Plant Fertilizing- Biological Interactions

Plant Fertilizing

Biological Interactions

            Using fertilizer is an important element in gardening. Fertilizers help with biological interactions by helping plant growth within the soil. When you garden, you need nitrogen in the soil; which helps control the nutrients, and makes the plant grow. Also you need phosphorus, which prevents disease, and aids the roots spread in the soil. Lastly, you need potassium in your soil; which also helps prevent disease and aids the roots like phosphorus.

             Compost is the preferable way of fertilizing your plants. Manure is the best type of compost; it has all the organic materials necessary. Now there is such a thing as green manure. With this manure, nitrogen is broken down, and nutrients become readily accessible to the plant. Green manure could help prevent soil erosion. You can make your own compost, and it is easy to do. In your compost, you could use vegetable scraps, newspapers, tree leaves, and other material. If you do not want to use compost on your soil you can use commercial fertilizer. You just need to read the package of fertilizer correctly, or you could damage or kill the plant.

            Fertilizers help plants with biological interactions. Without these fertilizers, plants could not grow well. We need fertilizers to help us grow the food we need.  

Gehring, A. R. (Ed.). (2009). Homesteading. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing.