Summarize:

In order for you to pick the correct fertilizer, you will have to see what your soil composition is. Many home and garden stores sell soil testing kits. The results from this test will tell you what nutrients you need to add to create the best balance for your plants to grow. Choose between organic and inorganic fertilizers. When you select inorganic fertilizer, look for the blend that supplies the best balance of nutrient requirements your soil needs. Organic fertilizers are harder to gauge because they vary in the amount of nutrients they supply. The organic fertilizer must also be broken down into inorganic substances in the soil for the plant to be able to use, which means it will take longer your plants to see a benefit. Inorganic fertilizers provide immediate nutrients to plants and help them grow faster. Organic fertilizers take longer to release in the soil, but they create a healthier soil over time. If your goal is to take an existing plant and make it grow faster, then use inorganic fertilizer. If you are looking to make a long-term garden or flowerbed, then organic fertilizer is more beneficial. Granular fertilizers come in small pellets. Like organic fertilizer, they are best for long-term projects like flowerbeds. The coating on granular fertilizer is resin, which causes the nutrients to be released slowly into the soil. Liquid fertilizers work much faster, but they require more applications. Usually, you will need to spray liquid fertilizers on your plants every few weeks. Liquid fertilizer is also more expensive.  Choose the fertilizer based on the urgency of your project. If you want future plants to grow faster, then choose granular fertilizers as this will make the soil richer over time. If you have a plant that needs immediate attention, then use the liquid fertilizer. If you choose a liquid fertilizer, make sure the read the directions on the bottle. Too many applications can over-fertilize and kill your plant. Plants require 16 nutrients to grow successfully. The three main nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These three are referred to as macronutrients. The secondary nutrients required are sulfur, calcium, and magnesium. Last, plants need the micronutrients boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.  Without the three macronutrients, a plant will not be able to grow. Some fertilizers will have plant foods added to them. If you are growing one plant, such as a particular flower, this will help it grow. However, if you are growing many different types of plants at once, it is better to get a fertilizer without plant food. Different types of fertilizers use different blends of these nutrients. For instance, a 6-12-6 bag of fertilizer has 6-percent nitrogen, 12-percent phosphorus, and  6 percent potassium. Based on your soil test, choose the mixture that will add the most to your soil. The best approach is to add the fertilizer uniformly to the soil. If you choose to use granular fertilizer, a drop spreader will help you distribute it.  If you are fertilizing plants outside, be sure to clean up any fertilizer that spill into the streets or sidewalks. This will prevent it from getting into waterways. Plants go through nutrients quickly. In order to keep your plants consistently fed, make sure to add fertilizer to the soil as often at the plant requires, which will vary based on both the plant and fertilizer. Read the instructions on the fertilizer to see its recommendations.  If you buy a pre-plotted plant, check the label on the plant to see what soil they were planted in. This will give you an idea how often you need to feed it.
Perform a soil test. Pick an organic or inorganic fertilizer. Choose granular or liquid fertilizers. Look at the fertilizer’s nutrients. Determine the portion of nutrients on the bag. Add the fertilizer to your plant. Fertilize your plants often.