How To Read Fertilizer Labels And NPK Ratios

In today's video, we learn how to read fertilizer labels and understand what the NPK ratio is and how it applies to fertilizing plants in your garden. Do you struggle understanding fertilizer numbers? After watching, you'll have fertilizers explained in easy to understand terms.
On every fertilizer label, there is a fertilizer ratio of the three primary macronutrients every plant needs, called the NPK Ratio. In addition to the NPK fertilizer information, each bag of garden fertilizer lists secondary macronutrients and trace micronutrients. This video breaks it down so you'll understand what these numbers mean and how different plant varieties require different types of fertilizers.
If you have questions about how to read fertilizer label nutrients, want to know about the things I grow in my garden, are looking for more gardening tips and tricks and "garden hacks" like this, have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share some DIY and "how to" garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please ask in the Comments below!
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String Trellis Tomato Support Clips amzn.to/3wiBjlB
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©2 Minute Garden Tips
#fertilizer #fertilizers #gardening #organicgardening #gardentips

[@davidcamiolo330]

I had been using high-nitrogen fertilizers for the past 20 years on my tomatoes. All I got for fruit were pink ping pong balls. This year I used the right fertilizer based on this video's advise. I'm being bombarded with ripe, big, sweet, tasty tomatoes. Every time I go outside the plant throws tomatoes at me like I'm a bad comedian on stage. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again.

[@RovingPunster]

Thanks, this was helpful. Is there any sort of guide, or lookup table, that lists the approximate NPK ratios recommended for different types of plants/crops ?

[@fagan4119]

Exactly what I needed. Thank you!

[@toddjones3046]

New to the channel and really digging it!! Concise and informative. Any suggestions on fig plants in Louisiana? Very hot, humid and clay soggy soil!! Cheers Todd

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

Thank you! Any fig tree will do well where you live, but every fruit will struggle due to the rain. The best choices for rain tolerance is Celeste and the LSU varieties, since they were bred for your climate. Smith will do ok for something more interesting, but rain still dilutes the flavor. Anything Mt. Aetna/Chicago Hardy like Marseilles Black VS and Sao Miguel Roxo resist rain well, too. Unfortunately, none of the premium figs do well in our summers. Probably the closest rain resistant “premium” fig I’ve found to resist splitting is Col de Dame Blanc, but it is still no Celeste. If you have clay soil, you should plant your fig on a compost mound. Figs need good drainage. And the higher the mound, the better.

[@toddjones3046]

Thanks so much. Will research your suggestions and keep you posted. Keep doing what your doing for those of us just starting out!!

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

@@toddjones3046 best of luck!

[@hozoraelahy6102]

@@2MinuteGardenTips umm, that's correct. So I call u: Fig Dr. ... Why ur banana tree is looks ugly?

[@UNSC011001]

You can't be a fig grower in Louisiana & not have at least one of the many LSU fig trees. It's just not proper, especially for self-respectin' tigers fans. Also, 2 heirloom fig trees of Louisiana are the black celeste & the already mentioned Smith. If they have any, what you'll mostly find at local, mainstream nurseries in Louisiana are LSU Purple, LSU Gold, Brown Turkey, Celeste, Little Miss Figgy, LSU Improved Celeste (aka Improved Celeste), & the occasional LSU O'Rourke.

[@michelewilcox9377]

Informative video,thank u! I just read my young honeysuckle vine needs a 2-10-10....can't find one! Any recommendations? Please help if u can!!! Many thanks!

[@sylvia10101]

Good information! Thank you.

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@asarerebird8480]

What are best phosphate containing non bone meal ( only organic) fertilisers

[@marilynmitchell7394]

Just subbed. Would like you to show us more of your garden!😊💗

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

Thank you! I have many tours on my main garden channel here: kzbin.info However, I have been considering filming a garden tour for this channel, which will break my ~2 minute length format, but it will be a good reference video. Frosts are coming soon, so time is ticking.

[@peadookie]

Great video, thanks!

[@jodywho6696]

Awesome information💚💜💙

[@roadway2peace]

Can you please make a video about How much Fertilizer to use to when What Plant size and condition How Often Mix ratio Thank you

[@Enjoylife-2000]

Which bag for watermelon? 20-20-20 or Bloom booster. Also it too late to use it if all your melons are the size of cantaloupe already? Thanks!

[@tessah7133]

Simple and easy info

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching.

[@justicebinder6544]

Was looking this exact info literally a day ago

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

I'm glad to be timely! Hopefully you found it helpful.

[@johncurro8871]

Thanks I enjoy your videos! What ratio of jack's 20-20-20 do I use for tomatoes, 1 tsp per gallon of water???

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

I use 1 Tablespoon per gallon in a watering can. 1 gallon of water is usually enough to feed 4 tomato plants. Keep in mind most watering cans are not 1 gallon and are 1.5-2 gallons, so make sure you check your watering can size.

[@johncurro8871]

@@2MinuteGardenTips Thank you

[@js5866]

Nice summary

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

Thank you!

[@adele2374]

Thanks!

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

Wow!! Thank you so much for your support and generosity! I really appreciate it ♥

[@KT-yq7ed]

Love your beard….keep it always!!!!!🥰

[@davidgunnarsson5524]

I cloned a new Blackberry plant from my old one and im Kinda puzzled on which fertiliser i should use, I have a Algomin 4:5:11 fertiliser, can I use it or should I buy another balenced fertiliser?

