The most critical minerals for healthy plant growth are the three listed on every fertilizer package: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). They are the primary nutrients, but plants also require substantial quantities of calcium (Ca), sulfur (S) and magnesium (Mg), which are often referred to as secondary macronutrients.
Without a sufficient supply of all of these, plants will not grow robustly or reproduce vigorously.
Micronutrients are also needed by plants, but in much smaller quantities than macronutrients. Among the micronutrients are:
- Boron (B)
- Chlorine (Cl)
- Copper (Cu)
- Iron (Fe)
- Manganese (Mn)
- Molybdenum (Mo)
- Zinc (Zn)