What it is and how to Use it 10-10-10 Fertilizer

What it is and how to Use it 10-10-10 Fertilizer

Because there are so many various ways to combine fertilisers to create your ideal mix, there are a lot more alternatives available than you might believe when it comes to applying them on your land.

We won't even discuss the ingredients themselves; instead, you need to understand that there are simply too many possibilities available for you to overnight locate the one that works best for you. However, if you are new to the craft, we always advise that you begin your adventure with the tried-and-true 10-10-10 formula because you can't go wrong with it.

Over the years, this mixture has likely been tried out in practically every style of garden, which is why you

What are 10-10-10 Fertilizers?

In case you didn’t know by now, the 10-10-10 formula represents the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that you can find in the fertilizer’s formula. They are also referred to as the NPK formula and essentially it just refers to each of those ingredients being 10% each.

The NPK formula is known as one of the best in the game, simply because these are the primary nutrients that most any plant out there needs in order to thrive.

Because of how universal of a blend it is, the 10-10-10 formula is considered to be a very good balanced fertilizer, that can be used on any plants and for any sort of situations whatsoever.

Other formulas will have iron or calcium added to the mix, in order to add to their usability, but while these are all good to have in their own ways, we would definitely argue that the 10-10-10 formula loses some of its universal quality by adding in multiple other ingredients and lowering the original doses in the process.

For the most part though, besides the three main ingredients we talked about before, you can also find ammonium hydroxide, urea, ammonium nitrate, potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid in the mix to make the blend as useful as it can be.

The reason as to why these are the main ingredients that you will find in any 10-10-10 fertilizers out there is the fact that they dissolve very easily, and on top of that they are also a lot more resistant against erosion or decay, since they don’t spend a lot of time on the flowers themselves.

At the end of the day, the 10-10-10 fertilizer is technically an inorganic or synthetic fertilizer, which means that it is not natural in the slightest, it was made in its entirety by humans through the use of synthetic chemicals, which is a reason why many people opt for a different fertilizer altogether.

The Advantages of 10-10-10 Fertilizers

First and foremost, you will notice right away how simple it is to utilise 10-10-10 fertilisers. Because they can dissolve so easily, you don't have to exert as much effort during the spraying phase of the operation.

Simply scatter the 10-10-10 around your plants or vegetables, and you're good to go for the rest of the day's activities.

Additionally, unlike if you were to use any other formula, you won't actually need to take as much precaution to safeguard yourself in case you do get too close to the fertiliser because it dissolves so quickly.

Finally, but certainly not least, we would like to mention that

The Disadvantages of 10-10-10 Fertilizers

While they are usually advertised as universal fertilizers that can be used in any situation whatsoever, this isn’t actually all that it’s made out to be, quite the contrary actually.

As is the case with most any inorganic fertilizers out there, they cannot be fully absorbed by the plants instantly, which results in them crusting up at the top of the soil, which is never a pretty sight.

On top of that, they are limited to a certain time gate as opposed to organic fertilizers. They will not offer you any enrichment as time moves on, but instead it will provide you with a sudden boost of nutrients, which are sure to help out your plants as soon as you spray them.

Another very big disadvantage that we need to mention here is the fact that you can easily end up ruining your plants by using the 10-10-10 formula, because of the excessive amounts of nitrogen in it.

This can cause them to not fruit up anymore and while you may think that this is a relatively rare thing to see, it actually happens over fifty percent of the time with tomatoes, because they grow too quickly and they can end up being very vulnerable to diseases in the process.

The excess phosphorous here can also cause you a lot of problems, as it can increase the chances of your plants catching chlorosis, or it can just end up killing the fungi living in the soil, which in turn damages your plants altogether.

As a result, you will need to invest into 10-10-10 fertilizers only if your plants are showing signs of deficiencies in those aforementioned nutrients, otherwise you can risk causing an overdose which is never fun to deal with.

Another very big disadvantage (that you will definitely need to look out for) is the fact that it may actually have a bunch of different dangerous chemicals in its mix, which you really don’t want to be next to when you spray them to say the least.

These chemicals can be added to the mix very easily and they are usually only written off on the warning labels on the bag. Because of this you will need to wear protective clothing to avoid you making contact with them. Also don’t use the fertilizer around children, as you can easily end up damaging their health on the long run if you’re not careful here.

Last but not least, we would like to mention the fact that every typical 10-10-10 fertilizer will have a lot of nitrogen in its composition, which is definitely not something you want around you at any point in time.

You can even see how dangerous this addition to the mix is when you see the warning labels. These specifically let you know that the fertilizer can end up killing fish and invertebrates, when they make contact with it.

Since your biome there fully depends on its microbial life and its earthworms, it’s no wonder that you should avoid using the 10-10-10 fertilizer to make the most out of your produce.

How to Use the 10-10-10 Fertilizer

If you are on the internet trying to find out how you can actually use the fertilizer in the garden, then we highly recommend that you close the laptop and instead read the instructions on the label.

This is because most fertilizers are very unique in their approach and they are not meant to be experimented with, as you can easily end up hurting yourself in the process if you’re not careful enough.

If you have already read the instructions and you’re still unsure of what you need to do though, then you should ask your local garden supplier next to see what they think you should do with the fertilizer in question here.

As soon as you have all of your questions answered you should get a soil test of the pH levels, to make sure that you can use the 10-10-10 fertilizer to begin with.

As we mentioned previously, the 10-10-10 fertilizer, despite being advertised as a universal option, is still very situational and it shouldn’t be used in a lot of cases, especially if the pH levels don’t match it.

You can make use of the home soil test kits here which you can get from garden centers, Home Depot or Amazon, although we do believe that you could also just get a sample and take it to your local agriculture agency to see what they have to say about it.

10-10-10 Fertilizers FAQs

How Often Should You Use the 10-10-10 Formula for Lawn Feeding?

For the most part, if you are handling your plants around the warm season, then you should use the 10-10-10 fertilizer about four times per year or so.

You can start the process when you first see them growing, just remember that you may need to dilute the formula quite a bit during this time to make sure that you don’t end up overdosing the lawn. After such you can add new doses at around a 30-day interval and just wing it for the rest of the process.

Can You Use the 10-10-10 Formula on Fruit Trees?

In simple terms, you can use this formula for pretty much any type of a plant out there, as long as they are showing signs of being deficient in any of the main ingredients included in the 10-10-10 fertilizer.

Just keep in mind that you will need to use this formula only during the early spring before they actually start budding.

Should You Use the 10-10-10 Formula on Flowering Plants?

As an all-purpose fertilizer, it can surely be used on most flowering plants, but keep in mind that you can easily end up ruining them if you use too much of it.

Flowering plants can be very easily destroyed by the phosphorous and nitrogen that the 10-10-10 formula has under its belt so you may want to opt for a different fertilizer for this problem right here.

Should You Use the 10-10-10 Formula for Tomatoes?

Tomatoes are definitely very special when it comes to fertilizers and as much as we would like to say that you can use whatever to get the job done, the truth is that they are an exception.

You can definitely use the 10-10-10 formula but it will not be anywhere near as useful as any other fertilizer simply because tomatoes don’t need the big three ingredients that this fertilizer has in its composition and as such they will wither away if you use too much of it on them.