The Best Bloom Fertilizers

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     A garden full of blooming flowers is every gardener's delight. The variations in size, color and structure make it an interesting hobby and a pleasure to share with others. Getting your plants to bloom at their best is sometimes confusing, however. Too much nitrogen encourages leaf growth but not flower blooming. The right fertilizer can make a big difference in how well your flowers bloom.

   Phosphorus

   • In the N-P-K formula on bags of chemical fertilizer, N is nitrogen, P is phosphorus and K is potassium. Each of these ingredients has a particular job to perform for plant health. Nitrogen aids in leaf production and makes thick top growth. Potassium helps with root formation and the uptake of nutrients throughout the plant structures; it helps the most in flower blooming, so, when choosing a chemical fertilizer, ensure the phosphorus, or P-portion, is the highest number.

   Compost

   • Compost is organic matter whose decomposition is accelerated by heat and moisture. It is a brown, crumbly material that looks like soil. Compost is rich in nutrients for plants and works as a soil conditioner, providing microbes to enrich the soil and nutrients that feed your plants. According to Recycleworks.org, compost provides a balanced, slow-release source of nutrients that holds the compounds longer so the plants can use them. It also helps to retain moisture in the soil and is nontoxic to aquatic life if it runs off into nearby lakes and streams. You can make your own compost in a compost pile in your backyard or buy bagged compost at your local garden center or home improvement center.

   Manure

   • Using manure as fertilizer to increase blooms on flowering plants may seem like an old-fashioned way to do the job, but it is still one of the best natural fertilizers you can use. It does not contaminate the environment with chemicals, and it is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous to make plants grow. Poultry manure is high in potassium also. Do not use raw manure because of the danger of pathogens in the material. Compost manure in a pile with leaves, straw and other types of lawn waste. Water and air are added to encourage microbial growth and to keep the temperature high. It takes 6 to 9 months to compost manure, according to FineGardening.com.

   Bone Meal

   • Bone meal is another natural fertilizer used to increase blooming in flowering plants. Bone meal is made from the bones of fish and animals and is high in calcium and phosphorous to help plants bloom. It is mixed into the soil of flowers bulbs, rose bushes and other flowering plants, according to Hewitt's.com. Bone meal is an organic material that does not harm the environment.

Posted in: Flower Basics