I'm mixing a slow-release 3-4-4 fertilizer into garden soil that has an NPK rating of .5-.5-.5. Since the soil says it feeds for 3 months, I'm a bit confused about how the final nutrient ratio will look. If I add the fertilizer, will the NPK values change to 3.5-4.5-4.5? I'm concerned about over-fertilizing and potentially burning my plants. Any advice?
1 Answer
It doesn't quite work that way! The numbers you see represent the percentage of each nutrient in the soil. So, your soil has 0.5% nitrogen, while your slow-release fertilizer has 3.5% nitrogen. When you mix them, the nitrogen level will rise, but not dramatically since you're only adding a small amount of fertilizer compared to the total weight of your soil. Too much nitrogen can harm your plants, so it’s good to be cautious!
Got it, that clears up a lot! If a plant thrives with a 3-4-4 ratio, how much of that fertilizer should I add to the .5-.5-.5 soil to avoid burning the plants but still get that balance?