Nursery Fertilizers

Categories: Soils, Fertilizers and Irrigation

I have light sandy loam, well drained. It has been in blackberries, and

I now have it planted to nursery fruit tree stock. I have given it this

spring two applications of nitrate of soda, but no other fertilizer.

Will the nitrate act alone, or must I apply also the phosphate and

potash to get results?



Nitrate of soda will act alone and will stimulate growth, and there are

cases in which there is enough phosphate and potash already in the soil

to act with it. Usually, however, it is customary to use a complete

fertilizer containing phosphate and potash as well as nitrogen, in order

that the plant may be more roundly supplied and promoted, and one would

be a little safer in using that sort of fertilizer than in relying upon

the nitrate of soda alone. You will, of course, be careful not to use

these fertilizers in too large amounts, for nitrate of soda is

especially dangerous if used in excess.