For example nitrogen has a few forms. Uric and ammonium nitrate have differing uptake abilities, one is better for instant nitrogen, the other slow release nitrogen. The same for phosphorus and potassium. You will find a lot of fertilizers for slower growing varieties have slow release ingredients that require gradual bonding with other compounds and metals to uptake into the root system over time, where a lot of fast growing fertilizers will have chelated nutirents (the chelates have already bound to a metal needed to facilitate absorption by the plants root system) that can be immediately absorbed by the root system.