Neil Duncan from Northern Metropolitan Institute of TAFE, gave us a very informative talk about fertilizers. He listed the many different types of fertilizers people use, but manures are not considered fertilizers as they do not have a consistent nutrient content.
He then went on to list the important nutrients for our plants:
- Nitrogen (for leaf growth),
- Phosphorous (for root growth)
- Potassium Sulphate (for flower and fruit growth as well as disease and pest prevention).
These important nutrients are present in the fertilizers we purchase in varying quantities, depending on what we want to achieve in the garden, and all have their various pro’s and con’s.
- Liquid fertilizers (Seasol, Maxicrop, Aquasol, Thrive) - are quickly absorbed by plants, but require frequent applications. (Charlie Carp is good as a spray, as the oily consistency helps to prevent pest infestation on foliage and should be used ½ strength)
- Solid fertilizers (Dynamic Lifter, Neutrog, Complete fertilizers) - are slower to release their nutrients, however have little control over the release time.
- Controlled release fertilizers (Osmocote, Nutricote) - are coated to slow the release time down and are controlled by temperature. Nutricote releases at 25C so better in the warmer months, than Osmocote which releases at 21C.
All of these things need to be taken into consideration when choosing the right fertilizer to use for the time of year and type of growth you wish to promote.
