What are the seven do's and seven don'ts of fertilizing flowers and plants?

What are the seven do's and seven don'ts of fertilizer application for flowers and plants.

The "seven do's and seven don'ts" of fertilizer application for flowers and plants.

The seven do's:

(1) Fertilize according to category. Foliage plants should receive more nitrogen fertilizer to keep the leaves tender, crisp and green; flowering and fruiting plants should receive more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to bring the plants into flower and fruit earlier; bulbous plants should receive more potassium fertilizer to help the bulbs plump up.

(2) Fertilize at the right time. When the leaf color of the flowers and plants turns pale and growth slows, that is the most appropriate time to fertilize. Apply different fertilizers and different amounts according to the different growth stages of the plants; for example, at the seedling stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer should be applied, using the method of light fertilizer applied frequently, to promote rapid, robust growth of the seedlings; after the plants are established, the fertilizer concentration can be raised appropriately and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer added.

(3) Combine base fertilizer with top dressing. Base fertilizer is mainly organic fertilizer, which supplies nutrients persistently and steadily and can improve soil structure and physical and chemical properties and raise soil fertility. Top dressing is mainly chemical fertilizer, which has the characteristics of containing many nutrients, acting quickly and supplying nutrients intensively, and is a necessary supplement to the base fertilizer.

(4) Apply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer evenly. For example, over-applying nitrogen fertilizer easily causes rampant growth of branches and leaves and delays or prevents flowering; over-applying phosphorus fertilizer inhibits the uptake of nitrogen and potassium, causing poor plant growth and easily leading to iron and zinc deficiency; over-applying potassium fertilizer inhibits the vegetative growth of the plant and causes magnesium deficiency.

(5) Apply foliar fertilizer as appropriate. During the vigorous growth period of the plant or when trace elements are lacking, spraying foliar fertilizer as appropriate can promptly make up for the insufficiency of nutrients absorbed by the roots of the flowers and plants. However, the concentration of foliar top dressing must be strictly controlled to avoid burning the leaves.

(6) Fertilize when the soil is moist. Fertilizing when the soil is dry easily causes the branches and leaves of the flowers and plants to lose water physiologically and wither, and in severe cases can cause the plants to die. Conversely, fertilizing on rainy days, because the soil water content is high and its ability to absorb and retain fertilizer is poor, makes it easy for the fertilizer to be washed away by rain, and it can also cause rampant growth of the branches and leaves.

(7) Cover with an appropriate amount of soil after fertilizing. Many people are in the habit of applying fertilizer to the surface soil; this not only easily causes the fertilizer to volatilize and be lost, but also burns the root system, and especially in hot, dry weather the volatilization is faster and the root damage more severe. Therefore, after fertilizing, an appropriate amount of soil should be covered to prevent loss of fertilizer nutrients and improve fertilizer efficiency.

The seven don'ts:

(1) Fertilizing newly planted plants. Newly planted plants have many wounds on their root systems; if stimulated from outside, the wounds do not heal easily, which causes root rot and can even lead to the death of the plant.

(2) Fertilizing sickly and weak plants. Sickly and weak plants have poor growth vigor, poor photosynthesis, slow metabolism and a low capacity to absorb fertilizer; if fertilizer is applied carelessly, it easily causes fertilizer damage instead.

(3) Fertilizing during the flowering period. Fertilizing during the flowering period promotes excessively vigorous vegetative growth of the plant, easily causing rampant growth and resulting in bud drop and flower drop.

(4) Fertilizing during the dormant period. Flowers and plants stop or slow their growth during the dormant period; if fertilizer is applied, it will break the dormancy, prompt the plant to continue growing and affect flowering the following year.

(5) Fertilizing directly under the root crown. When planting flowers, the plant's root system must not be placed directly on the base fertilizer; instead, a layer of soil should be placed on top of the fertilizer, otherwise it is not only unfavorable for the fertilizer to be fully absorbed and used, but also easily harms the root system. In addition, when top dressing, depending on the growth of the plant, it should be applied in holes at an appropriate distance from the roots to facilitate absorption by the root system.

(6) Applying raw fertilizer. Applying organic fertilizer that has not been fully decomposed to flowers and plants not only easily spreads diseases and insect pests, but the organic fertilizer also ferments and generates heat during the decomposition process, burning the plant's root system.

(7) Applying concentrated fertilizer. When fertilizing flowers and plants, the amount of fertilizer must be strictly controlled; excessively high concentration or excessive amount must be avoided, otherwise it will burn the plant's root system and in severe cases cause death. Generally, the principle of "light fertilizer applied frequently" should be followed.

