Fertilizer – Finding What You Need

Q: My UGA soil test report wants me to apply 15-0-15 for spring green up and 34-0-0 in summer. I can’t find either one for sale.

A: I visited a local big box store and a prominent garden center last week to count the number of different fertilizers available. There were 36 different analyses, but none of them were 15-0-15 or 34-0-0. When you’re presented with this conundrum, the best you can do is to approximate the numbers. I found 10-0-6 fertilizer and some 35-0-5. Using 10-0-6, you could apply 1 1/2 times the recommended amount of 15-0-15 and have approximately the correct nutrients. The 35-0-5 is close enough to your 34-0-0 to use the same amount specified in your soil test report. I have a list of the fertilizer analyses I found and a handy calculator you can use to determine what other ratios might fit your needs at http://www.walterreeves.com/tools-and-chemicals/university-of-georgia-fertilizer-calculator/.