Fertilisers

Think of plant fertiliser as healthy plant food. It can come in many forms, but it always contains nutrients plants love and need. From all-purpose fertilisers that are full of essential nutrients and soil additives, to plant fertilisers tailored for specific plant groups. We have a huge range of plant fertilisers for indoor plants, herbs, vegies, fruit and citrus, natives, flowering plants, roses, orchids, azaleas and camellias. Our range also includes organic fertilisers, to keep all the good bugs in your garden happy.

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The biggest range of fertiliser at Flower Power

Fertiliser is essential for happy, well-fed plants. It contains the nutrients plants need to thrive, that they can’t get enough of in their home environment. Think of them as a multi vitamin for your plant!

Our range of fertiliser includes everything from all-purpose fertilisers that are full of essential nutrients and soil additives to plant fertilisers tailored for specific plant groups: indoor plants, herbs, vegies, fruit and citrus, natives, flowering plants, roses, orchids, azaleas and camellias. Whether you’re looking for liquid fertiliser, blood and bone fertiliser, organic fertiliser or a do-it-all fertiliser, you’ll find it here at Flower Power. Plus if you’re wondering how do fertilisers help plants grow or how often to fertilise plants, we’ve got a team of experts ready to answer all your questions.


What is a plant fertiliser?

Fertiliser, which we sometimes call plant food, is a broad term for either a mixture of chemicals or natural matter that is used to encourage plants to grow, flower and thrive.

Many nutrients occur naturally in soil, but if conditions aren’t completely right, nutrients can disappear, so we can add fertilisers to give nature a hand.

When you buy potting mix to pot your flowers, fruits and vegetables, and leafy plants in, the potting mix will already contain certain amounts of fertiliser, but once your plant has consumed those, you’ll need to add more to the soil. You can buy natural fertilisers such as blood and bone fertiliser or manure, or you can buy granular or liquid fertiliser to add to the soil. 


How do fertilisers help plants grow?

Fertilisers provide essential nutrients to your plants, ones that they need but can’t get by themselves – like multi vitamins you take to supplement your diet.

The main ingredients in most commercially available fertilisers are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Different fertilisers will contain different ratios of each ingredient, depending on what certain plants need.


How do fertilisers affect plant growth?

Each of the main elements in fertiliser affect different parts of the plant’s growth. Nitrogen increases a plants ability to produce new leaves, stems, flowers or fruit, and helps it grow faster and stronger. 

Phosphorus helps a plant produce the important internal components such as starch for growing strong roots and chlorophyll to help it photosynthesise, and helps it grow healthy fruit and flowers.

Potassium helps the plant to produce potassium, resist disease and photosynthesise. 

All three elements work together to help a plant grow strong and healthy. If one is missing or lacking, a plant will struggle to thrive. 

Some fertilisers may also include smaller quantities of zinc, magnesium, calcium, sulphur and iron. 

Many plants will do just fine on an all-purpose fertiliser, but some plants, such as camellias, require a very specific balance of nutrients and must be fed a fertiliser created for that species. 


What are the risks of using fertilisers?

As a general rule, fertilisers will improve your plants, helping them to grow strong and healthy. However, as with everything in life, too much of a good thing can cause problems. Just as taking too many multi vitamins or taking them incorrectly can actually make you sick, giving plants too much fertiliser can make them sick.

If a fertiliser is used without following instructions on the label, it can cause damage to your plants. For example, most liquid fertiliser will need to be diluted before being applied to the plant or they can cause chemical burns to plants, which can damage or kill them. The same applies if fertilisers are applied too often. The risk is higher with chemical fertiliser than with organic fertiliser such as blood and bone fertiliser.

Remember that fertiliser isn’t a substitute for an overall healthy growing environment. Fertiliser won’t replace the appropriate amount of light, good quality soil and enough water. 


How often to fertilise plants

Generally, you only really need to fertilise your plants about twice a year, though a little more or less frequently won’t do any harm and in fact container plants may require a little more as they don’t have access to nutrients from the ground. The best time to fertilise your plants are during the months of spring and summer, usually from September to February, as this is the time your plants will be having a growth spurt and will need more nutrients. Indoor plants can be fertilised a little later into the season as they’re more protected from the cold, but be sure not to overfeed them. Flowering and fruiting plants usually require more frequent feeding during productive months.

If you’re looking for fertiliser to keep your plants happy and thriving, check out our range online or come into your nearest Flower Power store and let our expert horticulturalists advise you on the best fertiliser for your needs and how often to fertilise plants.

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