Nutricote is a high quality compound fertilizer that gives precise and controlled release of nutrients. The pliable and resilient coating which is made of a polyolefin type resin talc and nonionic surfactants allows the penetration of water and subsequent release of the fertilizer into the soil. In general the release rate is directly proportional to the amount of surfactant and talc used and inversely proportional to the amount of resin used.

Each analysis of Nutricote is available in a range of release periods specified by a Type number. A Type 180 means that at a constant soil temperature of 25°C 24 hours a day a Type 180 will release 80% of its nitrogen evenly over a 180-day period.