If you're looking for a soil fertilizer that's effective and won't break the bank, reach for two household ingredients. Find ...

Banana peels contain potassium (as well as calcium and magnesium), which tomato plants love. To make the natural fertilizer, cut up banana peels and soak them in a jar with water for one week.

Apply feather meal in early spring under the drip line, lightly cultivating it into the top few inches of soil. Its ...

What the numbers on a bag of fertilizer tell you All fertilizers are going to have N, P and K listed on the front. But there is more. Secondary nutrients are calcium, magnesium and sulfur.

Many fertilizers also contain secondary nutrients, like calcium and magnesium, and micronutrients like iron, copper, boron, manganese, zinc and molybdenum. All are necessary for optimal plant growth.

The secondary nutrients -- calcium, magnesium and sulfur -- are used in larger amounts. Acid soils that have a low pH are often deficient in calcium. Lime is applied to add calcium and raise the pH.

David B. Mengel, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University Soils can be thought of as storehouses for plant nutrients. Many nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, may be supplied to plants solely ...