Plant Nutrients

Plants aren't much different than humans. They need certain nutrients to grow healthy and strong, just like we do.

There are 17 essential nutrients that plants need: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, boron, molybdenum, chlorine and copper.

Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are used in a process called photosynthesis, which converts the sun's energy into sugars that the plant uses as food.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are called primary macronutrients because they are the primary nutrients plants use. Because of this, the soil usually lacks them first. Calcium, magnesium and sulfur are called secondary macronutrients.

Boron, copper, iron, chlorine, manganese, molybdenum and zinc are known as micronutrients and are needed by plants only in small amounts.

All of these nutrients are dissolved in water and absorbed by the plant's roots. There aren't always enough nutrients so we add fertilizers to add these missing nutrients to the soil.