The 5 Best Fertilizers For Potatoes (#4 Is My Favorite!)

I love growing potatoes, they are one of the plants that made me fall in love with gardening. But sometimes the leaves turn purple or they don’t grow as fast, and the plant starts wilting.

Most of the issues you might have with your potato plants can stem from a lack of certain nutrients. That’s where potato fertilizers come into play.

The Best Potato Fertilizers for Your Garden (Natural & Organic)

Here are the top potato fertilizers I’ve found for growing a large potato harvest. #4 is my favorite so far because I can use it for almost everything in the garden.

Frequently Asked Questions About Potato Fertilizers

What is an NPK Ratio

If you remember high school chemistry class, you might remember that table of elements. It was super overwhelming, but thankfully when you’re gardening – there are only 3 main ones to pay attention to.

What Does N-P-K Stand For?

NPK isn’t just a strange slang term, it stands for:

• N is for Nitrogen – Nitrogen helps plants grow and gives leaves their deep green color
• P is for Phosphorus – great for helping blooms and producing healthy fruit
• K is for Potassium – supports strong root growth and more stable plants

Depending on the nutrients already in your soil and the type of plant you’re growing, you’ll need a different NPK ratio. It can be confusing if you haven’t done a soil test lately. For the most part, an “all-purpose” type of fertilizer like this is a good option for most plants.

Around half a foot of fertilizer per 50 square feet of garden space is a good starting point. But you’ll want to take into account your specific growing conditions.

How to Pick The Right NPK Fertilizer for Potatoes

There are a few things to consider when choosing a fertilizer for your garden. I always try and stick to an organic option when possible.

Before you choose any fertilizer, make sure you’ve gotten a soil test done so you can understand what nutrients your plants need, versus what’s already in the soil.

You might also need other nutrients aside from the NPK formulas, so it’s important to know.

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3 Different Types of Fertilizer

Granular

Granular fertilizers are nice because they are often a slow-release variety, meaning they can give the plants nutrients over time, instead of all at once. Since plants can’t use all of the nutrients at once, this is a big benefit to using certain granular formulas.

Fertilizer Spikes

Spikes are one of the best options for beginner gardeners. It’s hard to mess up the formulation and application instructions.

Liquid Fertilizer

Liquid fertilizer is a concentrated solution of fertilizer. Make sure to dilute with water before you apply it. I like using a backpack sprayer to make sure I can an even coating around the base of the plants.