Types

• Fertilizers list nutrient labels on packages in the N-P-K form, which gives the percentage of each macronutrient in the mixture. Potassium nitrate is a type of fertilizer that contains high nitrogen and potassium levels, without the added phosphorus. This is beneficial to soil that lacks nitrogen and potassium, but has adequate levels of the phosphorus nutrient.
  
  

Effects

• Nitrogen nutrients in soils promote green leafy foliage, strong growth and resistance against disease and insect pests. The potassium nutrient helps plants with photosynthesis and with the absorption of the other two macronutrients.
  
  

Warnings

• Soil tests done by university-based or private labs can determine the available nutrients in soil. High levels of nitrogen from over fertilization can cause plant tip burn and weakened growth. However, potassium is harder for plants to obtain in natural forms and from fertilization.