Thinking about using 19 19 19 Fertilizer? Use our guide to learn everything you need to know about it.
Fertilizing plays a major role in cultivating emerald-rich pasture. Abundant crops, idyllic botanical gardens, and lush landscapes all share some form of a balanced fertilizing program. Like eating a healthy balanced meal, your soil and plants need their form of nutrients.
Without the right balance, the invaders of nature prop their ugly heads. Hayfields fall victim to broomsedge. Crops produce less harvest due to poor soil maintenance. Even weeds appear in your lovely garden bed. Mother nature is not gentle.
When done right, and at the right time of the year, adding fertilizer can be a lifesaver. It makes a huge impact in safeguarding your pasture while feeding your soil and plants with what it needs. Whether you’re producing crops, harvesting hay, or tending to a garden, maintaining your green space is daunting.
While triple 19 fertilizer and its counterparts can provide the right balance your garden needs, take extra precaution. If not used right, your soil won’t react to treatments and maintenance. You might even put your plants and livestock at risk.
We’ll go over what you need to know to make sure your outdoor space doesn’t turn into a battlefield and help you fully understand what is 19 19 19 Fertilizer.
What is a fertilizer?
To know what 19 19 19 fertilizer is, let’s breakdown exactly what fertilizers are and what they do.
The simple answer is that fertilizer is an artificial or natural substance we feed plants and grass to help them grow. The same way you’d take vitamins and supplements, so do plants. The more complicated answer touches on soil and plant’s chemical compounds, and what the perfect balance between both should be for ideal growing. Fertilizers’ objective then, is to improve the power of the already existing fertility of the soil, but also to replenish any vitamins and minerals previous plants could have already taken from that spot.
The concept of using fertilizer has also been around for as long as humans have grown their food. And realistically, probably longer than that. During the time of the Roman empire, for example, they used manure and a variety of minerals to help their crops grow. Even using wood ash as fertilizer wasn’t unheard of during that time. At the end of the day, whatever helped maximize your yield crop was what would end up with on your plants. And today that concept still stands.
Ok, then what is triple 19 fertilizer?
To understand what triple 19 fertilizer is and how it can help you, we need to do a quick dive into chemical composition talk. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple! There are three main elements you’ll find in fertilizers based on what plants need as nutrition. Nitrogen for developing the stem and leaf of a plant (amazing for leafy veggies!), Phosphorus used for flower and fruit nutrition, and Potassium which is amazing for disease-fighting and healthy root systems.
Based on that you’ll normally find two main fertilizer types sold in stores. A variety is called complete, and another is called (you guessed it) incomplete. The first kind refers to having all three elements, which you call tell if the package states NPK (N for Nitrogen, P for Phosphorus, and K for Potassium). An incomplete kind will only have one or two of the elements we mentioned.
All this to say that 19 19 19 fertilizer is a complete fertilizer that provides a balanced option for a variety of crop types. Named after the percentage of each element it offers which is 19% of each kind. Because triple 19 is also a pretty acidic product, this means it’s easier for the leaves to absorb it without having it go through the root system first. While other fertilizers might need to be placed right on the soil to hit the roots directly, triple 19 can just be sprinkled over the top of the plant, which is very convenient for quick applications. It also means it’s great for fertigation applications, which is when you water your plants through an irrigation system. Triple 19 can just be added to the water and you’re done!
But, how is it different than triple 16 fertilizer?
In the market, you’ll find more than one type of fertilizer, and each is used for something slightly different. There are even more existing options than just the complete and incomplete ones we talked about above. For example, there’s such a thing as special-purpose fertilizers created with just one specific type of crop or soil in mind.
Triple 16 fertilizer is another general-purpose option that you’ll probably find in stores right next to triple 19. What sets them apart from each other is that triple 16 is mostly used for plants set in sand, clay, or pea.
Other common fertilizers like 12 12 12 or 10 10 10 are also used to fulfill different needs. Much like its competitor, it can be used for helping absorb more moisture and creating healthy roots in the soil.
