Is It Necessary to Feed/Fertilize Plants

Feeding of Plants

Technically, feeding plants and fertilizing plants do not mean the same thing. Fertilizing plants entails the application of micronutrients and macronutrients that provide plants with food. Normally, the terms feeding the plant and fertilizing the plant are used interchangeably. This is because fertilizers are used to enrich the soil by providing essential nutrients that boost plants' growth. The primary nutrients that plants require include Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (N-P-K). Therefore, gardeners use fertilizer to enrich the soil with nutrients, whereby plants use these nutrients present in the soil to make their food (Sanders, 2017).

Why It Is Necessary to Fertilize Plants

Fertilizers are applied to the soil to help provide the elements required for plants to make their food. Examples of these elements include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen allows plants to make their proteins, which facilitate the manufacturing of new tissues in plants. Plenty of nitrogen enables plants to have abundant foliage. Likewise, phosphorus stimulates plant root growth, increases the formation of buds and flowers, and increases plant vitality and seed size. Moreover, potassium improves general plant vigor. It helps plants to create carbohydrates and increase resistance to diseases. Besides, potassium regulates metabolic activities in the soil (Kwon et al., 2019).

Additionally, organic and synthetic fertilizers provide soil and plant nutrients in various ways. The nutrients in organic fertilizers are not soluble in water; hence, they are released to the plant over a long period. Therefore, these fertilizers ensure that nutrients are available for plants in the spring. Generally, organic fertilizers stimulate valuable soil microorganisms and increase soil structure. Soil microorganisms convert organic fertilizers into soluble nutrients that can be absorbed by plants. Likewise, synthetic fertilizers are soluble in water and can be absorbed immediately by plants. These fertilizers improve soil texture and soil fertility and provide a quick boost to plants (Kwon et al., 2019).