Plants need nutrients to grow, just like watering. They also need fertilizer to replenish their nutrients and thrive. So what kind of fertilizer can help plants grow quickly? Let's find out below.
What fertilizers can make plants grow quickly?
Fertilizers that can promote rapid plant growth are nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizer promotes the growth of branches and leaves and improves the plant's absorption of nutrients, while phosphorus fertilizer promotes flowering and fruiting.
What are the differences between nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer?
1. Different nutrients
Nitrogen fertilizer refers to a single-component fertilizer that uses nitrogen as its main nutrient, has a specified nitrogen content, and provides nitrogen nutrition to plants when applied to the soil; phosphorus fertilizer refers to a single-component fertilizer that uses phosphorus as its main nutrient, and provides nitrogen nutrition to plants when applied to the soil.
2. Product Appearance
Nitrogen fertilizers are generally white crystalline ( calcium cyanamide is black) and are relatively water-soluble. Phosphate fertilizers are generally gray and are insoluble or partially soluble in water. Phosphate fertilizers whose main component is monocalcium phosphate are relatively soluble in water, while those whose main components are dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate are slightly soluble in water.
3. Different functions
Nitrogen fertilizer primarily promotes robust growth of plant branches, stalks, and stems, increases leaf area, and enhances chlorophyll content in leaves. Phosphorus fertilizer, on the other hand, primarily promotes flower bud formation and differentiation, pollen development, and pollen tube elongation, thereby increasing the flowering and fruiting rate of crops.
4. How to use
Nitrogen fertilizer can be used as base fertilizer, top dressing, and seed fertilizer. Generally, base fertilizer accounts for 30-60%, and top dressing accounts for 40-70%. Phosphorus fertilizer is generally applied as base fertilizer. If phosphorus deficiency symptoms are found in crops later, an appropriate amount of phosphorus fertilizer can be applied as foliar fertilizer.
