These three fertilizers are known as the "champions among fertilizers".
The importance of fertilizers in vegetable cultivation is self-evident. For crops to flower and bear fruit, they rely entirely on fertilizers. However, when it comes to specific fertilization, we always need to consider which crops are sensitive to what and what they prefer, and the nutrients required at different stages also vary. This is very troublesome and often leads to confusion.
Farmyard Composting
Farmyard composting is the process of combining organic materials such as kitchen waste, rotten vegetable leaves, straw, grass ash, and leaves, and allowing them to naturally decompose over a period of time to form fertilizer. The method of obtaining it is quite simple. If you have a yard in the countryside, you can simply dig a pit in the corner to pile them up; those who grow vegetables on balconies in cities can also use sealed containers to make a small composting bin.
The greatest advantage of homemade compost is that it is rich in nutrients and can enhance the soil's ability to retain water and nutrients. What's more crucial is that its fertilizer effect lasts for a long time, lasting for two or three months or even longer. Unlike chemical fertilizers, which disappear suddenly after a burst of application, leaving the crops starving. Therefore, homemade compost is also the dream fertilizer for all farmers.
It usually includes vegetarian fertilizer and meat fertilizer. I suggest that we use the vegetarian fertilizer in daily life because it's convenient and doesn't need to be made smelly. The meat fertilizer, on the other hand, comes into contact with various animal feces.
2. General Triple Nitrogen Fertilizer
General triple-nutrient compound fertilizer is a type of fertilizer made by combining nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a specific ratio. Common ratios include 15-15-15, 16-16-16, and 20-20-20. Essentially, this fertilizer is a substitute for homemade compost. If it's impossible to obtain high-quality homemade compost, then one can resort to using general triple-nutrient compound fertilizer as a secondary option.
The versatility of triple-nutrient compound fertilizers is also quite strong. Let me put it this way: all plants must have the three essential nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. And the universal triple-nutrient compound fertilizer only contains these three nutrients, which is equivalent to a super tonic pill that can provide everything. Whether you are growing tomatoes, peppers, cabbages, or fruit trees and flowers, as long as you use the universal triple-nutrient fertilizer, you will basically not make any mistakes.
Although it lacks organic matter and cannot improve the soil quality, it has the advantages of quick effect, precise dosage and simple operation. It is especially suitable for beginners or those who have limited time and energy and do not want to engage in complex management.
When purchasing, remember to choose the universal type instead of the specialized type. Specialized types such as "tomato-specific" or "fruit tree-specific" may sound very professional, but in fact, most of them are just marketing gimmicks. The ingredients are not much different, but the price is twice as high.
3. Urea
Urea is a super nitrogen fertilizer with a nitrogen content of up to 46%. It is currently the fertilizer with the highest nitrogen content on the market. Compared to the former two, it is more specialized, specifically supplementing nitrogen. However, almost all crops use urea. Because there is no other option, when you apply fertilizer, using urea will result in a growth rate that is truly astonishing, so astonishing that it leaves you speechless. The leaves grow larger day by day, the vines shoot up rapidly, and new buds keep emerging without stopping. This feeling, once experienced, will make you unable to resist using it again. Who would refuse to have plants that keep growing indefinitely?
Moreover, if done properly, it can complement homemade compost and will not cause the problem of soil compaction. As long as you use compost as the base fertilizer and urea for top dressing, the soil will not deteriorate. There are more application methods as well, such as foliar fertilization, top dressing, hole application, and trench application. Additionally, urea has another advantage: it is cheap. It costs only a few yuan per kilogram, but its effect is comparable to that of a dozen yuan worth of compound foliar fertilizer.
