One of the most challenging aspects of caring for plants is nailing their nutritional needs. Every plant is a little bit different concerning its nutrient requirements, and you’ll also have to balance what it’s getting against what’s already in the soil.
It’s tricky to get things right, and made even trickier by the dozens and dozens of different kinds of fertilizers that are out on the market today.
Choose the wrong fertilizer and your plants won’t get what they need, or you might actually end up hurting them!
I don’t want that to happen to you, so to help, I’m bringing you a guide on the common 6-24-24, a low-nitrogen fertilizer that can give your plants phosphorus and potassium.
I’ll tell you what you need to know about it below…
What Does 6-24-24 Mean?
The sequence of numbers you see on a bag of 6-24-24 tell you how much of each essential nutrient is in the formula, expressed as a percentage.
In this case, you know that it has 6% nitrogen, 24% phosphorus, and 24% potassium. This ratio, talking about fertilizer, is typically referred to as NPK for short, again for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Quick note on the K: that stands for potassium because potassium is atomic symbol is K on the periodic table.
Mind you this is the common expression for all kinds of fertilizer, so now you can tell very quickly what sort of fertilizer you’re dealing with and what it’ll be good for.
6-24-24 Fertilizer Benefits
6-24-24 is a somewhat specialized fertilizer, although you can use it as a go-to for certain kinds of plants and lawns.
Because it contains just a little bit of nitrogen but a good amount of phosphorus and potassium, it has everything that most plants need.
Its two best minerals, phosphorus and potassium, are needed to help plants grow and develop their fruits and veggies and also make use of other nutrients, respectively.
If you’re dealing with fruiting plants that don’t need much nitrogen, or if there is already lots of nitrogen in the soil, 6-24-24 can be a good choice.
Likewise, seriously stressed plants that might not cope with a big shot of nitrogen in the meantime could be best served by an application of 6-24-24 since it is quite mild concerning nitrogen.
What Are the Ingredients in 6-24-24 Fertilizer?
As evidenced by the description on the package, 6-24-24 contains a little bit of nitrogen, good amounts of phosphorus and potassium, but that’s not all it contains.
Depending on the manufacturer and the specific formulation, you’ll find other active and inert ingredients, along with supplemental or trace minerals.
Your 6-24-24 might contain soil conditioners, iron, lime, water retention additives and potentially even pest control agents.
Whether these things are good or not depends very much on your outlook and very much on your specific application.
Always be sure to double-check the ingredients list on the package so you know precisely what you’re getting and exactly what your plants will be getting.
How Should You Apply 6-24-24 Fertilizer?
How you apply your 6-24-24 is almost totally dependent on the type of fertilizer that you purchase.
You’ll find this stuff in both liquid and solid forms, with the solids typically being a coarse granule or powder form. These are easily deployed by hand or spread with a broadcaster or sifter.
Liquid versions may or may not require dilution, and you’ll definitely want to pay attention to that so you don’t accidentally roast your plants. All liquid varieties can be administered with a watering can or a sprayer.
6-24-24 is also commonly found as fertilizer spikes that you drive into the soil; these are a great application for lawns because they steadily but slowly release nutrients over time with rainfall and successive watering.
What Plants Benefit From 6-24-24 Fertilizer?
6-24-24 is a fine choice for any plant that is highly sensitive to too much nitrogen, or for any plantings where you already have lots of nitrogen in the soil as confirmed by a soil test.
It’s also a good general-purpose lawn fertilizer if your lawn is in good shape overall, but is currently suffering from a period of stress from weather or pests.
The phosphorus and potassium will help with, that whereas adding too much nitrogen could exacerbate the problem.
However, if you want a true general-purpose fertilizer, there are still better choices out there, like 8-8-8.
Is 6-24-24 Good for Gardens?
Yes, 6-24-24 is a pretty good fertilizer for gardens. If you have delicate or nitrogen-sensitive plants that still need phosphorus or potassium to help them, overall it’s a fine choice.
Is 6-24-24 Good for Trees?
Yes, especially for fruit trees that don’t need any nitrogen at the moment. A good shot of phosphorus and potassium is just the ticket to help trees deal with stress and grow big, beautiful fruits or flowers.
Is 6-24-24 Fertilizer Good for Your Lawn?
6-24-24 can be a fine choice for grasses that need help dealing with stress but are otherwise okay. Many kinds of grasses are definitely nitrogen-loving, and 6-24-24 doesn’t have much nitrogen for them.
But if you’re alone is struggling and soil levels are otherwise good, this can be just the ticket to give your grass a little bit of relief and help protect it from intense weather and other stressors.
Is 6-24-24 Good for Your Houseplants?
Yes, especially flowers. 6-24-24 has only a little bit of nitrogen, and that makes it very mild and it’s safe to use with sensitive plants.
How And When Should You Use 6-24-24 Fertilizer?
If you test your soil, and you should be, and find that there is plenty of nitrogen on hand for your plants to use that is typically when you should reach for 6-24-24.
It’s also a good choice for delicate plants that don’t need much nitrogen in the first place, or in any other conditions when scorching them with more intense fertilizer is a very real risk.
Whenever your plants start to turn yellow on the edges of the leaves due to weather or other stressors, 6-24-24 can be just the thing to help them recover.
What’s the Best Time of Day to Apply 6-24-24?
As always, you should apply your 6-24-24 early in the morning or no earlier than late afternoon.
That’s because even though it’s mild, it still has nitrogen, and applying fertilizers in the middle of the day when it’s hot and the sun is at its most intense can harm them.
However, because 6-24-24 is so light on nitrogen it is generally safe to apply it in the daytime if your plants are completely in the shade or if it is a totally overcast day.
How Much 6-24-24 Fertilizer Do You Need per Acre?
A good rule of thumb for using 6-24-24 to fertilize an acre of land per more is 1 pound per 1000 square feet requiring fertilization.
But be cautious: every manufacturer makes fertilizers of varying concentrations, so be sure to consult the package instructions or the data sheet for your fertilizer for exact ratios and broadcaster or sprayer settings.
Who Makes the Best 6-24-24 Fertilizer?
Best makes an excellent high-performance 6-24-24 fertilizer that works wonderfully as a spring starter fertilizer or for winterizing.
Where Can You Find 6-24-24 Fertilizer?
6-24-24 is not particularly common compared to some of the other Mainstays we have covered in this series, but it’s definitely out there.
You can find it at big home improvement stores, well-equipped nurseries and lawn care shops and occasionally at hardware stores. Naturally, you’ll also find it readily available online from various makers.
Tim is a farm boy with vast experience on homesteads, and with survival and prepping. He lives a self-reliant lifestyle along with his aging mother in a quiet and very conservative little town in Ohio. He teaches folks about security, prepping and self-sufficiency not just through his witty writing, but also in person.
Find out more about Tim and the rest of the crew here.