"Chris Bacon" wrote in message
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Does it really matter if I use (say) rose fertiliser on
my beans, or on my spuds?

Rose fertiliser are usually high in potash to promote flowering
a typical N:P:K analysis might be GEM ROSE FERTILISER - 5:7:10
the 10 being the potash

Potato fertiliser is again high in potash Fothergills is (10:10:20)

However this should have been applied early in the season to promote
flowering. Same as with the beans.

All fertilsers are a mixture of the three major elements
nitrogen, phosphate, and potash NPK. Some may have additional
elements such as calcium - roses , and magnesium tomatoes.

If you compare the analysis - NPK figures of branded general fertilisers
Phostrogen, Fothergills, Bio etc you'll notice they're all different.
In essence what this probably means is that providing the plant gets
sufficient of each element it will perform well. With certain exeptions*,
if say there's twice as much of a particular element in the soil than it
needs, that will have no adverse affect but is merely wasted.
(Toms need extra magnesium with a high potash feed )

The manufactures put names on these different formulations, Rose
Fertiliser, Potato Fertiliser, Cactus Fertliser, Lawn ferliser
both to make it more convenient for customers who can't be
bothered with the NPK business, and to sell more.


michael adams

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