The N-P-K ratio
When you are considering purchasing a fertilizer, you’ll notice that most fertilizers will have three numbers, like 10-10-10, 10-30-10, or 12-6-6, for example. The first number is always “nitrogen”, the second is “phosphorous” and the last number is “potassium”, hence the phrase “N-P-K”. This ratio represents the available nutrients by weight in that particular fertilizer, so if I have a 1 pound container of fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 12-6-6, that means it has .12 pounds of nitrate, .06 pounds of phosphate, and -.06 pounds of potash (potassium). The rest of 0.76 pounds is actually just filler material or bulking agent. You may often here someone at a plant shop talk about a “balanced fertilizer”. This simply just means that all numbers of the N-P-K ratio are the same, so a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20, for example
These nutrients are integral for a number of reasons, and I’ll explain their importance here:
Nitrogen is not only a major component of chlorophyll (C55 H72 O5 N4 Mg), which is vital in photosynthesis—allowing plants to absorb energy from light, but it also makes up amino acids that produce proteins, which just like in our bodies, produces new tissues. Plants are exceptionally hungry for nitrogen, and the combination of nitrogen and phosphorous from agriculture fertilizers washing into our oceans, often causes those algal blooms that we often hear about, which choke out the oxygen in our water bodies due to extreme plant growth. Nitrogen is particularly important for leafy plants, like Philodendrons and Dieffenbachia; if you feed a blooming plant too much nitrogen—it might not actually fruit or flower—or may just flower less.
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Phosphorus is really important for roots, buds, fruits and flowers. It transfers energy from one part of the plant—say the root zone—to the buds. It’s also vital in cell division and tissue production. For plants that flower, or are equally grown for both foliage and flower, I often use a fertilizer with a higher second number, so say a 20-30-10.
Potassium is not incorporated into the chemical makeup of a plant, but that doesn’t mean it’s no less important. On the contrary, it’s imperative for vitality and vigor—and it will overall create a higher quality plant. Potassium is super essential for catalyzing enzymes in a plant—at least 60 of them—which again, is important for protein synthesis and ultimately plant growth. Potassium also regulates the opening and closing of the stomata, or plant pores. This is where the CO2, O2 and water vapor is exchanged. Less potassium in the soil means that excessive water loss can occur in the plants—both from the roots as well as from the stomata, which can dry and desiccate plants.
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