February is not a good time to work in the garden, the weather is unpredictable, strong winds heavy rains and little growth do not encourage activity. Perhaps this is a good time to turn ones attention to a primary need in every garden, one that is under estimated as to its full potential.

Most of us eat at least two meals per day and without such sustenance we would soon feel the pangs of hunger and ultimately some deterioration in health, especially owing to deficiency in nutrients and vitamins. Plants are living things too, and without 'food' will not reach their potential. Plants have roots the structure for uptake of water and with it nutrients, which of course 'feeds' the stems, leaves and fruits. Generally speaking fertiliser is not recognised as an important aspect of a plants needs and existence and therefore growth. Fertiliser comes in many forms, usually granular or liquid. For lawn care, fertilisers are often found with a mix of herbicide, insecticide or fungicide, with herbicides being available as pre or post emergent formulas.

One can find fertilisers for fruit trees, roses, orchids and many other individual species of plants and of course general mixes for the garden and lawn; as you will note as you read on, each element has a part to play in the growth and life of the plant. Obtain advice when purchasing fertiliser as unfortunately there is not one magic potion for everyday needs. Some bags will have specific information on types of plants and rates to use, whilst other bags will offer only an analysis that is the NPK numbers ? see below for more information ? and not necessarily rate applications.

A bag of fertiliser contains a mix of granules which are supposed to achieve good growth in the garden, be it flower bed or lawns. So what exactly is fertiliser and what do the numbers on the bag actually mean? Numbers will mean nothing if the instructions are not read and adhered to, in fact both over and under fertilising will create problems, which may in the long term create more problems.

All bags of fertiliser should have three numbers distinctly written on the label, these indicating the percentage of NPK or nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, these are referred to as primary nutrients; other mixes might show additional information on the label such as secondary nutrients, such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulphur (S). Micronutrients or micro elements may be shown as indicated by their element, iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chlorine (Cl), boron (B) and molybdenum (Mo), these are required in very small amounts but can be very important in certain types of soil.

The following details explain the nutrient functions. ? a key element in turf grass nutrition, promoting vigorous leaf and stem growth, which improves overall quality of turf. It is an essential component of the chlorophyll molecule which gives turf its dark colour, and is involved in regulating uptake of key nutrients. ? influences early root development and growth, and encourages good establishment; it is also used in the transfer of energy within the plant. ? enhances drought and cold tolerance, encourages rooting and wear tolerance and is a key component in cell wall strength and resistance to disease. It is a key component in the formation of food for the plant it is used by the plant in large quantities, second only to nitrogen. ? strongly influences proper soil pH, and is essential to strong cell wall structure and cell division; it can improve soil structure, water retention and infiltration. ? important in photosynthesis and chlorophyll production; a necessary component in many essential enzyme systems within the plant and important in aiding the translocation of phosphorous. ? works with nitrogen to produce new protein for plant growth; plays an important role utilising oxygen by the plant and influences the level of activity of soil micro-organisms. ? is necessary for the formation of chlorophyll, aids in the activation of a number of biochemical processes within the plant. Iron deficiency is common in high pH soils.?important to the formation of chlorophyll and the activation of the initial growth process; is generally available in sufficient quantities in the soil. ? necessary for the production of chlorophyll.?needed only in small amounts, with large quantities being toxic to turf grass; important in the synthesis of certain plant growth substances. Deficiencies are usually only found in highly alkaline - high pH - organic soils or heavily leeched soils. ? deficiency is rarely seen; may help in the regulation of osmotic pressure within the plant cell. ? necessary for plant reproduction and helps maintain optimum water balance in plants.? Essential to the process of nitrogen utilisation.

Fertilisers are applied several times throughout the year, with different formulations being used at specific times, for example with lawns, fertilisers containing a high percentage of phosphorous are considered starter fertilisers, because this nutrient is critical to the good growth and development of turf grass growth.

Secondary and micro-nutrients are required in much lower concentrations than primary nutrients, but are critical to plant vigour, therefore they should be used in conjunction with primary nutrients if plants are showing symptoms not related to the primary nutrient.

Not using fertiliser can be a growing concern, purely and simply what do you expect from your plants when they are left to self survival?