Figaro

I'd like to understand this more. I am a big fan of using rock dust on all my plants. I do not work for any company that sells it, I'm simply a guy that grows a lot of different fruits and vegetables.

I'm also not a botanist or horticultural expert, so the following is not intended to be argumentative but is only my "understanding" and I'm anxious to learn if and how I'm incorrect.

IMHO, the NPK ratios are not that important and the ideal NPK ratio can vary from plant to plant.

A plant is only going to ingest the nutrients it wants/needs. Having more of that nutrient shouldn't hurt as long as it's not in a high enough concentration to cause toxicity. And, having more of that nutrient will not make the plant ingest more of it than it needs.

In fact, I look at my role as making sure that whatever my plants want are available in the mix, in tolerable amounts.

While Azomite does include additional N, P & K, and most likely in amounts that change the nutrient's NPK ratio, it certainly doesn't add them at toxic levels and just by adding more Phosphorous (for example) doesn't mean the plant will ingest more Phosphorous.

More importantly, the Azomite adds valuable trace minerals back to the soil that do get used by the plants and are not necessarily included in most fertilizers.

While it doesn't take much more than N,P & K to grow a plant, I BELIEVE that to have the healthiest plants that produce the best tasting and most vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, you want as many of the trace minerals available as possible, too (in non-toxic levels, of course!).

So, where am I going wrong in my understanding/interpretation? If the NPK is all available at levels where the plant gets all it craves, why is the NPK ratio so "sacred".

Again, this is not intended to be argumentative and any/all input is greatly appreciated, especially if I learn something new!