Video Transcript
Which three elements should a complete NPK fertilizer contain?
The answer to this question is in the name of the fertilizer. N, P, and K are the atomic symbols for the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. All three of these elements are extremely important in healthy plant growth. Nitrogen is needed to create proteins. Phosphorus is needed to create ATP, a biological chemical cells use for energy. And potassium ions are involved in transporting nutrients throughout the plant.
As plants grow, they absorb these nutrients from the soil. If they’re grown in the same area year after year, all the nutrients from the soil will be absorbed. This is why it’s important to add fertilizers to plants. Not all fertilizers contain the same nutrients. But because nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are so important for plant growth, those that contain all three are complete fertilizers, which again makes them NPK fertilizers. So the three elements that a complete NPK fertilizer should contain are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
