The Difference Between Plant Food and Fertilizer
Just like humans, plants need certain nutrients to survive. So if you have a plant and it doesn’t quite look like it’s thriving, you might decide to give it some nutrients. But does he need plant food or fertilizer? And what is the difference between them? Here’s what you need to know.
The difference between plant food and fertilizer
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, plant food and fertilizer are not the same thing. The biggest difference is that plant food is produced by the plants themselves, while fertilizer is a synthetic or natural substance that is added to the plant’s soil. Here are some more specifics:
Fertilizer
The easiest way to remember the difference between plant food and fertilizer is that only plants can produce plant food : it’s not something you can buy (regardless of what the food labels say). To produce the simple sugar they use for food, plants convert water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight through photosynthesis and absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots.
When a plant cannot get the nutrients it needs through the soil, adding some kind of fertilizer or compost can help to make up for the nutrient deficiency.
Fertilizer
Soil nutrient content depends on many factors, including its particle size distribution (loam, sandy loam, silty loam), organic matter content, and pH. Soil testing is the best way to find out which nutrients are present in adequate amounts and which can be added to the soil with fertilizers.
Commercial fertilizers are available in various ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the nutrients that plants require in the highest amounts. This May 2021 Lifehacker article breaks down the letters and numbers on fertilizer bags and explains how to choose the one that will benefit your plants the most.
Also, this University of Minnesota page provides more information on the different types of fertilizers and when to use them.