Spring fertilization of the garden

 Spring is the period of the most intensive growth of garden plants. To facilitate their development, the substrate should be fed with a properly balanced fertilizer that will provide the necessary nutrients. How and with what to carry out spring fertilization of the garden? What preparations to use? Learn how to prepare your garden for the season.

Plants waking up to life need large amounts of nutrients that will facilitate their proper development and strengthen them before the growing season. Unfortunately, winter is not conducive to the accumulation of elements necessary for plants in the substrate, which is why it is necessary to provide additional fertilizer in the form of a fertilizer selected for the phase of plant development, species and type of soil. Spring fertilization is one of the key care treatments, and some of the preparations can be started as early as March, depending on current weather conditions.

Spring fertilization of the garden - organic fertilizers

The earliest, in March, you can feed the plants with organic fertilizers. For this purpose, compost, biohumus, any green fertilizers available in garden stores or manure work well.

Attention! Pure manure can only be applied in the fall. If you decide to use it in spring fertilization, be sure to mix it with compost. Manure applied directly to young, delicate plants can damage them and even burn them.

Among the organic fertilizers, mature compost, which is a valuable source of nutrients, is still the most popular. What's more, compost improves the structure of the substrate, facilitates the formation of humus and the development of beneficial microorganisms, and enriches the soil with organic matter. Organic fertilizers are safe for plants and the environment, and they are particularly appreciated by gardeners who grow their crops in an ecological way.

The downside of green fertilizers may be insufficient effect and too small amount of the most valuable elements for plants, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, so it is worth considering additional fertilization with mineral preparations.

Spring fertilization of the garden with mineral preparations

Fertilization with mineral preparations is divided into two types - pre-vegetation and top dressing.

PREVEGETATION SPRING FERTILIZATION

Pre-vegetative fertilization is applied 2-3 weeks before sowing and planting.

The main goal is to prepare the substrate and provide the necessary amount of nutrients that will be used by plants in the first stage of development and will strengthen them before the growing season.

Before choosing a specific preparation, you should take into account several factors that determine its type, as well as the method of dosing. A very good solution is to examine the type of substrate and its abundance in nutrients, thanks to which fertilization will be more effective and safer, especially in the case of single-ingredient preparations. It is also worth considering that young plants are more sensitive to over-fertilization.

PRE-VEGETATION FERTILIZATION MAINLY USE PREPARATIONS CONTAINING NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM.

Pre-sowing fertilization with nitrogen (N) can be carried out with ammonium sulphate or urea. The advantage of the preparations is prolonged action and less tendency to leaching from the substrate compared to other types of fertilizers. Nitrogen preparations accelerate the development of the root system, improve plant resistance and facilitate the uptake of other elements from the substrate.

Pre-sowing fertilization with potassium (P) can be done with potassium sulphate or potassium nitrate. Potassium and phosphorus preparations increase the assimilability of nitrogen, improve metabolic processes, strengthen the condition of plants and resistance to diseases.

It is recommended to divide the nitrogen preparations into two doses, applied before vegetation and top dressing. On the other hand, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers should be applied once, in the dose suggested by the manufacturer

SPRING TOP FERTILIZATION

After initial fertilization - pre-vegetation, the next step in strengthening and care treatments is top dressing, i.e. systematic feeding of garden plants throughout the growing season. Fertilization should be done every few weeks, about 2-3 times per season.

Top dressing should be carried out based on the needs of a specific group of plants and the type of substrate, and the dose should be in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations on the packaging.

It is also worth remembering that too much fertilizer is more harmful than its deficiency, so it is always worth consulting your choice with a qualified seller of a gardening store who will help you buy the right preparation. Especially if you are a beginner who does not have much experience in growing plants. If you are looking for information on how to prepare the lawn before winter, please refer to the article in which we discussed this topic.

Since there are usually several species of plants growing in the garden, it is safest to use ready-made multi-ingredient preparations that contain a balanced set of micro- and macroelements. These fertilizers can be used not only during the growing season, but also in pre-sowing fertilization.

Recommended multi-ingredient fertilizers include 100 days for the lawn and for lawns with micronutrients, which are perfectly balanced, universal garden fertilizers that improve growth, flowering and increase plant resistance.

An alternative to universal mixtures are fertilizers intended for a specific group of plants, e.g. for conifers, lawns, garden flowers, orchids or vegetables and fruits.

You can also use special long-acting fertilizers, such as Osmocote. These preparations gradually (even for 6 months) release nutrients into the soil, thanks to which they allow you to reduce the number of necessary care treatments, and at the same time maintain excellent fertility, growth and flowering of plants.

When deciding on a fertilizer for a specific group of plants or a long-acting fertilizer, unfortunately, you have to take into account a slightly higher expense, but certainly the use of this type of preparation will translate into saving time and the appearance of plants, and thus - also the entire garden.