Lisa Detanna's profile

Finding the Right Fertilizer for Your Soil

A Wealth Management Specialist and Accredited Investment Fiduciary, Lisa Detanna assists families and individuals with wealth management as senior vice president and managing director at Raymond James. Outside of work, Lisa Detanna enjoys a variety of hobbies, including gardening.

With the quantity of fertilizers available, it can be difficult to determine the right one for your needs. Generally, fertilizers consist of potassium (K), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). These three macronutrients are the primary nutrients needed for plant success.

Nitrogen is responsible for aiding with photosynthesis, while potassium fights disease, and phosphorus promotes the storage of energy. Unfortunately, these nutrients are lost in soil due to such things as erosion, or they are only found in small quantities.

Determining the level of nutrients in your soil helps you find the right fertilizer for your garden. A soil test determines which nutrients are lacking, along with giving you the pH of your soil. According to the results of this test, choose a fertilizer that provides the necessary nutrients.

You can determine the amount of nutrients in a bag of fertilizer by the series of three numbers on it. In a 50-pound bag labeled 10-6-8 NPK, the mix contains 10 percent nitrogen, 6 percent phosphorus, and 8 percent potassium.
Finding the Right Fertilizer for Your Soil
Published:

Finding the Right Fertilizer for Your Soil

Published:

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