What's With Those Numbers On Fertilizer Packs?

Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)


Have you ever noticed the three numbers on fertilizer labels?

For example, 5-10-5 or 14-14-14 indicate the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash that the product contains. Often these nutrients are represented by their chemical symbols: N for nitrogen, P for Phosphorus, and K for potassium (also known as potash).

These primary nurtients are listed in that order on fertilizer labels and is required by law.

Here's what these ingredients do:

NITROGEN stumulates foliage formation and gives leaves their healthy green glow. Symptoms of insufficient nitrogen include stunted growth and pale leaves.

PHOSPHERUS encourages strong root formation and maturity, which means good lfowering and fruit sets. You'll notice leaves with a reddish or purple hue, and reduced lbossoms when therte is not enough phosporus.

POTASSIUM promotes hardiness and disease resistance. Reduced vigor, leat-yip socrch, and small, thin skinnned fruit occurs with too little potassium.

Those are the BIG THREE but more than 20 nutrients are also needed for healthy plants. They are usually flagged on the label as "plus minors". Although they are needed in smaller qauntities, they are, nonetheless, essential and include iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and others.

I think of fertilizer with all the nurtrients are like a multi-vitamin for my garden plants. Why not?

Victor K. Pryles
"The Weekend Gardener"

P.S. I just have to brag! I just got a wonderful review for one of my books: "Anyone Can Consult!" that is a real rave!

Take a looksee below:

Anyone Can Consult
By: Victor K. Pryles

Reviewed by: Dallas Hodder Franklin

Title: Anyone Can Consult - With Complete Research Course and Index
Author: Victor K. Pryles
Copyright: 2002-2003
Published by: http://creativepops.com/consult.index/
Pages: 118
Price: $17.00
Format: ebook - pdf file

The first part of the ebook, Anyone Can Consult by Victor K. Pryles is devoted to explaining why you can be a consultant and actually guides you through the process. Pryles certainly has me convinced. He offers point-blank questions so you can determine your own abilities and attributes. This is a likely career option for writers given the definition of 'consultant' and it's application in a writer's life. A consultant uses all his/her abilities and talents. This automatically instigates a constant creative process on a daily basis. Pryles takes you from being a complete novice to showing you every step along the way to making 'consultant' part of your own livelihood. He offers suggestions on getting clients and they aren't just thrown in with fluff. Pryles goes into great detail in showing how each is obtained. He obviously knows about what he speaks of and has made a career doing consultant work for over 25 years now. His experience and knowledge comes through the pages of this ebook. You'll learn about setting a fee structure based upon your experience. You'll find different strategies when communicating with clients to determine solutions available. Every question you've ever asked about this rising career is answered completely and clearly. The second part of the ebook is a course on learning how to research. It's sure to be educational even if you think you already know all the various ways one can research. There are web sites out there on the Internet at your fingertips and Pryles shows you exactly where to find them. The course is an excellent section for fine-tuning your research skills. It provides many tricks of the trade in locating information you probably would never have thought of before. Anyone Can Consult finishes off with more tips on organizing and another good dose of self confidence to boost that self esteem. It's designed not only to teach but to teach with positive input and output. I highly recommend this ebook and give it a top rating of 10!
2004 Dallas Hodder Franklin

Rating: 10 (being overall 'the best')