Human beings need essential vitamins and minerals for their growth and development. So, they take good food enriched with all the necessary vitamins for their development. Similarly, plants also need nutrients and minerals to grow, drawing them from the soil.
So, healthy soil is quite vital for plant development. But unfortunately, valuable nutrients are lessened from the soil with time. So, adding fertilizers is the best way to replace all the nutrients required for the development of a plant. Fertilizers help in enhancing the productivity of your farming.
You will find a lot of fertilizers in the market, like organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, and many more.
Liquid fertilizers are fertilizers in a liquid solution that can provide instant nutrients to your plant. Now the question comes how long does liquid fertilizer last in soil? Most liquid fertilizer will last seven to fourteen days, and you must reapply again.
However, that depends on the type of liquid fertilizer and the amount you use for developing plants.
The article discusses more about liquid fertilizer. So, keep reading the blog to know more about liquid fertilizer and its benefits.
MORE POSTS: How to make liquid fertilizer from kitchen waste at home?
What Is Liquid Fertilizer?
Liquid fertilizers are a liquid diet for a plant. They are formulated to quickly elevate the nutrients and minerals in the soil, which is essential for the plant’s growth.
You will find different types of liquid fertilizers in the market. You can even prepare liquid fertilizer at home.
For instance, you make liquid fertilizer by using compost. Prepare a good compost with the scraps of vegetables and fruits in your house. You can add some organic materials from your garden to it. Take a bowl and fill it with one-third of your prepared compost. Then add water into the bowl, Stir it and leave the mixture for seven to fourteen days. Now you have to take a strainer and strain the liquid.
The liquid which you obtain is the liquid fertilizer. Store it in a spray bottle. You can apply it directly to the soil or plant leaves, giving instant minerals and nutrients to your plant. You can also make liquid fertilizers from meat, fish, milk, and others at home.
Remember, liquid fertilizers cannot be applied directly into the soil. You must dilute and spray it on the soil or directly over the plants.
How Long Does Liquid Fertilizer Last In Soil?
If we talk about granular fertilizer, you must apply it to the soil within one to two months or a gap of 6 months. But this principle will not work for liquid fertilizer. You need to apply liquid fertilizer within 7 to fourteen days.
Liquid fertilizer can drain quickly into the subsoil, making it unavailable for the plant’s roots. So, you must repeat them within at least two weeks. Additionally, it can damage your plant badly if you don’t apply in proper concentration or apply too much at a time.
MORE POSTS: How to Propagate Gardenia in Easy Steps?
What Are The Advantages Of Using Liquid Fertilizer?
1. You Can Apply Uniformly
Granular fertilizers are spread on the field in a pattern form and may not be distributed uniformly. But, it is pretty easy to apply liquid fertilizer on cultivated land.
Moreover, it soaks very fast in the soil and spreads everywhere. So, liquid fertilizer distribution is uniform in the cultivated lands. Crops growing anywhere on that land will get instant nutrients and develop healthily.
2. Instant Benefit
Liquid fertilizer can provide nutrients to plants within two to three days as it soaks faster in the soil. You can see results instantly in some plants. So, most farmers use liquid fertilizer in the growing season to aid root formation. But if we talk about granular fertilizers, it can be time to mix appropriately with soil and give results.
3. Less Nutrient Loss
Nutrients are pretty crucial for the growth of a plant. If we use granular fertilizers, they lose 40 percent of nitrogen with time. But liquid fertilizers lose less than 10 percent with time which helps in enhancing your farming productivity.
4. Easy To Handle
You don’t require heavy machinery to apply liquid fertilizer. You can even apply liquid fertilizer in proper concentration.
5. Easy To Store
You can store the liquid fertilizer easily in a sealed container. It takes up very little space and is not much sensitive to fire and different weather conditions compared to any traditional fertilizer.
6. PH Balance
The PH of the soil plays a vital role in plant growth. Liquid fertilizers help in balancing the PH of the soil.
MORE POSTS: Why are the tips of my indoor fern turning brown?
Best Ways To Apply Liquid Fertilizer To Your Plants
If you use a water-soluble liquid fertilizer, you must mix it first with water and then on leaves or the soil.
But there are a few tips and tricks which you need to remember while using a liquid fertilizer.
1. Don’t Spray During Planting Stage
The roots of the plant break while planting from one place to another. If you apply liquid fertilizer at the planting stage, it will quickly reach the roots and start entering at broken points, which can cause burning and eventually kill your plant.
So, you must wait for at least two to three weeks after planting and then apply liquid fertilizer. The roots have recovered within this time and can take all the essential nutrients from the liquid fertilizer.
2. Water The Plant Before Applying Liquid Fertilizer
If you don’t water your plants and apply liquid fertilizer directly, it may burn the roots or leaves of the plant.
3. Follow Instructions
Follow all the instructions while applying liquid fertilizer; otherwise, it can kill your plant. If you use too much liquid fertilizer at a time, it can stop the plant’s growth. If the case is extreme, then your plant may die.
4. Foliar Spray
You can spray liquid fertilizer on the leaves of the plant. It will help your plant get all the nutrients and minerals from the leaves, not the roots.
But try to apply liquid fertilizer in the early morning and late evening because the stomata on the leaves are closed during harsh sunlight. Consequently, it will prevent the plant leaves from absorbing all the required nutrients.
MORE POSTS: Philodendron Xanadu Propagation and Care
What Type Of Liquid Fertilizer Should I Choose For The Growth Of Plant?
Liquid fertilizers come in different compositions than traditional fertilizers. You can find various numbers in the package, which indicate the composition ratio.
But in every package, you will find a nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium concentration.
If you have recently planted a plant, use the liquid fertilizer with more nitrogen concentration. You can even use an all-purpose liquid fertilizer to suit the plant’s needs.
Conclusion
Liquid fertilizers are a great way o develop the overall growth of the plant. The majority of liquid fertilizers in the market come with some instructions. Try to follow them at the time of application. Additionally, remember all the points discussed above when applying liquid fertilizers.
Thank you so much for reading this entire article. In the comment section, you can ask us any queries related to liquid fertilizer and its application. We will be glad to answer all your questions about liquid fertilizers.
