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Fertilizers basically aid in the growth of most of the plants, provided that it is used at a moderate level: too much may ‘burn’ the plant, while adding too little an amount will be less, if not totally, inefficient. Therefore, thorough care should be taken when fertilizing a plant. The use of fertilizer depends on the type of plant or crop that is aimed for

Fruiting plants or crops

Fruiting plants may face the problem of bearing fruits that are too small. Some examples of these types of plants include apples, oranges and oil palm. In counter to this problem, the suitable type of fertilizer with the suitable needed nutrients should be choosen.

Nitrogen

One of the crucial nutrient for fruiting plants, nitrogen, if absorbed too much by the plant will cause more branches to grow, thus lowering the number of fruits. Therefore, soil examination is necessary in order to avoid the problem and increase yield.

Phosphate

Proper amounts of phosphate in the plants helps to acquire and store energy. However, phosphate does not get absorbed if placed too far from the plant bark, therefore it should be placed near the bottom part of the plants.

Phosphate run away to neighbouring ponds and rivers also causes excessive growth of algae and aquatic weeds, distrupting the aquatic ecosystem. It is more advisible to feed the plant with phosphate tea rather then solid phosphate, in order to increase absorbency.

Potassium

Potassium helps in providing larger and more flavorful fruits. In plants such as oil palm, phosphate helps the tree in developing larger and lushtier branches with more big fruits on them. An inadequacy in potassium causes the leaves to curl up, and thus the deficiency can be observed from the condition of the leaves.

Non fruiting plants

For non fruiting plants, such as giant redwood and kauris, it is required that the soil is acidic and fertilized with a well balanced mixture of nutrients. With this, the plant will be able to grow healthily.