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High Phosphorus Fertilizer
High phosphorus fertilizer
High phosphorus fertilizer is a fertiliser which is high in phosphorus. Just like other macro-and micronutrients, phosphorus is incredibly important to keep your crops healthy and thriving. If you notice your plants are lacking nutrients and they are not able to take in enough phosphorus this can cause problems and you might want to use a high phosphorus fertilizer. This article will discuss the following topics:
- High phosphorus fertilizer: recognizing and treating phosphorus deficiency
- High phosphorus fertilizer: treatment
- High phosphorus fertilizer: mineral vs organic
High phosphorus fertilizer: recognizing phosphorus deficiency
Using a high phosphorus fertilizer is a great way to compensate and overcome a phosphorus deficiency in your crops. Most fertilizers contain phosphorus, the amount will be indicated by the NPK ratio (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium ratio). The higher the middle number the more Phosphorus the fertilizer will contain. There are several reasons why your crops might be suffering from a phosphorus deficiency. When the weather is cold or when there is heavy rainfall this can lead to phosphorus leaching out of the ground, causing temporary shortages. When your soil’s pH is too low (too acidic) this can also lead to phosphorus deficiency, as it can negatively impact nutrient availability. Other causes can be the overuse of herbicides causing damage or poor soil quality and structure. If you suspect a phosphorus deficiency we recommend you do a soil test first, before attempting to add phosphorus to the soil as overfeeding can cause problems and lead to damage. You can also recognise a phosphorus deficiency by looking out for these symptoms:
- Browning/greying of the leaves
- Limited to no growth and lack of flowers/fruits
- Stems might turn red
- leaves might contain yellow patches
- Likely to also lead to calcium deficiency
Read more about phosphorus deficiency here
High phosphorus fertilizer: treatment
Once you are sure your plants are lacking phosphorus because you have performed a soil test, you will have to treat the deficiency. There are several ways that you can go about this and the treatment will depend on the cause of the phosphorus deficiency. For example when your soil pH is too low adding more phosphorus might not help you, as it is the soil’s pH level that makes the phosphorus unavailable to crops. In this case, you want to make sure your soil is at the right pH level first. If you have any questions or are in need of personalised advice you can always reach out to our knowledge centre. If your soil’s pH is normal, you can use high phosphorus fertilizer to treat the deficiency.
High phosphorus fertilizer: mineral vs organic
Whether you choose a mineral or an organic fertilizer always make sure you read the label and use the product as intended as overfeeding can lead to problems such as burns, leaching and soil degradation. Organic fertilizers that are high in phosphorus such as hair, bone meal or enriched rock phosphate make for a great choice. If you are looking to correct your deficiency more quickly you can always decide to go for mineral fertilizer. Organic fertilizers are gentler on the soil but are more slow-release than mineral fertilizers, and it might take a little longer before you will notice a difference. Here is a great option of a high phosphorus fertilizer from Bac Online that we recommend.
