Healthy plants need water, sunshine and good soil. The soil provides nitrogen and other nutrients essential to plant growth. Sometimes they need a little extra help. This is where fertilizer comes in handy. Whether you have a field of several acres or just a small backyard garden, fertilizer can boost the growth and health of your flowers and vegetables.
Commercial Fertilizers
There are many companies that manufacture quality fertilizer. The ingredients are put into a large, tilted drum and mixed, generally using a ribbon blender. This type of blade allows aeration of the fertilizer. Nitrogen-based fertilizers are made using either ammonia or nitric acid. These compounds can be combined to form ammonium nitrate which provides nutrition to help your plants grow. Other fertilizers contain potassium or phosphorous. Depending on what you are growing, one of these fertilizers may be better suited to your needs.
Make Your Own Fertilizer
You can also use other substances. Manure, especially horse and cow, makes an excellent fertilizer. Farmers usually have plenty of it laying around. You can get some at a horse or dairy farm. Many farmers will sell you their surplus at an affordable price or may let you just take some. You could also use the trick that Native Americans developed centuries ago. Fish and their leftover parts after cleaning can be buried where you plant. This has been proven to supply plants with nutrition and help them grow and stay healthy and beautiful.
Gardening is a wonderful hobby that can be relaxing and put food on your table. Growing healthy plants requires that you give them the attention they need. Water them regularly, make sure they get enough sun, and don’t forget the fertilizers. Whether you buy it or make your own, it will provide your plants with the nutrition they need to grow to their healthiest.