Fertilizer facts for kids

A large, modern fertilizer spreader

Compost bin for small-scale production of organic fertilizer

A fertilizer is a chemical that helps plants to grow. It is used to replace the mineral salts taken by plants or removed by rain.

Common fertilizers:

• Ammonia
• Manure (Animal waste) which was the first fertilizer.
• Compost
• Urea

The important things in fertilizer are:

• Nitrogen (N)
• Phosphorus (P)
• Potash (K)

When fertilizers are offered for sale, the percentage of N, P, and K must be written on the bags or boxes, but for historcal reasons, P is shown as %P2O5 and K is shown as %K2O.

E.g.:9-23-30 which means: 9% N, 23%P2O5 and 30%K2O.

In Australia the pecent of elemental sulfur must also be shown. In the UK, the elemental composition (in percentages) may also be shown alongside the mandatory traditional system, provided the numbers are put inside square brackets.

Leafy plants need lots of N. Flowering plants need lots of P and K.

A soil test can tell how much N, P, and K is needed.

Images for kids

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  A farmer spreading manure to improve soil fertility

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  Founded in 1812, Mirat, producer of manures and fertilizers, is claimed to be the oldest industrial business in Salamanca (Spain).

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  An apatite mine in Siilinjärvi, Finland.

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  A large commercial compost operation

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  Applying superphosphate fertilizer by hand, New Zealand, 1938

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  Fertilizer burn

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  The diagram displays the statistics of fertilizer consumption in western and central European counties from data published by The World Bank for 2012.

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  Large pile of phosphogypsum waste near Fort Meade, Florida.

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  Red circles show the location and size of many dead zones.

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  Global methane concentrations (surface and atmospheric) for 2005; note distinct plumes

See also

In Spanish: Fertilizante para niños