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The decision to use a particular type of fertiliser needs to be supported by some understanding of the preferred soil conditions and other requirements of the plants being raised. To grow properly, plants require a broad selection of nutrients. Ideally, these occur naturally and are directly available from soil or compost. The three macro or major nutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), are required in significant quantities. They work together and in combination with other nutrients but each of them has a dominant role in certain aspects of growth and plant development. Nitrogen, for example, is required for shoot and leaf growth. Phosphorus is the most crucial nutrient for developing functional root systems, while the main...

The concept of replacing soil nutrients with a range of organic soil amendments is a sound one. When I started gardening more than half a century ago, there was plenty of excitement surrounding the use of synthetic fertilisers and the various chemical treatments which promised to increase the fertility and manageability of the basic soil types. With the exception of a few traditionalists, there was minimal interest in evaluating the effects of natural organic materials on soil productivity and sustainability. I was privileged to work with a group of dedicated gardeners who appreciated the importance of healthy, living soils. When I reflect back, they were quite often ridiculed for their resistance to the (so called) scientific treatments of...