WHERE DOES THE PLANT GET ITS NUTRIENTS?
One of the major sources, of course, is SOIL. • What is the difference between ORGANIC and INORGANIC farming? • INORGANIC fertilizer is applied as the name implies: in the form of inorganic compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K) as well as trace elements, in lower quantities. • These may leach out of soil rather quickly, though they are instantly available to plants. • ORGANIC fertilizer, as its name implies, consists of complex organic material that’s in the process of decomposing. • Although it takes longer to become available to plants (depending on the speed with which decomposers release inorganic forms to the plants), it will stay in the soil much longer. • What role do you suppose water/precipitation plays in affecting nutrient content of soil? (Think: Rainforest) • Decaying organic matter within soil is often called HUMUS. The more humus there is in the soil, the less likely it is to be compacted, the more likely it is to retain water (humus has a spongelike ca
