View the numbers on fertilizer packaging as similar to the nutrition information labels on the foods we eat: Separated by hyphens, the three numbers on fertilizer are required by state fertilizer ...

Ready, set, go. It is time to fertilize. I know you have felt like a bird dog on a point ready to flush, just waiting to get the word to start those spreaders. Now you have the command, so let it rip.

The numbers on fertilizer can be vexing at first, but once you realize that they correspond to nutrients in the mix, they're much easier to decode.

Fertilizers contain nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), indicated by three numbers representing their percentage by weight. Nitrogen promotes leafy growth, phosphorus aids energy transfer ...