Fertilizers are an unavoidable factor in gardening. Whether you want to make your flowers stronger, peppers more productive, or lawn greener, fertilizer is non-optional.
Triple 19 fertilizer is one of the most common fertilizers because of its wide range of applications.
You can use it as a lawn and garden fertilizer, and even as a starter fertilizer because it contains all the supplements your plants need in equal amounts.
However, you should learn more about 19-19-19 fertilizer before feeding your plants with it.
This article contains all the important facts you need to know about this fertilizer. You will learn whether you should use a balanced fertilizer like this one for your lawn, vegetable, or flower garden, and the other factors that affect which fertilizer you should choose.
Leave your gardening gloves, trowels, and hoes aside, and study our guide on the application and usage of triple 19, and you can’t go wrong.
Let’s get started!
What Is Triple 19 Fertilizer?
All fertilizers contain nutrients and minerals that feed plants. The essential nutrients found in every fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
These nutrients are often referred to as NPK because their symbols on the periodic table are: N for nitrogen, P for phosphorus, and K for potassium.
Triple 19 fertilizer has a balanced NPK ratio. There is an equal percentage of the three most important elements: 19% nitrogen, 19% phosphorous, and 19% potassium.
These nutrients are also called active ingredients, and their quantity in triple 19 is 57%. The rest are inactive ingredients, such as soil or other fillers, which make the fertilizer spread easier.
If you are not sure whether your soil needs precisely this amount of nutrients, you should do a soil test. However, if you don’t have time for this, you can always use an organic fertilizer first to see whether it meets your plants’ needs.
If not, you can always turn to triple 19, which gives your plant enough of each nutrient.
There are urea fertilizers that contain only nitrogen, and sulfate of potash which contains only potassium. If your plant really needs only one of the ingredients, you can use these fertilizers, but if not, it is best to stick to a more balanced fertilizer, be it triple 10, triple 13, or triple 19.
All these nutrients can improve the disease resistance of your lawn, vegetables, houseplants, and trees.
Types of 19-19-19 Fertilizer
Triple 19 fertilizer comes in two forms: liquid and granular. Liquid fertilizers are becoming more and more popular because they are not as “hot” as granular fertilizers.
However, you can use either of these fertilizers depending on your soil needs.
Let’s look at the specifics of both of them so that you know exactly which one to use the next time you feed your plants.
Liquid Fertilizer
Liquid triple 19 fertilizer is instantly available for the plant to use it. Liquid fertilizers are also water-soluble, so if you’re afraid of giving your tomatoes and peppers fertilizer burn, you can quickly dissolve them in water.
Liquid triple 19 fertilizer is both a great starter and in-season fertilizer. However, if you’re not planning to use it all up very soon, don’t buy it in large quantities because it can salt out in lower temperatures.
Granular Fertilizer
Don’t be afraid of granular fertilizers! They are cheaper when buying larger amounts, can be easily stored, and don’t salt out like liquid fertilizers.
This type of fertilizer is a slow-release fertilizer suitable for newly planted trees, as they need more nutrients as they develop more extensive root systems.
Another good thing about granular triple 19 is that you can use your spreader to distribute it.
The Application Of Triple 19 Fertilizer
Triple 19 is an all-purpose fertilizer, which means that you can use it for lawns, vegetables, and flower gardens without having anything to worry about.
Most fertilizers can cover 5000-7500 sq. ft, which means that you may not need to use the entire bag on the first go.
Also, there are unwritten rules about what part of the growing season to use it.
In this section, you will find out exactly when and where you can use triple 19 fertilizer.
Triple 19 Fertilizer For Lawns
The question: “Is triple 19 fertilizer good for my lawn?” has many conflicting answers. This short paragraph will give you a definitive answer to this perplexing question.
Triple 19 is unsuitable for a new lawn because it needs more phosphorus than nitrogen to develop its root system.
The nitrogen content in 19-19-19 can even lead to nitrogen toxicity of the soil. For that reason, slow-release fertilizers are the best choice for new and established lawns because they will slowly increase the nutrients in the soil, which makes Scotts lawn food a great option.
However, even though triple 19 is not as beneficial as other fertilizers, you can still use it on established lawns because it won’t cause any damage or taint the beautiful green color.
Established lawns need high-nitrogen fertilizers, and new grass needs high-phosphorus fertilizer. If you want a healthy lawn, you should tend to its needs, and using triple 19 in early spring after the grass wakes up from dormancy can give it quite a boost and help prepare it for the summer.
Also, if legumes such as alfalfa find their way onto your lawn and you don’t feel like eradicating them, you should use fertilizers with lower amounts of nitrogen because alfalfa gives off plenty of nitrogen itself.
Triple 19 Fertilizer For Vegetable Gardens
Triple 19 fertilizer is an all-purpose fertilizer, which means you can use it in your vegetable gardens without worrying about causing any lasting damage.
As this fertilizer is rich in all three macronutrients, it is suitable for mass fertilization. This means that you don’t have to use different fertilizers for every vegetable.
19-19-19 is especially good for green vegetables like spinach, lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard.
Is Triple 19 Fertilizer Good For Flowers?
Triple 19 is suitable for ornamentals because it promotes the development of strong roots and plant growth. You can use it for indoor plants as well, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to dissolve it in water because it will decrease the risk of fertilizer burn.
Also, if you’re fertilizing houseplants, such as Philodendron Mexicanum, make sure that their pots or containers have drainage holes so that the excess fertilizer doesn’t build up in the soil.
However, flowering plants such as roses and dahlias may need extra phosphorus to produce their fascinating flowers. For that reason, you should use a formula that targets these specific needs.
