Like humans, plants need certain nutrients in order to survive. So if you have a plant, and it doesn’t look exactly like it’s thriving, you may decide to give it a little nutritional boost. But does it need plant food, or fertilizer? And what’s the difference between the two? Here’s what to know.

The difference between plant food and fertilizer

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, plant food and fertilizer are not the same thing. The biggest difference is that plant food is made by the plants themselves, while fertilizer is a synthetic or natural substance that is added to a plant’s soil. Here are a few more specifics:

Plant food

The easiest way to remember the difference between plant food and fertilizer is that only plants can make plant food: It’s not something that can be purchased (no matter what product labels say). To produce the simple sugar they use as food, plants convert water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight during photosynthesis, and absorb nutrients in the soil through their roots.

When a plant isn’t able to get the nutrients it needs through its soil, it may benefit from the addition of some fertilizer or compost to make up for the nutritional deficits.

Fertilizer

The nutrient content in soil depends on a variety of factors, including its texture (loam, loamy sand, silt loam), organic matter content, and pH. Testing your soil is the best way to figure out which nutrients

When Boonie Foods debuted in 2020, Joe Fontalera pumped some excitement into the Revival Food Hall with his Filipino American dishes, bringing global tastes to a food hall stocked with staples like burgers, Nashville hot chicken, and salads.

Revival needed to adapt during the pandemic in downtown Chicago without crowds of office workers eating lunch in the Loop. Along with vendors like Minahasa, which serves Indonesian food; and Art of Dosa, which specializes in Southern Indian cuisine; Boonie gave Revival robust dinner options for takeout and delivery. Night-time service represented a change in strategy for a food hall built for the afternoon crowd.

But despite success, Boonie’s two-year-run will end on Thursday, December 22, Fontalera announced last week. He tells Eater Chicago he’s bringing his silogs, spring rolls — and perhaps new favorites like dinugaun — to Lincoln Square where he’ll take over the Crab Pad, 4337 N. Western Avenue. Crab Pad’s original Logan Square location will remain open, but the second location will close on Saturday, December 17.

Fontelera will make some changes in Lincoln Square. He promises something big, including a name change. He’s not ready to share what he’s planning, but he’s excited.

Before Revival, Boonie popped up at the Logan Square location of Crab Pad, which is owned by Theresa Tran. It’s a family operation; Tran is married to Fontalera’s cousin. Tran says construction along Western Avenue hurt the restaurant, which opened on January 4, 2022. Winter sales have been especially brutal, Trans says.

Over Thanksgiving,