Complete Fertilizer

Fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are considered complete because they provide the three minerals absolutely necessary for plant growth.

10-10-10 Fertilizer - By the Numbers

This is usually represented on the front of the fertilizer container with three numbers separated by hyphens. Like: 12-10-5. The first number is the nitrogen content, then phosphorous and then potassium. You would typically use different mineral recipes for different applications. The 12-10-5 above is often used in fertilizers for tomatoes and other vegetables. Your lawn, say, would need a different fertilizer/mineral mixture from your perennial beds. For example, lawn fertilizers may contain no phosphorous, so the middle number would be 0.

Most detailed planting instructions offer suggestions as to which mixture will likely work best for your application. A standard, all purpose fertilize has equal pasts of all three minerals, listed as:  10-10-10.

The right fertilizer helps plants grow and stay healthy.

This is a glossary entry that will help you understand some of my blogs better. Plants have a vocabulary; most specialized areas of learning do. Pick up one new term a day, and in no time you'll be a pro.