Is the garden-enthusiast in you excited about spring?! Lighten up the landscaping of your Prescott, AZ home with a delightful spring garden. Gardening is a task that requires thorough attention to detail, especially when it comes to working with fertilizers. We are here to educate you on the proper use of fertilizers to wake up your gardens and get a perfect spring blossom!

Why do the proportions of fertilizers matter?

Fertilizers are useful for your plants only if used in the right quantity. If used in excess, these fertilizers may cause environmental damage! This is where it becomes highly important to know about the fertilizers you are using, and the right way to use them.

The numbers and letters mentioned on the fertilizers may seem foreign, but they are important when it comes to understanding and making choices on how to fertilize your spring garden. This may seem complicated, but don’t worry! It is not rocket science, and we will be explaining it in a way that everyone can understand and benefit from. You would need to know about the following things before you can choose the right fertilizer. So, let’s dive in!

1. What Does the NPK Mean in The Fertilizer Context

While many of us have learned about soil structure in science class, it can be easy to forget the complexities when it is not something we are consistently practicing. We can help you brush up on this knowledge and better understand how to care for your plants this season, and in seasons to come.

First we will cover NPK. NPK is an acronym that stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium, all of which are vital nutrients for plant growth. This is the most common combination of ingredients in most fertilizers, with varying ratios of each. Let’s break it down:

• Nitrogen – Plays a major role in protein supply and imparts the green color to the plants.
• Phosphorous – Important for plant and root growth.
• Potassium – Helps with food manufacturing and water transport.

Keeping in mind the hot and dry conditions of Prescott, AZ it becomes highly important to make a good selection of fertilizers which have NPK in the correct ratio.

2. What do the 3-Number Ratios Tell Us?

Fertilizer companies denote the NPK elements in the 3-Number Ratio form. This set of numbers tells us the percentages of NPK. For instance; a 10-20-10 ratio means that a 100-pound bag of fertilizer contains 10 pounds of Nitrogen, 20 pounds of phosphorus, and 10 pounds of potassium; which gives us up to 40 pounds of nutrients.

The Right Combination of Fertilizer Numbers for Spring

Fertilizing your garden is the best way to wake it up from its dormant state after a long winter. Proper fertilizing prepares your garden for the growth season. We are broadly classifying these gardens in three categories so that we can provide the best insights for you:

1. New Gardens- These generally require more care. Don’t ruin them with over-fertilization, but instead take a gentler approach.  As they have probably stood for a long time without any major vegetation, they are already rich in nitrogen. When determining what fertilizer to use for new gardens, look for something with an NPK ratio like, low-high-high.

2. Established Gardens- As these gardens have stood the test of time, they may require more nitrogen in order to maintain their lush, green look. We recommend going for a fertilizer option with an NPK ratio of high-low-low to offer the maximum amount of benefit.

3. Damaged Gardens- If your garden has faced a long span of dry/cold winter conditions,  then you can replenish it with an NPK ratio of high-low-high.

Final Note of Advice for Getting the Best Out of Your Garden for Spring

A beautiful garden is usually well-managed and planned. You can get the best out of your Prescott garden this spring by availing highly efficient and cost-effective landscaping services provided by Vicente Landscaping services; who have proved their legacy in landscaping over the 25 years of their golden service!

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