Introduction
There are 17 essential nutrients required for plant growth:
carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus
(P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur
(S), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), boron
(B), molybdenum (Mo), chlorine (Cl) and nickel (Ni). Of these
17, all except carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are derived from
the soil. When the soil cannot supply the level of nutrient
required for adequate growth, supplemental fertilizer applications
become necessary.
Recommendations for fertilizing fruit and vegetable crops
in Minnesota are based in part on soil test results. Soil testing
provides information on lime and fertilizer needs prior to
planting and is particularly well calibrated for nutrients such as
phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, zinc, and
boron. Soil testing prior to planting takes the guesswork out of
making fertilizer recommendations and leads to more efficient
nutrient management. Fertilizer recommendations in this
bulletin are intended for field-grown fruit and vegetable crops.
For container-grown crops, such as transplants or vegetables
grown in the greenhouse in pots, different soil tests should be
used. Contact the University of Minnesota Soil Testing Laboratory
(612-625-3101), for the appropriate form to fill out for
container-grown crops or check http://soiltest.coafes.umn.edu/
For fertilizer requirements of established perennial crops
and for fine-tuning fertilizer needs of annual crops, a combination
of soil testing and tissue analysis should be used.
Carl J. Rosen is an extension soil scientist and Roger
Eliason is a scientist and laboratory director in the
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University
of Minnesota.
documents.