What Does Fertilizer Do?

Fertilizers provide crops with nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, which allow crops to grow bigger, faster, and to produce more food. Nitrogen in particular is an essential nutrient for the growth of every organism on Earth.

What is the main purpose of fertilizer?

Fertilizers supplement essential nutrients in the soil needed by all plants for healthy, vigorous growth. Contrary to popular belief, fertilizers are not plant food. Plants manufacture their own food from water and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Fertilizers instead provide the nutrients plants need to grow.

How does the fertilizer affect plant growth?

Nitrogen becomes depleted in soil quickly, and the primary benefit of fertilizer is the nitrogen it provides. ... Fertilizer contains a large amount of these elements, which ensures that plants stay healthy. Plants can generally grow without fertilizer, but they may take more time to get the elements they need to thrive.