1. Obj
List the different types of fertilizers & the advantages & disadvantages of each.

2. Types of fertilizers: Complete or Incomplete
Complete – has all 3 primary nutrients (N, P, K)
Ex ,
Incomplete – is missing one or more of the primary nutrients
Ex ,

3. Organic or Inorganic
Organic – comes from plant or animal matter & contains carbon. Ex. Urea, sludge, animal tankage.
Advantages: includes slow release of nutrients; not easily leached from soil & add organic components to growing media
Disadvantages: hard to get, expensive, not sterile, low nutrient content

4. Inorganic – comes from sources other than animals or plants (chemical products)
Advantages – able to make the desired ratio of nutrients, lower cost, easy to get
Disadvantages – no organic material & possible chemical build up in growing media

5. Soluble or Insoluble
Soluble – dissolve in water & are applied as a liquid solution
Fertigation is fertilizing through irrigation water (advantage).
Insoluble – includes granular & slow release applied to the growing media.

6. Granular – relatively inexpensive & easy to find
Granular – relatively inexpensive & easy to find. Slow release – more expensive than granular because it is coated. -gives a more uniform release of nutrients over time period.

7. Fertilizer analysis – expresses the percent (%) by weight of N, P, K
Ex (10% N, 15% P, & 20% K)
Ratio – a comparison Ex is the ratio for fertilizer
What’s the ratio for fertilizer?
3:1:2