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There ’s an ongoing battle between plant life owner with nothing to do with which plant is better or what it should be called .
This fight is , of course , over fertiliser .
We wo n’t get deep into the debate here , but one of the prominent debate is whether liquid - soluble fertilizers are better or unsound than coarse-grained fertiliser .
One particular difference is in shelf life , and while we ’re going to nullify the greater public debate , this is one breaker point well worth looking at in detail .
So have ’s take a expression at how well mealy fertilizers hold up in storage , then liken this to the shelf living of some other popular fertilizer type .
How Long Can Granular Fertilizer Be Stored?
When the right way stored , farinaceous plant food can persist useable indefinitely .
However , the method you use for storage are key , and knowing if that repositing has been compromised can aid you identify whether the fertilizer has gone bad .
Synthetic vs. Organic Granular Fertilizers
One important distinction we need to make is that there ’s a big difference between synthetic and organic granule lifespans .
Synthetic granules will last indefinitely , and no longitudinal survey show the granules run unfit after even 10 of storage .
However , constitutional granule rely on organic materials and mostly have a shelf sprightliness of about 5 year .
This is because they carry microbic life essential for the granules to damp down properly .
Beyond this dispute in lifespan , there is very niggling difference between the two ; we will only tell apart between them when necessary .
The Best Way to Store Granular Fertilizer
store granular fertilizer is n’t unmanageable , and conform to a few simple rules will grant you to keep the fertiliser in double-dyed condition for years .
When possible , keep the plant food in its original bag .
This provides a layer of protective cover , prevents granules from escaping , and can assist you identify the type of fertilizer you ’re storing .
As many people have works that need different fertilizers , that last point can be especially important .
second , you will want to place the fertiliser travelling bag in an airtight container .
Plastic and metal piece of work evenly well , and keeping it airtight will forfend the risk of pests or fungal spore get in and break the granule .
Finally , choose a cool , ironical seat to lay in the plant food container , sooner away from sun .
A service department , cellar , or cast off can all be swell pick if they do n’t get too red-hot in the summer .
How NOT to Store Granular Fertilizer
So now that we ’ve looked at the good way to store chondritic fertiliser , let ’s look at some of the things you SHOULDN’T do .
First of all , never leave the fertilizer bag in verbatim sun .
The sunlight can hot up the bag , cooking away some nutrients .
This is peculiarly true of organic granular fertilizer , which may get to break off down in the sunlight .
Another risk of infection is allowing the granule to get wet .
synthetical granules will tend to flock if expose to high humidity or wet , and while they can be broken apart again , they ’re not as leisurely to use once this happens .
Meanwhile , constitutive granules can become infected with mold or begin to transgress down , slowly spoiling the intact bag .
estrus will cause the nitrogen cognitive content in many ingredients to go bad down into gas , which can further affect the quality of your granules .
As you could see , this is why it ’s important to store your granules in an airtight container somewhere cool , dry , and aside from the Sunday .
Doing so will preserve the granules , but failing to do so can scale down their quality or even smash them .
Comparing Lifespans for Other Fertilizer Types
Finally , allow ’s take a brief mo to look at a few other type of fertiliser to see how they compare regarding shelf life .
Synthetic liquid - soluble fertilizer can last long when stored properly , with a possible life of 8 years or more .
juiceless elucidate fertilizers can last indefinitely when stored properly .
depend on the product , organic liquid - soluble fertilizers can last up to 8 days .
Mineral - based limpid fertilizers can last for up to 10 years .
Last but not least , fertilizers that contain a microbic ingredient or weed killer , such as mourning band and provender fertilizers , will last between 2 and 4 years when by rights stored .
