Last week I wrote a lengthy blog on soil health and fertility. Here’s some additional thoughts:

Soil fertility is to a large extent affected by the amount of fertilizer used to produce fruits, vegetables and flowers. However, if you are only concentrating on the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash applied to the soil, you could be missing the big picture. The “Law of the Minimum” formulated by German scientist Justus von Liebig in the 19th century stated that if one of the essential plant nutrients is deficient, plant growth will be poor even when all other essential nutrients are abundant. That means that if you are using a conventional NPK fertilizer on your lawn or garden and not satisfied with the results, there may be a deficiency in another essential nutrient. A deficient amount of sulfur, magnesium, zinc, calcium, or other essential nutrient can rob you of the results you are hoping for. Sounds like a good reason to get a soil test done!