" N - P - K " and " 21 - 7 - 7 " What Do They Mean?
All labels on all boxes and all bags of fertilizer have three main
numbers on them; such as 21-7-7. These numbers represent the percentage, by
weight, of the three main plant nutrients contained in that particular
fertilizer package. The first number is always Nitrogen (N). The second
number is always Phosphorus (P). The third number is always Potassium
(K). The bag of fertilizer may also contain other ingredients, such as
iron, sulphur, or calcium. These nutrients will also be listed on the
bag of fertilizer if the manufacturer guarantees they are in the
fertilizer mix, otherwise a fertilizer may contain some of these nutrients even
though they may not be listed on the package. For example, a 100 lb bag
of 21-7-7 would contain 21 lbs Nitrogen, 7 lbs Phosphorus, and 7lbs of
Potassium. The rest of the bag would consist of 'Filler Materials' For more information about fertilizers please download a copy of our Plant Nutrient Handout.
J&L sells many high quality brands of fertilizers, including Fertilome, Pax, Milorganite, Master Nursery, Schultz, Dr. Earth, Peter's, Miracle Gro, and our own J&L Brand.
Fertilize your lawn four times each year and you will have a great
looking lawn. Each lawn is different and requires different care. Choose
a plan to best suit your lawn's needs.
At J&L Garden Center, we have created the following program to fit most lawn's needs. If your lawn has different needs we can modify this program to meet your lawn's needs. We have a four-step fertilizer package that sells for $74.98. It includes:.
- Crabgrass control
- Weed & Feed
- 21-7-7 Lawn Food
- Fall & Winter Fertilizer.
- This fertilizer package also includes one Free Bag of either 6-10-4 Vegetable & Flower fertilizer or a bag of Natural Guard Soil Activator (Humic Acid). This fertilize package will treat an average 5,000 square foot lawn. back to top
Dr. Earth Fertilizers are excellant organic fertilizers and they
incorporate many beneficial bacteria with their fertilizers. The organic
fertilizers are derived
from fish meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal,
fish bone meal, feather meal, soft rock phosphate, kelp meal, and
potassium sulphate. With all these sources of fertilizer, the plants benefit
greatly. Traditionally, organic fertilizers have been very slow to
break down, and it took plants several weeks to start receiving any
benefits from the fertilizer. The Dr. Earth company changed this slow process
into a faster releasing fertilizer by adding beneficial bacteria to the
fertilizer. These beneficial bacteria digest the natural ingredients
and release the nutrients in a form that plants can absorb and start to
utilize within a few weeks. All of Dr. Earth fertilizers include humic
acid, seaweed extract, ecto & endo mycorrhizae, and seven strains of
soil building microbes, all of which help improve the soil conditions and
help make the plants more vigorous.
To learn more about organic fertilizers, please click on our link to Dr Earth Company or click on each of the Dr Earth Fertilizers below to read special articles about organic gardening.
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Osmocote fertilizer is the best way to fertilize all your container
plants. This fertilizer releases slowly, and lasts for an extended period of time.
Every time you water you are fertilizing your plants. Osmocote can also
be used in the garden areas, but it is a very expensive way to fertilize large areas.. back to top
Fertilome Blooming and Rooting fertilizer. This is a fertilizer you
mix with water and spray on the plants. It is similar to Miracle Gro Fertilizer. If your plants are not blooming the way you they should, or if you need an extra special display of color for
a garden party, fertilize all your plants with this fertilizer every
ten to fourteen days. You will be amazed how much different your flowers
will look in just two or three weeks. Geraniums, impatiens, roses, and
most flowering plants respond well to Fertilome Blooming and Rooting Fertilizer.
Use this fertilizer to supplement your regular fertilizer program, not
to replace it. back to top
What about Iron?
Iron is
not part of the three numbers each bag of fertilizer must
report. However, Iron is a very important element that most plants require,
and iron deserves special attention. Most inexpensive bags of fertilizers do not
contain iron. If the bag of fertilizer does contain iron, it will be
indicated in a separate area on the bag, and the amount of iron will be
listed in the ingredient section on the bag of fertilizer. Example: 21-7-7 Lawn Food plus Iron. This bag of fertilizer contains iron because it is listed on the label.
Most plants in this area do need extra iron because of the soil conditions. The pH of the
soil in this area makes any iron, already in the soil, unavailable for plants to utilize. It is a good idea to
add a little extra iron, every few years, to help keep plants green.
Most types of the iron supplements use a form of iron that is available
for plants to use when it is first applied, but it becomes
unavailable for plants to utilize after just a few months. Adding gypsum, or
sulphur, to the soil will help lower the soil pH,
thus making the iron a little
more available for plants to use.
However, in some soil conditions, you would have to add
tons of gypsum to make a difference in the soil pH. In those soil conditions it is better
to use a form of iron that stays available for plants to utilize in the
higher soil pH ranges. 'Millers Ferri Plus Iron' and 'Grow More EDDHA' are iron products that aree specially chelated for use in the alkaline soil conditions.
They remain available for plants to utilize for extended periods of
time. back to top
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