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Fertilizers in their simplest sense add to the existing nutrients level of the soil. It is just a supplement and therefore you must ensure that the quantity supplemented or added is just sufficient else the extra addition would cause severe damage to the plant-roots. Anything supplemented extra will also reach to the ground stream and will ultimately create water pollution.

Quantity and best timing for fertilizer supplementation are two most important factors that determine the overall growth of your garden. Some plants need more fertilizers and some require very little amount. Leafy plants would certainly require more nitrogen intake compared to the root plants. For instance, “Corn” is a typical crop that may require nitrogen supplements every four weeks or so.

We can easily carve out a “thumb -rule” for fertilizer supplementation based upon the requirements of nutrients. This thumb rule may be defined as -”Nitrogen is for leafy top growth; Phosphorus is for root and fruit production; and Potassium is for cold hardiness, disease resistance, and general durability“.

Rate of growth of the plant and general character of the plant is largely dependent on optimum use of the nutrients. In this perspective nitrogen is the most critical nutrient. If you are growing tomatoes and potatoes and you have supplemented excess nitrogen during the summers then you are less likely to have fruits as the plants may be all vine. There would be excess veining and poor tube formation. And if you have applied slow releasing fertilizers or heavy manures then the plant will yield very late as it will only produce healthy leaf or vine growth. Therefore you must understand that the optimum quantity is really critical and you need to be extra careful while fertilizing your garden.

Nitrogen as a general rule remains effective only up to four weeks after its application. Once this periods is over you should know that it’s time now for another round of supplementation. The effect of nitrogen starts diminishing after the four week’s time.

At this point it is pertinent to mention that planting similar nature plants and crops in one season will always be better as far as the fertilizer application is concerned. Such plants would require similar fertilizers and supplementation in proper quantity and at right time becomes more convenient this way. You should also plant such crops close to each other as this will help you ensure the proper rate of application of fertilizer.