horse manure per square meter
• Work in a maximum of 30 centimeters deep
• alternatively mix in the compost

compost

Countless microorganisms ensure that plant materials are broken down. In order for the processes to run optimally, both air and moisture are necessary. High temperatures arise in an optimal compost, which kills weed seeds. Fresh compost is a universal fertilizer that is suitable for almost all plants. However, the nutrients vary greatly depending on the composted plant material. The nitrogen content is usually between one and two percent.

Digression

C / N ratio in compost

Coffee grounds

Coffee is often used as a fertilizer, but it should be dosed well

Raw coffee beans have a protein content of eleven percent, which is completely broken down by roasting. Roasting produces humic acids, which means that coffee grounds have a slightly acidic pH value compared to fresh coffee beans. Unroasted beans contain nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. These nutrients are largely retained in the breakdown products, which is why coffee grounds are ideally suited as fertilizer.

Properly fertilize with coffee grounds:

• good for Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons and blueberries
• Work the coffee grounds into the bed and then mulch
• Place a handful of coffee grounds under the fresh when repotting Potting soil Mix

Unsuitable fertilizers

Artificially produced fertilizers are highly concentrated and provide the plant with nutrients that do not have to be converted beforehand. They are immediately available to the plants. There are artificial fertilizers in liquid or solid form. So that the nutrients are released more slowly, synthetic fertilizer pellets are surrounded by a protective cover. The manufacture of such products is very energy-intensive. In the wrong dosage, the plant growth suffers, so that damage is inevitable. In addition, chemical fertilizers affect the environment when they are washed into bodies of water.

ash

Wood ash can be used for liming, but should not be used as a regular fertilizer. The pH of pure ash can be between 11.0 and 13.0. Calcium is in its most aggressive form, quicklime. This can lead to leaf burns and affect soil life, especially in light sandy soils. In agriculture, only bare and heavily loamy or clayey soils are limed with calcium oxide.

frequently asked Questions

What is horn shavings, horn semolina and horn meal?

Horn shavings are made from crushed cattle hooves, claws and horns. Horn semolina is roughly ground horn shavings with a grain size between two and five millimeters. If the degree of grinding is less than two millimeters, the product is considered to be Horn meal designated. The finer the grain size, the faster the fertilizer decomposes and becomes available to the plants. The decomposition takes place through microorganisms. These fertilizers are used to supply nitrogen and improve humus formation in the soil. They can be added to the compost to increase the nitrogen content.

Why is blue grain unsuitable as a fertilizer?

This fertilizer has enjoyed great popularity in the garden for a long time, because as a complete mineral fertilizer, blue grain contains nitrogen, phosphate and potash in water-soluble form. However, nitrogen is present as water-soluble nitrate, which is largely washed out by rain and can get into the groundwater. These so-called NPK fertilizers do not provide food for soil organisms and impair the formation of humus. The result of years of use of blue grain is an oversupply of phosphate and potash.

How often should I fertilize?

Every year, statistics from the soil laboratories show that the soils of private gardens are sometimes heavily overfertilized. The phosphate content is often extremely high and the potassium content is too high. According to estimates, 90 percent of all hobby gardeners fertilize by feeling without prior experience Soil analysis. When using complete mineral fertilizers or special fertilizers, phosphate and potassium accumulate in excessive amounts. Therefore, it is better to fertilize too little than too much.

Which fertilizer should I choose?

Compost is considered to be an all-purpose fertilizer that is suitable for almost all plants, especially those that eat heavily. Compost is not recommended for plants that prefer acidic soils. These should be better supplied with coffee grounds. Fertilizing with cottonseed meal ensures that the pH value remains in the acidic range.