Where does fertilizer come from? Is it all synthetic? What is npk? The N we know is nitrogen which has been described here The miracle of nitrogen - #13 by clarkinks . Nitrogen is a macronutrient . Remember urea is high in nitrogen. Macronutrients are needed in large quantities. Macronutrients can also be phosphorous, potassium , calcium, magnesium , Sulphur. Micronutrients are needed in smaller quantities which are things like iron, zinc, manganese , copper, boron and many others. So what do they do? Nitrogen is responsible for protein synthesis in plants. Phosphorous makes the cell membranes. Potassium helps fight infections. Potassium carbonate as discussed can come in the form of a rock.
“Potash (/ˈpɒtæʃ/) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form . The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, which was the primary means of manufacturing the product before the Industrial Era.” - Potash - Wikipedia
Some people understand cations and anions.
My soil is clay which is why I bring it up.
It’s not that minerals are not there in clay it’s that you can’t use them easily. If we don’t understand cec we can starve on rich ground. Cations and Anions: Definitions, Examples, and Differences
Clay must be unlocked by humus to get to the nutrients.
Cation Exchange Capacity - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
My plan is to discuss more later.
