DAP Fertilizer 1 kg — Phosphorus-Rich Granular Plant Food for Roots, Bulbs & Flowers

What DAP is

DAP stands for diammonium phosphate. It is a grey-white granular fertilizer carrying 18% nitrogen and 46% phosphorus (as P2O5) — the highest phosphorus content of any common fertilizer, which is exactly why farmers put it in the furrow at sowing.

Phosphorus is what a plant spends on roots, on bulbs and corms, on bud formation and on setting fruit. A plant short of phosphorus stays small, goes dull bluish-green or purplish in the older leaves, and flowers poorly no matter how much else you feed it.

Until now you could only buy it in a 50 kg farm bag. This is the same fertilizer, repacked for pots and beds.

How to use it

1. Beds, before planting — roughly 25–30 g per square metre (about two tablespoons), forked into the top four to six inches of soil, then watered. Do this a week or two before you plant.
2. Pots and containers — half a teaspoon mixed thoroughly through the potting mix for an 8–10 inch pot. Mix it right through; never leave it sitting in one spot.
3. Planting bulbs, roses and shrubs — a level teaspoon stirred into the loose soil at the bottom of the hole, then a layer of plain soil on top so roots do not touch the granules directly.
4. Established plants — scratch a small amount into the soil at the edge of the canopy and water it in well. Never sprinkle it against the stem.
5. Always water after applying. DAP needs moisture to dissolve and move into the root zone. Applied to dry soil it just sits there.

The mistake to avoid

DAP is a concentrated chemical fertilizer and it can burn. This is the difference between it and bonemeal, which does the same job slowly and safely.

• Do not let granules touch roots, seeds or stems directly.
• Do not double the dose hoping for faster results — you will scorch leaf edges and damage roots.
• Do not use it on seedlings that have just emerged. Wait until they have three or four true leaves.
• Water thoroughly after every application, without exception.

DAP or bonemeal — which do you need?

Both supply phosphorus. They are not interchangeable.

• DAP is fast, strong and cheap per unit of phosphorus. It also carries nitrogen, so it pushes growth as well as roots. Use it when you want a visible response within weeks, and when you are feeding a whole bed.
• Bonemeal is slow, organic and impossible to overdose. Use it in pots, with bulbs, and anywhere you would rather not risk a burn.
• Many growers use both — DAP worked into the bed before planting, bonemeal in the individual planting holes.

Common questions

Is this the same DAP farmers use?
Yes — the same 18-46-0 granular product, simply repacked into a 1 kg bag instead of a 50 kg one.

Can I use it on vegetables?
Yes, and it is standard practice. Work it into the soil before planting rather than dropping it onto a growing crop, and always water it in.

Is it organic?
No. DAP is a manufactured mineral fertilizer. For an organic phosphorus source, use bonemeal instead.

Can I dissolve it in water and spray it?
DAP is soil-applied, not a foliar feed. If you want something to dissolve and spray, use a water-soluble NPK.

How long does 1 kg last?
At bed rates it treats roughly 30–40 square metres, or a great many pots. For most home gardens this is more than a season's supply.

Storage

• Keep the bag sealed — DAP absorbs moisture from the air and the granules cake into a solid lump.
• Store cool, dry and out of reach of children and pets.
• Keep it away from seed and away from food.

Delivery and payment

Delivery is free inside Lahore and Rs 250 anywhere else in Pakistan on parcels under 3 kg, and free on orders over Rs 3,500. Cash on Delivery is available nationwide, and you can also pay before dispatch by JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank transfer.

Buying for a nursery, farm or landscaping project? Message us on WhatsApp at 0333-6427336 for bulk pricing.

The Garden by Chanan Din has been supplying seeds and garden inputs from Lahore since 1932.