cycl
growers know
by Frank Rauscher
SECOND TO NONE:
Most growers have a handle on primary
nutrients and macronutrients, but how
is your understanding of the lesser
known secondary and micronutrients?
As Frank Rauscher explains, these, too,
are important for plant health and vigor.
U
nderstanding essential plant nutrients and their role in
the garden is the quest for every grower. To be a success-
ful grower, knowing the difference between primary and
secondary nutrients is as important as knowing why nutrients
are categorized as macro and others as micro. There are nutri-
ents that are required by plants in larger quantities (referred
to as macronutrients) and others that are needed in trace or
much smaller quantities (micronutrients). Though many may
assume all macronutrients are considered primary, there is yet
another divide within this group—that of primary and second-
ary macronutrients (Fig. 1). Some of the essential nutrients
come from the air and water, while the rest come from the soil
or grow media and from fertilizers added to that media.
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grow cycle