What are the advantage and disadvantages of slow release fertilizers?
Answer Advantages of slow release fertilizer is that the nutrients are available gradually over an extended period of time. This means that the gardener can fertilize less often, and the nutrients are provided gradually (at lower rate but consistently). This is how most plants prefer to be fed (like us who eat a little every day compared to just one (bigger) meal per week). Most slow release fertilizers (organic and synthetic) release at specific (warm) soil temperatures. The benefit of this is that plant roots generally are most active in warm soil and therefore the slow release fertilizer will start to make fertilizer available as soon as the plants actually needs them. As the plant roots become more active (in warmer soil) more fertilizer will automatically be released. The draw back is when certain plants prefer to take up fertilizer nutrients from cold soil (some slow release fertilzers can release nutrients in cold soil, e.g. IBDU coated fertilizers for example, but most can not)
