How does your garden grow? If you’re raising vegetables, you’re going to need more than silver bells and cockle shells! There are many gardening products out there, and choosing the right kind can be daunting for a beginner. That’s why Hilo’s leading purveyors of organic fertilizer, the team at Garden Exchange, wants to give you an insider’s look at fertilizer types.  

To help you select the right fertilizer for you, they have crafted this simple guide:

• A Note On Numbers: Most commercial fertilizers are marked with numbers like this: xx-xx-xx. Each number represents the percentage of a particular nutrient: nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. Different plants require different amounts of each nutrient. Fertilizers containing equal amounts of all three are considered “complete” or “general purpose” fertilizers.

• Organic Fertilizers: The best fertilizers add extra organic matter and structure to your soil. They feed microbes, introduce micro-nutrients, and even help fight plant diseases. Organic fertilizers encompass a vast variety of types and can be made of manure, fish, bone meal, seaweed, and other materials. They release their nutrients slowly, but it’s worth it if you want big, delicious veggies.

• Chemical Fertilizers: You’ll recognize these by their liquid, pellet, granular, or powdered forms. While their benefits are fast acting and concentrated, they offer no long-term benefits and can even harm soil microorganisms. Use these sparingly, such as to give an emergency boost to a distressed plant. Too much can actually kill plants, so it’s best to stick to organic fertilizers.

• Special-Purpose Fertilizers: If your soil is already high in certain nutrients or your plants require a specific mix, you don’t need a complete fertilizer. Instead, you can get the right balance with a special-purpose gardening product. These can be chemical or organic fertilizers and are often used seasonally (e.g., a fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen is great for lush lawns and should be used during the spring).

For quality gardening products, stop by the Garden Exchange, Hilo’s best family-owned-and-operated gardening store since 1964. If you have any questions about their selection of chemical and organic fertilizers, call (808) 961-2875, or visit their website for more information.