[@BladesDark]

Awesome video. I have a question. I have been growing cannabis for about 3 years, the plant has a cycle in which it will grow better with specific nutrients per stage of growth. I just got a lemon and apple tree and am trying to find similar patterns but all I'm seeing is growers saying low nitrogen and high flower & bloom for high yields. But that shouldn't matter if the plant has stages and wants grow at a certain time of year and wants to flower at a certain time of year and it's left me a little confused on how I should plant these smalls trees I've purchased at my local nursery. I want to know I don't just want to use science that says well the bag says this. 😂 Help! Do I just feed the apple tree more nitrogen when I want more growth and leaves or do I just always use this ratio?

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

Citrus is a little funky, because citrus is one of the few fruit trees out there that like higher nitrogen all the time. The ideal ratio for most citrus is 3:1:2. For that reason, you'll see a lot of citrus fertilizers that are 6-2-4 or 6-3-3 and prefer nitrogen. This is probably because citrus has a really wicked habit of over-fruiting, so there is no need with most citrus to try and encourage fruit set through fertilizing. In fact, the problem is usually the opposite and the fruit set is too heavy and you need to thin it. Most less precocious plants like a higher phosphorous feeding at fruiting time. Your classic fruit trees like apples, peaches, figs and your fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. do better when you fertilize them differently at different stages. When I transplant my tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. AND when my fruit trees are just breaking bud in March, I give them high nitrogen fertilizers in the 3:1:2 ratio. Once they are about to flower, I give them high phosphorous fertilizers in the 1:3:2, 1:2:2 or 1:2:1 range. Once the fruit is set, you can maintain them at the 1:1:1 ratio (5-5-5 all purpose fertilizers are great here. If you watch my series on fertilizing fig trees, I run through this in great detail. You can watch my fig fertilizing series and apply it to apples, peaches, pears, persimmons, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, and most things that are "fruiting" plants: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j

[@BladesDark]

@@2MinuteGardenTips Thank you :D subscribed

[@DavidMiller-p5j]

Lewis Flats

[@JoseLopez-cz3kc]

If U know the answer is it okay 2 put homemade banana peel liquid form fertilizer on chili plants that just germinated?

[@kimworkman2425]

What is the best npk ratio for tomatoes

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

That depends on the growth stage of the tomatoes. I usually give them higher nitrogen feed at transplanting for that first fertilizing, then once the first flower cluster appears, I switch to a low nitrogen higher phosphorus and potassium feed (like a 15-30-15). Then, I back off and stay around a 20-20-20 throughout the season. If you don't want to juggle different fertilizers, the best thing is to stick with something like Jack's 20-20-20 all season long. I always mix Alaska fish fertilizer into the watering can, too, because it's full of great nutrients. As for the granulated organic fertilizers, I use whatever is on sale. Anything around a 5-5-5, 4-4-4, 4-3-4, 4-5-4, etc. is going to be fine. As long as all the numbers are close together, it's basically all-purpose.

[@Enjoylife-2000]

Does mixing the fish fertilizer with the Jacks kill the microbes in it?

[@RaleignErnest-k5m]

Brakus Valley

[@atsyuo]

straight up chillen next to a pink lemon tree is straight flex.... i have one too. blood meal all the way baby

[@RosaStanley-i7z]

Monahan Lane

[@rovicvelasco3368]

NPK ratios labeled as N%-P%-K% (R) the rest of the components of the fertilizer contribute to secondary or micronutrients

[@rovicvelasco3368]

High N - leafy greens (leafy green growth and vigor) High P - (healthy roots, blooms, fruit and seed development) High K - (regulates life processes and balances growth)

[@rovicvelasco3368]

Fruiting vedgetables and fruit trees (balanced)

[@rovicvelasco3368]

Heavily fruity plants tomatoes and figs (high p)

[@HjkBn-l7c]

Heaney Via

[@Hutzjohn]

I just watched "Garden Fundamentals" and according to him you are WRONG and he explains that the P is not phosphorous because phosphorous is a metal and plants can not use it. P actually is the chemical P2O5 (Phosphate). The K is not actually Potassium either it stand for the chemical K2O (potassium oxide) or potash. So P2O5 = 2 atoms of potassium and 5 atoms of oxygen so the volume of weight of potassium is actually only .4% by weight and therefore in a 10-10-10 the nitrogen is actually 10% volume by weight and the the potassium is only 4% volume by weight. look his video up it's here on youtube.

[@2MinuteGardenTips]

That isn't relevant to the discussion. "NPK ratio" is the accepted terminology. It doesn't matter that the nomenclature is purely elemental. If it were molecular, the terminology would be so long it would be impossible to understand. Anyone arguing otherwise simply doesn't understand the concept. I'll give you an example. It's generally accepted that human respiration is driven by breathing oxygen in the air. If you're talking to your buddy and your buddy says, "Humans breathe oxygen," would you respond by saying, "Humans don't breathe oxygen! Oxygen isn't stable in Earth's atmosphere! Humans breathe O₂ gas!" If you heard anyone actually say that, you'd probably facepalm, right? Elements are generally unstable and highly reactive. We find compounds in nature, not elements, in almost all cases. Fertilizer labels are standardized. That means you can compare them directly. It's irrelevant that the additives are compounds, not raw elements.

[@Hutzjohn]

You're telling the wrong person here I only told you his explanination you need to go on his video and state your case@@2MinuteGardenTips