What is NPK?

Granular NPK Fertilizer, Maizer Depatrt products images
Granular NPK fertilzier
1. What is NPK?
2. What NPK is it used for, and how is it used ?
3. What is NPK 15-15-15 Granular fertilizer?
4. How to Choose the Right Fertilizer?

Estimated Read Time: About 4–5 minutes
NPK is stands for a fertilizer label stand for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, three mysterious numbers for plant growth and soil fertility. It comes in a variety of formulas to meet the specific needs of crops.
Whether you see NPK or not, if you see three numbers on a package, such as NPK 15-15-15, the fertilizer contains 15% nitrogen, 15% phosphorus, and 15% potassium, with the remaining 55% being secondary nutrients, micronutrients, or fillers. Plants require about 16 essential nutrients—some of which come from the air and water, while others, like iron, calcium, and chlorine, are absorbed from the soil.

What NPK is it used for, and how is it used?

As you may have noticed, the main purpose of NPK is soil fertilization, mainly to promote plant growth, improve soil fertility and increase crop yields by providing essential nutrients: nitrogen (N) for leaf growth, phosphorus (P) for root development and potassium (K) for overall plant health.
It is important to understand that the type of NPK determines how it is applied to a soil and its effect. For example, if you have granular NPK, you can simply spread it on the soil and it will be slowly absorbed, another type of NPK can be water-soluble, in which case you mix it with water and only then apply it to the soil.
It is applied according to the needs of the crop and the condition of the soil, using methods such as broadcasting, topdressing or fertigation to ensure optimal nutrient uptake.

What is NPK 15-15-15 Granular fertilizer?

NPK 15-15-15 is a type of granular fertilizer that is well balanced compared to many other types of ratios in the composition. It has low absorption and is suitable for many different landscapes. As already stated, NPK 15-15-15 is a granular fertilizer, this means that you will need to spread it on the soil and absorption will begin.
Typical application recommendations for granular NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer:
– Use a total of 200 pounds of actual nitrogen (N) per acre per year
– Before planting: Apply as a basal fertilizer to enrich the soil before sowing seeds or transplanting.
– During growth: Apply in the early vegetative and flowering stages to promote healthy development.
– Every 4-6 weeks: For continuous growth, especially for vegetables and fruit crops.
What methods are applicable for NPK 15-15-15, recommendations generally apply to all types of granular fertilizers absorbed as:
– Broadcast: Spread evenly over the soil and mix lightly.
– Topdressing: Apply to the base of plants, avoiding direct contact with the stems.
– Surface dressing: Scatter over the soil surface for lawns and pastures.
– Watering: Water after application to help the nutrients penetrate the soil.
There is a huge amount of research that determines the effectiveness of NPK 15-15-15. on of them was on the Adlay or Hanjeli.
A study at Musamusa University (October–December 2021) assessed the effects of NPK 15-15-15 on hangjeli plants for livestock feed. The experiment, conducted in polyethylene bags using a randomized block design, tested four levels of fertilizer:
– P0: No fertilizer
– P1: 5 g/polyethylene bag
– P2: 10 g/polyethylene bag
– P3: 15 g/polyethylene bag
The results speak for themselves:
1. Significant improvement in plant height, leaf count and stem diameter.
2. No effect on germination, shoots or plant temperature.
3. Best results when using 15g/polybag (P3), which gives 0.96kg fresh biomass per polybag.
So, depending on your needs, there are many uses where NPK can be effective and give your plant new life.

How to Choose the Right Fertilizer?

To choose the right fertilizer, you first need to think about what is meant by all types of fertilizers available, not all types of plants have the same nutritional needs. It is very important to follow a nutrition plan based on it to choose what is best for you. It is also important to think about the time period when it should be added, due to the timing of the addition
Different plants require different balances of nutrients. Leafy greens need more nitrogen (N), while flowering and fruiting plants need more phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). For instance, let’s say you are considering buying NPK 15-15-15 granular fertilizer, when and for which plants is it most effective:
1. Vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, carrots, lettuce), fruit trees (citrus, mango, apples, grapes), cereals and grains (corn, rice, wheat), lawns and pastures
2. Before planting (basal application), Early stages of growth and flowering, Every 4-6 weeks for continuous feeding, Type of application: Granular (broadcast, top dressing, surface dressing)
and do not compare with NPK 10-35-0 (granular fertilizer with high phosphorus content):
1. Root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions), legumes (beans, peas), flowering plants and early seedlings, transplanted crops (stimulates rooting)
2. Before planting to accelerate root development, When transplanting for rapid rooting, Type of application:  granular (applied to the soil before planting)
But when it comes to water-soluble fertilizers, they have their own specifications for when to add them. If you want to learn more about when to add water-soluble fertilizers and how they compare to granular fertilizers, We will share more details on this soon – stay tuned!