One of the most overlooked areas of gardening is fertilizing. That's because it can sometimes seem more complicated than it actually is. We'll attempt to first explain and then to simplify things for you. Here's what you need to know. There are sixteen elements known to be important to a plant's growth and survival. These are divided into mineral and non-mineral.

The non-mineral nutrients--hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and carbon (C)--are found in the air and water. Through a process called photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun to change these nutrients into starches and sugars which become the plant's food. Since plants get these nutrients from the air and water, there is little gardeners can do to control how much of these nutrients a plant can use.

The 13 mineral nutrients, which come from the soil, are dissolved in water or digested by soil microbes and made available to be absorbed through a plant's roots. Most of the mineral nutrients contained in plant foods exist in your soil in some amount naturally. The problem is that most don't contain enough or have become out of balance. The only way that these nutrients in soil can be replenished is from decomposing plant or leaf matter (natural or from composting) or from fertilizers. Most soil types are lacking in a number of areas. The three most important (primary) nutrients for healthy plants are N-P-K or nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is necessary for healthy, green plant foliage and growth. Phosphorus is needed for a plant's roots, flowers and eventual fruit production and flavor. Potassium is necessary for a plant's overall health because it stimulates good root growth and cell structure in the leaf tissue. These major nutrients usually are lacking from the soil first because plants use large amounts for their growth and survival.

The best way to provide your plants with the mineral nutrients is with fertilizer. Here you have a couple of choices: chemical or organic, dry or water soluble. Chemical and water soluble fertilizers are designed to make these nutrients available to the plant quickly. They can give plants a quick boost to stimulate new growth or to green up fast.

Alternatively, organic products are designed to slowly decompose to enhance the soil and be consumed by soil microbes, then taken up by the plant root system. Organic fertilizers are more stable in the soil and become available to the plant more gradually. While they are feeding the plants, they are also improving the soil health. The plants grow a bit more slowly, but that gives them more strength and resistance to disease and pests.

Make sure to apply the fertilizer to the soil at the drip line of the plant, because that's where the feeding roots are. The drip line is where, if you draw an imaginary line from the outermost branches to the ground, rain would fall. Always water in well and never feed a dry plant. It is especially important to feed plants in containers regularly or they won't have anything to eat! The label directions will guide you for how much to apply and how often.