Benefits Of Using 19 19 19 Fertilizer for Garden, Pasture and Hayfields
19 19 19 Fertilizer provides the necessary nutrients your soil needs to thrive. The combination of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium acts as a triple threat against disease and sterile pasture.
Triple 19 fertilizer provides the macro and micronutrients your plants need at an accelerated rate. This fuels plant growth, especially pasture-containing crops. It can also be a temporary solution for harvesting hay.
However, you must test your soil. Without a clear PH balance number and measuring any potential deficiencies, you’re blindly adding nutrients your field, garden, or plants may not even need. Larger geographical landscapes may have deficiencies of potassium that other parts of your property may not share. This will cause undue damage and expensive repairs.
Can I use it on my lawn?
As great as triple 19 fertilizer is for a variety of crops (check out more below), it’s not ideal for lawns. This is because lawn tends to require a more specialized fertilizer instead. While it’s not going to cause damage if you end up using some leftovers you already have laying around, you’ll get more bang for your buck if you use it on veggies and other garden plants. Also, note these types of fertilizers will not kill crabgrass or other undesirable weeds, they will simply ensure the overall health of your yard.
Lawn fertilizers tend to be cheaper since they don’t need to be complete fertilizers to work properly. Fewer elements mean less cost to manufacture, which means cheaper prices for you. Pick something with high amounts of Nitrogen for already established lawns, or something with more Phosphorus for starter lawns. Nitrogen will help the blades grow stronger while Phosphorus will help fight possible diseases.
Got it! What else should I know when choosing a fertilizer?
For starters, it’s very useful to understand your soil type as well as the specific needs of the plants you’ll be caring for. When it comes to soil there are 6 main kinds.
- Clay
Doesn’t have good draining because of how tight-packed it can get. Great for perennial plants and shrubs because of how it warms up easily and how nutrient-rich it is.
- Sandy
Drains easy and dries out very fast. Doesn’t hold nutrients very well and warms up quickly in the heat. Good for root-based crops like potatoes or carrots. Also great for bulb plants and shrubs.
- Silty
Holds moisture and is rich in nutrients. If you can figure out proper drainage then any thirsty crop will love this soil.
- Peaty
An acidic soil slows down plant decomposition and so offers fewer nutrients. Heats up quickly and retains water so drainage is important. Shrubs, legumes, and root crops are perfect for this soil.
- Chalky
Free draining thanks to its larger grains. Pretty alkaline which might not be ideal for certain crop types. Good for trees, shrubs, and some veggies like spinach and cabbage.
- Loamy
A mix of clay, sand, and silt. This is the ideal soil type for gardening because of how well it drains and its general structure. Retains moisture and is full of nutrients. Great for almost any crop.
The More You Know
Another important thing to know is what type of nutrients certain plants take from said soil. For example, you might have had a blueberry bush living in your backyard, but now you want to remove it and plant a lemon tree instead. You will probably have to replenish the nutrients the blueberries took before introducing the lemon tree to that same soil. Another good reason to understand plant nutrition is that some can be planted side by side, so they give each other nutrients one needs and the other doesn’t.
What can I use 19 19 19 fertilizer for?
You can mainly use it for any kind of crop that bears fruits and/or where you want the leaves to grow strong. Things like:
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Seeds
- Teas
- Cereals
- Cotton
- Sugar Cane
- And lots more!
Triple 19 Fertilizer for Hay
While 19 19 19 can be used for hay, it should be used sparingly. All hayfields need a customized order of fertilizing. Some need less nitrogen others to need more focused potassium. When harvesting hay, you lose much of the potassium. Without adding the right ratio of nitrogen and potassium, you’re effectively creating an imbalance.
Like giving bread to a thirsty person or giving headache medicine to someone dealing with gut health issues, limiting usage of specific fertilizers might just be what your hayfield needs.
Plan Ahead
Triple 19 Fertilizer can help you fulfill most of your outdoor needs. As we mentioned, before starting a fertilizing program, make sure you conduct the right soil test to ensure you’re providing your field, plants, or garden the right care it needs.