Most amateur gardeners have a pretty good grip on the basics. You buy seeds and follow the instructions on the packet, or plant seedlings from your friendly grower. You get rid of the weeds that would choke your garden, and if it hasn't rained lately, you'd better give it some water. But what kind of fertilizer should you use? How much, and how often? And what do those numbers on the front mean? Let's start with those mysterious numbers. Most fertilizers list three numbers, which represent the three basic ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The numbers refer to the percentage by weight of that particular ingredient. A 5-10-5 fertilizer, for instance, would contain five percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorous and five percent potassium. (The other 80 percent is mostly filler.) Each element serves a specific purpose. Nitrogen promotes the growth of foliage. Phosphorous helps the plant with rooting and setting flower buds, while potassium contributes to the overall vigor of the plant. The 5-10-5 ratio is commonly used for vegetable and flower gardens where the fruit or flower buds are more important than the foliage. The easiest types of fertilizers to apply for the whole garden are encapsulated time-release types, which need be applied only once, though they are more expensive than the ones you must reapply at intervals. You might want to use a specific fertilizer designed for particular types of plants, such as tomatoes or roses. For all fertilizers, follow instructions carefully. The proper amount is good, but too little won't help and too much could be fatal to your tender plants.
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