Are you confused about what the numbers on your fertilizer bag mean? The following information is a quick guide to understanding.

How to Read the Numbers on Your Fertilizer Bag: 

The numbers on your fertilizer bag are called “NPK”, which stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, and they indicate the ratio of each nutrient in each bag. These are important indicators, as all plants need an ideal amount of each nutrient. Vegetables, fruit trees, flowers and shrubs all have different requirements dependent on the season and stage of growth. 

What does each Nutrient do?

Nitrogen - Essential for leaf and stem growth, it is the backbone of the plant. Nitrogen helps with photosynthesis and is necessary for green, leafy growth, especially for plants with lots of leaves, and vegetables like lettuce and cabbage. Some signs that the plant might have a nitrogen deficiency are leaves yellowing or turning pale green. Plants can also become spindly and stunted. 

Phosphorus - Stimulates healthy root growth and helps fruit and flower development. It builds healthy cell walls and stores energy. Deficiency signs could be foliage turning bronze, purple or reddish colours or leaves developing brown spots. 

Potassium - Helps with water movement in the plant, provides plants with strength and helps in the plants  resistance to pests and diseases. Signs in deficiency might be wilting leaves.

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