Fertilizer Application 6.02 Are you ready to fertilize?

Fertilizer “how-to” Method used should be practical, effective, and cost efficient Method used affects nutrient availability for plant use Fertilizer must be dissolved and reach plant roots

Ways to Fertilize Banding Sidedressing Topdressing Perforating Broadcasting Fertigation Foliar spraying

Banding Place a band of fertilizer about two inches to sides and two inches below seed depth Don’t place below seeds because fertilizer will burn roots

Sidedressing Placing a band of fertilizer near the soil surface and to the sides after seedlings emerge from soil

Topdressing Mixing fertilizer uniformly into the top one to two inches of growing media around the plant

Perforating Placing fertilizer in 12”-18” holes drilled 18”-24” around the canopy drip line of fruit trees. Cover the holes and the fertilizer slowly releases. Typically done on fruit and nut trees

Broadcasting Spreading fertilizer to cover the entire production area.

Fertigation Incorporating water-soluble fertilizer into the irrigation system of greenhouse and nursery crops. Concentrated injections Proportioners or injectors used to dilute

Proportioners Venturi-simple, inexpensive, less accurate Hozon Miracle Gro/Scotts applicator Depends on water pressure

Proportioners Positive-displacement is a Smith injector, expensive but very accurate Commander proportioners Physically inject and mix specific amounts of concentrations into water Commander-very accurate These are for commercial or extreme hobby growers

Foliar spraying Spray micronutrients (like Fe and Ca) in a solution onto plant leaves Used to reverse nutrient deficiencies Fertilizer concentration cannot be too high or will lead to leaf burn

Complete Fertilizer Contains amounts of NPK Example: 10-10-10 or 10-20-10 or 15-15-10

Incomplete Fertilizer Fertilizer that is missing one of the primary macronutrients Example: 10-0-20 or 0-0-10 or 10-10-0

Fertilizer Facts The 10 of 10-10-10 means that of X lb bag of fertilizer, 10% is N, 10% is P and 10% is K If the ratio is 10-20-15 and you have a 100 lb of fertilizer, what is the value in pounds of each nutrient?

Fertilizer Ratios If you have a fertilizer that is 10-20-10, that is a 1:2:1 ratio. What if you have a 12-24-12?

Organic versus Inorganic Organic was once alive More expensive Not chemically deriven Manure, vermicompost

Inorganic Fertilizers As the price of fuel goes up, so does fertilizer. Thus, what is the main ingredient in synthetic fertilizers? Why can they be bad for the environment?

Soluble v. Insoluble Soluble dissolves in water Insoluble slowly degrades Slow release fertilizers are coated with a polymer

Who am I?

Fertilizer: Stuff to Remember! Soluble vs. Insoluble Organic vs. Inorganic Ratio of Fertilizer Application Mrs. Riedel loves you… most of the time.