The seven do's:

(1) Fertilize according to category. Foliage plants should receive more nitrogen fertilizer to keep the leaves tender, crisp and green; flowering and fruiting plants should receive more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to bring the plants into flower and fruit earlier; bulbous plants should receive more potassium fertilizer to help the bulbs plump up.

(2) Fertilize at the right time. When the leaf color of the flowers and plants turns pale and growth slows, that is the most appropriate time to fertilize. Apply different fertilizers and different amounts according to the different growth stages of the plants; for example, at the seedling stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer should be applied, using the method of light fertilizer applied frequently, to promote rapid, robust growth of the seedlings; after the plants are established, the fertilizer concentration can be raised appropriately and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer added.

(3) Combine base fertilizer with top dressing. Base fertilizer is mainly organic fertilizer, which supplies nutrients persistently and steadily and can improve soil structure and physical and chemical properties and raise soil fertility. Top dressing is mainly chemical fertilizer, which has the characteristics of containing many nutrients, acting quickly and supplying nutrients intensively, and is a necessary supplement to the base fertilizer.

(4) Apply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer evenly. For example, over-applying nitrogen fertilizer easily causes rampant growth of branches and leaves and delays or prevents flowering; over-applying phosphorus fertilizer inhibits the uptake of nitrogen and potassium, causing poor plant growth and easily leading to iron and zinc deficiency; over-applying potassium fertilizer inhibits the vegetative growth of the plant and causes magnesium deficiency.

(5) Apply foliar fertilizer as appropriate. During the vigorous growth period of the plant or when trace elements are lacking, spraying foliar fertilizer as appropriate can promptly make up for the insufficiency of nutrients absorbed by the roots of the flowers and plants. However, the concentration of foliar top dressing must be strictly controlled to avoid burning the leaves.

(6) Fertilize when the soil is moist. Fertilizing when the soil is dry easily causes the branches and leaves of the flowers and plants to lose water physiologically and wither, and in severe cases can cause the plants to die. Conversely, fertilizing on rainy days, because the soil water content is high and its ability to absorb and retain fertilizer is poor, makes it easy for the fertilizer to be washed away by rain, and it can also cause rampant growth of the branches and leaves.

(7) Cover with an appropriate amount of soil after fertilizing. Many people are in the habit of applying fertilizer to the surface soil; this not only easily causes the fertilizer to volatilize and be lost, but also burns the root system, and especially in hot, dry weather the volatilization is faster and the root damage more severe. Therefore, after fertilizing, an appropriate amount of soil should be covered to prevent loss of fertilizer nutrients and improve fertilizer efficiency.

The seven don'ts:

(1) Fertilizing newly planted plants. Newly planted plants have many wounds on their root systems; if stimulated from outside, the wounds do not heal easily, which causes root rot and can even lead to the death of the plant.

(2) Fertilizing sickly and weak plants. Sickly and weak plants have poor growth vigor, poor photosynthesis, slow metabolism and a low capacity to absorb fertilizer; if fertilizer is applied carelessly, it easily causes fertilizer damage instead.

(3) Fertilizing during the flowering period. Fertilizing during the flowering period promotes excessively vigorous vegetative growth of the plant, easily causing rampant growth and resulting in bud drop and flower drop.

(4) Fertilizing during the dormant period. Flowers and plants stop or slow their growth during the dormant period; if fertilizer is applied, it will break the dormancy, prompt the plant to continue growing and affect flowering the following year.

(5) Fertilizing directly under the root crown. When planting flowers, the plant's root system must not be placed directly on the base fertilizer; instead, a layer of soil should be placed on top of the fertilizer, otherwise it is not only unfavorable for the fertilizer to be fully absorbed and used, but also easily harms the root system. In addition, when top dressing, depending on the growth of the plant, it should be applied in holes at an appropriate distance from the roots to facilitate absorption by the root system.

(6) Applying raw fertilizer. Applying organic fertilizer that has not been fully decomposed to flowers and plants not only easily spreads diseases and insect pests, but the organic fertilizer also ferments and generates heat during the decomposition process, burning the plant's root system.

(7) Applying concentrated fertilizer. When fertilizing flowers and plants, the amount of fertilizer must be strictly controlled; excessively high concentration or excessive amount must be avoided, otherwise it will burn the plant's root system and in severe cases cause death. Generally, the principle of "light fertilizer applied frequently" should be followed.