Planting Tips

Chapter 8 What types of fertilizers are needed for potted flowers

Potted flowers are limited by specific environmental conditions. When the potted soil cannot maintain the normal growth of flowers, the leaves will turn yellow, the branches will be thin and weak, and the flowers will be sparse and the fruits will be small, which will reduce the ornamental value, so frequent fertilization is required.

However, before fertilization, the type of fertilizer and the method of fertilization should be determined according to the flower variety, habit, purpose of fertilization, and missing elements.Commonly used fertilizers for potted flowers are divided into two categories: organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers.

(1) Organic fertilizers are made from rotting and fermenting animal and plant residues.Organic fertilizer is also called complete fertilizer. It not only contains three important elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that are required for flower growth and development, but also contains other macroelements, trace elements and growth stimulating substances. A large amount of organic matter is decomposed to produce organic fertilizers. Acid, which can dissolve insoluble fertilizers such as calcium phosphate.The humus in the organic matter can improve the soil structure, increase the soil's fertilizer retention, water retention and permeability, and has the advantages of long-lasting and soft fertilizer effect.

However, the fertilizer effect of organic fertilizer is slow, the source is more difficult, and the processing is more troublesome.Organic fertilizers are usually divided into animal organic fertilizers and plant organic fertilizers. ① Animal organic fertilizers, such as human waste, poultry and livestock manure, feathers, hoof horns, bone meal, fish eggs and other domestic waste. ② Plant-based organic fertilizers, such as bean cake and other cake fertilizers, sesame paste residue, leaf weeds, green manure, Chinese herbal medicine residue, etc.For the above two types of organic fertilizers, the content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in animal fertilizers is usually higher than that of plant fertilizers, and the fertilizer effect is longer; plant fertilizers are soft in nature.Their common feature is that regardless of any time and any application method, they must be fully fermented and decomposed before application until there is no foul smell.Otherwise, not only will it fail to fertilize, but it will also "burn the roots" and affect the normal growth of flowers.

(2) Inorganic fertilizers mainly refer to commercial chemical fertilizers, such as urea, ammonium sulfate, superphosphate, etc.Plant ash is a kind of natural inorganic fertilizer.Inorganic fertilizers have the characteristics of pure fertilizer, fast fertilizer effect, not lasting, and easy to run off. It is easy to cause short-term leggy growth of potted flowers, and the dosage is difficult to control. If the concentration is not used properly in potted flowers, the plants will often die.The types of inorganic fertilizers are as follows: Nitrogen fertilizers: urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, etc.Phosphate fertilizer: calcium superphosphate, phosphate rock powder, etc.Potassium fertilizer: potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, etc.Potassium dihydrogen phosphate is a high-efficiency phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.

In the process of fertilizing flowers, organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers have their own advantages and disadvantages. They should be used in conjunction with each other and alternately.The key to applying chemical fertilizers to potted plants is that the soil must be rich in organic matter to moderate the violence of chemical fertilizers.At the same time, it is necessary to strictly control the fertilizer and dosage according to the fertilizer-loving habits of different flowers and different cultivation stages.There are also compound fertilizers, which are granular fertilizers made by mixing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and certain trace elements in a certain proportion, as well as flake and stick fertilizers prepared in various places in recent years. When using them, you must first understand the ingredients and functions of fertilizers to avoid Improper use can cause flower death.

(End of this chapter)