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Contributor: Hannah Brooks. Lesson ID: 12449
Plants need to eat, just like you do. However, they don't eat like you do. They can't go out to eat, so the food has to come to them. Learn what fertilizer is and why plants like it although we don't!
You may not like what you find out, but plants love it!
Many farmers use fertilizers to improve the nutrients in the soil.
This helps crops and plants grow faster and larger.
Fertilizer is a substance that provides nutrition for plants.
Plants need a little bit of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These elements can be added to the soil through different means. There are a couple of different kinds of fertilizers that you can use to help plants grow.
Some farmers use organic matter, like cow manure, as a fertilizer. This helps the plant by providing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.
Manure is a natural way to provide plants with extra nutrition! It doesn't harm the soil but can run off into bodies of water. This can drain into our drinking supply — Ick!
The most common type of fertilizer is called synthetic, or inorganic, fertilizer, because it is man-made. Scientists combined elements to create a substance easily added to the soil for plant growth.
This mixture has many nutrients the soil needs, with high nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium values.
Fertilizers can be extremely helpful in increasing the amount of vegetables and plants we can grow to feed people. They allow plants to grow larger and faster!
That helps us feed the growing population of the earth! However, fertilizers can damage the soil and environment.
When a farmer uses too much fertilizer, it can build up in the soil. This causes the soil to dry out, meaning more water must be added for the plants to grow.
Fertilizer can also run off when a heavy rain moves through. The rainwater pushes the nutrients toward rivers and lakes. Once in the rivers and lakes, it can harm wildlife and contaminate our drinking water.
Fertilizers can help grow plants and crops. They add nutrients to the soil, helping plants grow larger and stronger. Fertilizers can be organic — made of matter from living things — or inorganic.
There are some downsides to using too many fertilizers. It can cause harm to the soil and our water supply!
Create a two-column chart to compare the benefits of fertilizers to the negative impacts. Put the benefits in one column and the consequences in the second.
In the Got It? section, answer some questions about the types of fertilizers.
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