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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend July 13, 2006 Don't forget fertilizers; your plants need them Subhead When things are growing vigorously and looking good, you might not give much thought to fertilizers. But once that pretty petunia looks a little peaked, or your champion tomato plant begins looking like a loser, out come the cans and containers and mixing bottles. Plants need a variety of nutrients to support photosynthesis and cell growth. They need varying amounts of nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sulfur — known as the macronutrients. And they need smaller though crucial amounts of trace elements: iron, zinc, molybdenum, manganese, boron, copper, cobalt and chlorine — the micronutrients. Just to complicate things further, the uptake of those nutrients is affected by soil pH. Soil that's too alkaline or too acidic creates chemical reactions that make nutrients unavailable to be taken up by the plants. In general, nutrients are utilized best and most plants achieve maximum growth when the soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. Exceptions do occur, such as rhododendrons, azaleas and blueberries, for instance, which require acid soil with a lower pH. For a quicker pick-me-up for plants that are struggling, spray fertilizer in a liquid form onto the leaves. Foliar feeding supplies a faster fix than fertilizing the roots and waiting for the nutrients to be taken up. Apply foliar feeds when the sun is low. Advertisement The labels on fertilizer packages tell you what nutrients you're getting. The series of numbers — 5-1-1 or 13-13-13, for instance — are standardized. The first number indicates percentage of nitrogen, the second is phosphorus and the third indicates potassium. Other nutrients, if present, are listed following the main three. Plan to add nitrogen regularly. It leaches easily and quickly from the soil and has to be replaced annually, even if only once at the beginning of the growing season. For some plants it's required several times throughout the summer, although too much nitrogen can create overly succulent leaves that are aphid magnets. Signs of nitrogen deficiency include reduced growth, yellowing of leaves and excessively heightened red and purple colors. Symptoms appear first on older growth. Too much nitrogen results in dark green growth, spindly plants and few fruits. Inadequate phosphorus causes retarded growth, browning or purpling of foliage, thin stems and loss of lower leaves. Excessive amounts inhibit the uptake of nitrogen and some of the micronutrients. A potassium shortage causes diminished growth, brown leaf edges, dead spots in the leaf and a tendency to wilt easily. An overabundance causes a nitrogen deficiency. Trace elements are not included in most general purpose fertilizers, but garden centers sell special formulas of micronutrients that can be applied periodically. Organic fertilizers tend to have more trace elements than synthetic chemical fertilizers. Did you notice that deficiencies of major nutrients can cause look-alike symptoms? A lack of certain trace elements can sometimes mimic a low nutrient; and to confuse things even more, various plant diseases also exhibit similar characteristics. Therein lies the rub: you can't always tell what's needed just by looking. Rather than dumping on the fertilizers indiscriminately, which can "burn" some plants, gardeners have to be good detectives. Get all the clues you can. Test your soil and invest in some good gardening books that will help you learn your plants' specific needs so you can make good fertilizer decisions. The most successful gardens get the right nutrient at the right time. Sams Valley gardener Joyce Schillen is author of "The Growing Season," a book on organic gardening. Her e-mail address is [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s Advertisement