What are base fertilizer, dressing fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, and foliar fertilizer?
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What is base fertilizer? What is dressing fertilizer? What is liquid fertilizer? What is foliar fertilizer? Many flower enthusiasts are not very familiar with the terms for these types of fertilizers and even have serious misconceptions, not understanding the most basic concepts of fertilization. This article has organized this basic knowledge, which is very helpful for新手 flower enthusiasts.
Myth 1: What is base fertilizer—is it putting the fertilizer at the very bottom of the flower pot?
This is an absolutely incorrect understanding. Sometimes when talking about mixing media, for example, garden soil: peat: perlite, this does not mean layering the soil one by one but rather mixing these media in the specified ratio and then planting them in the pot. Base fertilizer refers to mixing it with the media and planting or sprinkling a layer of fertilizer at the bottom first. Why is it called base fertilizer?
This concept is actually a traditional term. After farmers harvest in the fall, they often turn the garden soil over and add decomposed or semi-decomposed organic fertilizers before covering the soil again. After a winter of natural fermentation, by the following spring, when it's time to plant, they can directly sow seeds. Therefore, it is the fertilizer at the very bottom, hence the name, which has been used to this day.
Nowadays, in order to achieve high yields, agriculture usually does not use this most primitive method of fertilization. Therefore, the more accurate concept now is "dressing fertilizer." Dressing fertilizer is the most important source of nutrients required by plants throughout the year, so the base fertilizer must be applied sufficiently for the crops to grow well. The depth of dressing fertilizer is usually in the tillage layer, and it can be applied in furrows (such as ammonia water) or mixed with the soil (such as organic fertilizers or phosphate rock powder) or applied in layers.
Myth 2: If the base fertilizer is sufficient, there is no need for top dressing for at least a year.
The concept opposite to base fertilizer is "top dressing," which is mainly used to meet the plant's high nutrient needs during a certain period or to supplement the dressing fertilizer. In agricultural production, base fertilizer, seed fertilizer, and top dressing are usually combined. The characteristic of top dressing application is flexible and should be based on the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies shown by the plant at different growth stages.
Nitrogen-potassium top dressing is the most common type of chemical fertilizer, especially for flowers like roses that produce a large number of blooms. Top dressing is essential. Only with sufficient fertilizer can the plant avoid diseases and bloom more beautifully and frequently. Roses are famous for being "fertilizer bins and medicine jars."
What is liquid fertilizer?
Liquid fertilizer is a type of liquid nutrient that can be diluted with water and used to water flowers or applied directly through spray irrigation to achieve the purpose of fertilization. However, flower enthusiasts should note that while liquid fertilizer can include foliar fertilizer, not all liquid fertilizers are foliar fertilizers. Be sure to read the instructions.
The above information on base fertilizer, dressing fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, and foliar fertilizer (knowledge popularization) in green plants and flower cultivation is hoped to bring you help in your daily life!