Chemical Fertilizers Key Terms

How to grow a basic understanding of chemical fertilizers vocabulary
By Lisa Maloney While chemical fertilizers contain the nutrients needed to help grow plants, they do have some downsides that may cause problems if they are used incorrectly. One of the best ways to make sure you understand what you're getting and how to use it is having an understanding of essential vocabulary terms.

Before you lay in a stock of chemical fertilizers--whether for resale or your own use--read through the following key terms and links for a crash course in fertilizer lingo.

Chemical fertilizers

Chemical fertilizers are synthetically manufactured substances that mimic the natural nutrients found in nature and contribute to plant growth.
Try:  Lawncare.net defines chemical fertilizers and gives information about both their positive and negative aspects.

Organic fertilizer

Organic fertilizers contain many of the same chemicals that chemical or inorganic fertilizers do. The key difference is that everything included in an organic fertilizer was once part of a plant, animal or both.
Try:  Malcolm Beck's Garden defines what organic fertilizer is, then gives an in-depth comparison of how chemical and organic fertilizers work and what their far-reaching effects may be.

NPK

NPK refers to Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (K), the three nutrients most critical for plant growth. Most chemical fertilizers are labeled with three numbers, such as 20-10-20, which represent the percentage of NPK components in that fertilizer.
Try:  The University of Illinois Extension explains the NPK labeling practice and which fertilizer ratios are appropriate in what situation.

Controlled release

Controlled release or slow release fertilizers are formulated so that chemicals are released into the soil slowly over time, which reduces the chance of damaging plants due to oversaturation with chemicals.
Try:  The Virginia Cooperative Extension explains the advantages of controlled release fertilizers and the forms in which they are typically available.

Solubility

Solubility refers to the fertilizer's ability to dissolve in water. Various fertilizer compounds will dissolve in water, and thus be either carried to the plant by said water or sometimes washed away, in the case of rain.
Try:  The New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, details the different degrees of solubility of many chemical fertilizer compounds and what this means.

Fluid vs. granular

Chemical fertilizers come in two main formulations: Fluid or granular. Fluid fertilizers are literally just that, packaged as fluids for quick application and absorption. Granular fertilizers are solid particles that may vary in size, and may or may not offer quick or controlled release of chemicals into the soil.
Try:  Grounds Maintenance details the characteristics of fluid and granular fertilizers, along with their advantages and disadvantages.