Unlike their slow-release counterparts, water soluble fertilizers easily dissolve in water and allow for the instant uptake of nutrients. When it rains or when you water your plants, some of the dry fertilizer’s nutrients reach your plants’ roots. Slow-release formulas are worked into the soil near the plants they’re intended to feed. Instead, these “slow-release” dry fertilizers offer nutrients very gradually. Typically available in pellets or granules, water-insoluble fertilizers don’t readily dissolve in water. Once watered, your plants’ roots draw in much-needed moisture and the nutrients present in the resulting soil solution. But it isn’t until you fully water plants-or they get a good, soaking rain-that soil-based elements become accessible to your plants’ roots. Plants acquire nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other essential soil-based elements through their roots. To understand what water-soluble fertilizers are and how they work, you first need to understand how plants access nutrients. Water soluble fertilizers are easy to mix and use, and provide nutrients to plants quickly.

In fact, which nutrients you provide-and how and when you provide them-can affect everything from the health and size of cut-flower blossoms to the thickness of your lawn and the taste of fruit and veggies.

Water soluble fertilizers can boost both crop growth and the quality of produce. Providing macronutrients and micronutrients that plants can quickly and easily access can help you net better results overall. Just as the fruits, flowers, and vegetables you grow need adequate light and water to thrive, they need essential nutrients, too. Applying the right water soluble fertilizers can work wonders on field crops, in home gardens, and even for houseplants.

Water insoluble liquid fertilizers