It’s that time of year when your garden is coming to life again after its winter slumber.
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But for all the beauty of your spring blooms, it only happens if the engine room is chugging along nicely down in the dark dungeons of your garden – the soil and roots that feed your flowers.
Without the proper soil nutrients and healthy roots to draw up these nutrients, you’ll get none of this brilliant above-ground spectacle!
Why is phosphorous so important?
Most Australian soils are naturally low in phosphorus, and many native plants, such as grevilleas and banksias, have adapted to these low levels – feeding them fertiliser high in phosphorous can kill them.
But the growth of our exotic garden plants – vegetable or ornamental – is stunted without phosphorus. Roots become small, and their ability to draw up the other nutrients vital to plant survival is hindered.
Symptoms of phosphorous deficiency in plants
Above the soil, phosphorous deficiency symptoms include dull greyish-green leaves, a red, purply or bronze tint at leaf bases, and stunted or dying leaves.
By the time these symptoms show, especially in seedlings, it may be too late to do anything to save your plants.
What’s in fertiliser?
General fertiliser contains three elements that give your plants essential nutrients:
Nitrogen (N) to produce proteins and chlorophyll that promotes green growth.
Potassium (K) strengthens plant cell walls and helps defend plants against disease.
Phosphorous (P) to encourage cell division and the development of the growing tips of plants – it’s vital for all your spring seedlings and young plants.
How to test your soil’s phosphorus levels
You can test your soil’s phosphorous – and nitrogen and potassium – levels with kits, but they are expensive and mostly used in commercial operations.
What is the best way to add phosphorus to soil?
A better way to ensure your young plants get enough phosphorous is to apply it in a form that roots only take up what they need, and residue doesn’t leech into waterways, causing environmental damage.
Concentrated liquid BioGuano+, sourced from ‘guano’ – the droppings of seabirds – liberates phosphorous in the soil when the roots sense the plants need it most. It also improves your soil’s texture to enable more significant air and water movement and promotes plant growth and flower colour.
Available a 1L bottle for $21.90 from selected stockists. Use only as directed. For more info and stockists, bioguano.com.au.
You might also like:
Fertiliser 101: feed your garden the right way
How to make your own plant fertiliser at home
How to get more hydrangea flowers
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