Other Applications Of 19-19-19 Fertilizer
There are even more possible applications of triple 19 fertilizer than these.
You can use this fertilizer to feed your hayfields, fruit trees, decorative trees, and shrubs.
Triple 19 On Hayfields
There is a lot of fuss about using balanced fertilizers on hayfields and pastures. It is known that constantly using only these fertilizers can lead to over-fertilization with phosphorus. Pastures and hayfields need more potassium than a balanced fertilizer can give them.
However, you can get a soil test to better understand the soil needs and then combine different types of fertilizers for optimal results.
Triple 19 For Trees And Shrubs
A balanced fertilizer like triple 19 is excellent for fruit trees because it provides the trees with phosphorous, which helps with the production of flowers and fruit.
On the other hand, nitrogen makes your tree grow big and strong and potassium helps develop the root systems.
Triple 19 meets the same requirements for ornamental trees and shrubs, and many varieties of trees with purple flowers will produce more vibrant blossoms, have more foliage, and have more extensive roots.
However, you can truly see the benefits of triple 19 in trees older than three years, though younger trees may need a different starter fertilizer.
How To Apply 19-19-19 Fertilizer
The first thing you need to do before applying 19-19-19 fertilizer is test your soil. That way, you can be sure triple 19 is what your plants need.
The best time to apply this fertilizer is in early spring, after the plants have awoken from dormancy. You can also use it in the fall if the need arises.
You can use a fertilizer spreader or your hands to distribute the fertilizer, but before you do that, read the instructions on the package to avoid over-fertilizing your plants.
Application Of Liquid vs Granular Triple 19
If you’re using liquid triple 19 fertilizer, dissolve it in water and spray the plants equally. It is advisable to do this on a colder day or early in the morning to avoid any possible burns.
There are differences in the application of a liquid or granular variant of 19-19-19. If you use liquid fertilizer, you might need to feed your plants every four to six months. Liquid 19-19-19 is an excellent option for fertilizing lawns and flowers because it is easily spread and instantly provides the plant or lawn with nutrients.
If you’re fertilizing trees or shrubs, you might want to opt for a granular triple 19 because it slowly releases the nutrients. Precisely because of this element, you only need to apply it once a year.
How Long Does Triple 19 Fertilizer Last?
Liquid 19-19-19 fertilizer may last a few months before you need to reapply it. Granular 19-19-19, on the other hand, lasts much longer because it is a slow-release fertilizer.
Liquid fertilizers instantly release all the nutrients they have, and it only takes a few months for the plant to exhaust its supplies.
Granular fertilizers slowly release their nutrients into the soil, which is why it takes much longer for the plants to use it all up.
When using granular triple 19, you can fertilize the vegetables or trees just once a year. This way, you can avoid fertilizer burn and still give your plants much-needed nutrients.
Availability Of 19-19-19 Fertilizer
Triple 19 fertilizer is highly available. You have the option of buying 20, 50, and 100-pound bags, depending on your needs.
You can buy triple 19 in stores or you can order it online; the choice is yours.
A 50-pound bag costs less than 25$, and with that amount, you can fertilize up to 7500 sq. ft. This means you can invest a small amount of money and your plants will be forever grateful: your spinach and chord will be greener, your peppers and tomatoes will be sweeter, and the colors of your flowers will be more vivid.
If you want to give your plants an extra boost, you can try using organic triple 19. It may not be widely available online, but your local gardening store or nursery should have a bag or two waiting for you.
Q & A
Believe it or not, there are still more exciting facts about 19-19-19 fertilizer!
In this section, you will find the answers you have been looking for. You will learn the other benefits of triple 19 fertilizer and what additional fertilizer it is best used with.
What are we waiting for? Let’s begin!
What is the difference between triple 19 and triple 13?
The only difference between these two fertilizers is their strength.
Triple 19 contains more nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, which is why you should be more careful with the application.
If you’re using it to feed flowers, you can dissolve it in water to reduce its strength by 50-75%. This way, you can avoid fertilizer burn but still give your plant the nutrients it needs.
However, it really comes down to this: both fertilizers have a ratio of 1:1:1, which means you can substitute one for the other at any given time. The only deciding factor is the strength, or rather, whether you need a stronger or weaker fertilizer.
How many pounds of triple 19 fertilizer should be applied?
How many pounds of triple 19 fertilizer you need to apply depends on the field you’re fertilizing. 2 or 300 pounds of triple 19 is too much for hayfields because it will drain the soil of potassium.
You can apply 275 pounds of 19-19-19 per acre, but you should also add half as much potash to meet the potassium needs of hayfields.
If you want to feed the plants in your garden, you should read the instructions on the bag. However, you can use 1-3 pounds per 100 sq. ft.
What is the best fertilizer for lawns?
Our favorite lawn fertilizers for established lawns are Scotts green max fertilizer, Scotts turf builder, and Miracle-gro lawn food. However, if you can’t find these in your local nursery, you can use any fertilizer with higher nitrogen levels.
Also, you should choose a slow-release fertilizer so that you don’t need to fertilize your lawn more than every once in a while. In this case, granular fertilizer would be a great choice.
You can also use liquid fertilizers if you don’t mind fertilizing your lawn a few times a year.
To Sum Up
This article has many interesting facts about triple 19 fertilizer, which has many applications and can be used literally everywhere.
However, if you’re using it for plants you should dilute it in water, and if you’re planning on using it on hayfields you should use an additional fertilizer rich in potassium (we’ve heard that 0-0-60 does wonders).
There are many rules about when and how to use this fertilizer, but this article has brought you the most important ones, so you should have no issues with feeding your lawn, trees, flowers, or vegetables.
Until next time!
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