How Should I Fertilize My Vegetable Garden?

Plants need nutrients to stay healthy and strong. Soil contains all the nutrients that a plant needs to support its growth. The nutrients are delivered to the plants through roots while absorbing the water. Over a period of time, the nutrient contained in the soil starts depleting and needs replenishment. Usually, the soil through natural processes replenishes. But the soil in our indoor pots can’t do that and thus, needs an external source of nutrients. Here’s where the fertilizers come into the picture. 

• Fertilizers are a mixture of all the nutrients required for the plants. 
  • Phosphorus, Potassium, and Nitrogen are the three main nutrients required by all plants. 
  • Phosphorus helps the plant in root development and strength building. Thus plays a major role in plant health. While Potassium helps your plant to fight diseases, Nitrogen helps the plant to produce a special protein that helps the plant cells to grow.

• So when growing vegetables one needs to make sure the soil is full of nutrients.
  •  Many of us avoid it but it’s better to get our soil tested so we know what all nutrients are lacking or are present in huge quantities. 

• Fertilizers can be of organic and inorganic types. 
  • Organic fertilizers are made from naturally occurring substances while inorganic fertilizers are the ones artificially prepared.
  • If you are opting for inorganic fertilizers for your veggies then look for the ones which have slow or controlled release of nutrients.
  • Organic fertilizers are prepared from plants that slowly release nutrients. 

• The next thing to know is that fertilizers are available in granular as well as liquid forms. 
  • You can directly spread the granular fertilizers over your soil or put them in holes dug up to 3-5 inches. 
  • The liquid fertilizers need to be mixed with water so that they don’t harm the plant and can be sprayed over leaves or poured into the soil.

Let your veggies grow happy, healthy, and strong!