Soil Minerals for Good Vegetables

Nutrients are the food source of all plant life that comes from the soil. Ground that lacks these elements is infertile, or produces poorly. Rich, fertile ground contains just the right levels of the three main minerals to feed plants without burning them. Plants may grow to some extent in poorer soil, but grains and vegetables will lack flavor and be less abundant. There is nothing that can replace the vital minerals in poor soil, except those minerals, so choose carefully what you use to improve your ground for a garden.

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the familiar NPK on a fertilizer label: the big three are listed prominently on commercial fertilizer packaging. The reason these three elements are so touted by the packages is that they are the primary source of growth and they encourage large, robust plants. These are important as primary nutrients because before a plant can produce delicious vegetables or grains, they must first exist, and be healthy and large. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium do not have much of an impact on the taste of the foods produced, however. In a flower garden that may not make much difference, but in a vegetable garden it is an important point.

Copper and Zinc

Copper and zinc are the two most common names in the minerals considered “micronutrients” in a garden soil composition. They are vital to the development and all around health of the plant, but used in much smaller quantities than the traditional N-P-K nutrients that form the bulk of the plant nutrition needs. Cooper enhances root development. While plants do not need a lot, without it, they do not get the foothold needed to be firm and hold the weight of large plants above ground. Lack of copper also creates dead, curled or wilted leaves in mature plants. Zinc is also a root nutrient, but rather than promoting growth, zinc prevents rot, an element that is vital in the moist ground of a garden soil.

Iron and Manganese

Iron is an important element in plant growth, but not overly abundant in commercial, or homemade, fertilizers because the Earth’s crust has a great deal of iron naturally occurring, and there are few areas that do not have any iron available. Whether they are in a form that is useable to the plants is another story. Iron is absolutely essential in the plant’s ability to draw nutrition and energy from the light it receives. A soil test should produce soil with iron in a 50 – 200 part per million (ppm) range. Scientists are not completely sure how manganese works with iron, but they do know the two work in conjunction with each other, and that manganese is the element that charges the energy iron produces. Too much manganese is a problem, however, and careful application in areas lacking in this mineral are required to produce the desired results. This is especially true in wet areas where pH levels are low. A soil test should produce a manganese level below 50 ppm.

Boron

Boron is another of the mysterious elements that scientists know calcium requires for proper function in plant and animal life, but are not sure why or how it is used. Boron is a member of the trace element category that should be present between 2 and 75 ppm. More than 75 ppm can destroy plants and/or kill seeds. A suggested application level for boron is 1 part boron to 1000 parts of calcium.