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Whether it's a large-scale commercial farm or a small backyard garden, gardening requires great effort. From preparing the soil and planting seeds or transplants to installing efficient irrigation systems like drip irrigation, every step is crucial to ensure healthy and productive plants. Fertilizing is a key component of this process. Fertilizing through a drip irrigation system is known as fertigation. It uses drip irrigation technologies to supply water and nutrients directly to plant roots. Once you know what fertilizer to use and how to insert it into the injector, fertigation is simple.
Read on to learn about how to choose the best fertilizer for your drip irrigation system and look at popular injection methods, including Ez-Flo injectors, Mazzei systems, and Dema MixRite.
So, let's get started!
Fertigation, which involves applying fertilizer via an irrigation system, can be a little time-saver. However, if not done right, it might cause damage to your drip irrigation system.
Here's why: Fertilizers usually contain salts that can clog nozzles and cause pipe buildup, potentially causing your system to fail. Furthermore, they can change the pH of the water, making it more acidic and potentially harmful.
To avoid such problems, use a reliable fertilizer and check the pH of the water before applying it. Also, flush the system regularly to remove any salt or sediment buildup. Taking some measures can keep your drip irrigation system in good shape while reaping the benefits of fertigation.
Pros
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Fertigation, the process of combining fertilizer and irrigation, is more commonly used in large-scale agriculture than home gardens. Here's why:
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Fertilizers come in various forms, including liquid, granular, and soluble. Liquid fertilizers are frequently used with drip irrigation systems because they are easy to mix and apply. Water-soluble fertilizers, particularly those with less than 0.5% insoluble impurities, are also a good choice because they readily dissolve and can be injected into the irrigation system.
Water-soluble NPK fertilizers are an excellent approach to providing plants with the nutrients they require for healthy growth. They contain a readily dissolved combination of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). You can incorporate a fertilizer injector into your drip irrigation system to distribute the fertilizer evenly. This method lets you control watering and fertilizing from a single system.
Fertilizer injections are commonly used in large-scale agriculture, small-scale gardening, and landscaping due to reliable and user-friendly dispenser units. Here are some of the common injectors you can use to fertilize through your drip irrigation system.
How to use: These versatile fertilizer injectors are easy to use. Fill the tank with the fertilizer of your choice, whether it's dry or liquid concentrate. Adjust the injection rate with the valve to control the fertilizer concentration. The injector can be connected to a faucet directly with the provided hose bib adapter or to a main water line with an installation coupler.
Ensure that your irrigation system meets the flow requirements, as EZ-FLO injectors require a minimum flow of 120 GPH and can operate down to 7.5 GPH with flow-restriction discs provided. For individuals who need to fertilize multiple areas, the Faucet Switching Kit allows you to switch the tank from one faucet to another without disconnecting any pipes.
How to Use: Mazzei injectors are Venturi injectors designed for commercial use. They feature a reliable suction mechanism that draws liquid fertilizer from various containers. They can be connected directly to a main water line or through a bypass for minimal flow restriction. To ensure the best performance, choose a Mazzei injector that matches the flow rate (GPH) of your irrigation system.
A large injector won't draw fertilizer, while a small one could limit the flow of the system. A 25% pressure difference between the incoming and outgoing levels is required for the Mazzei to operate properly. This difference creates the vacuum effect required to draw fertilizer.
How to Use: Dema MixRite provides very accurate pump-style injectors that are simple to use and maintain. These injectors accurately meter fertilized solutions into your irrigation system, and they run entirely on the power of the water flowing through them. They don't require complex electrical setups. Choose the MixRite model that corresponds to the fertilizer dilution concentration (mix ratio) you want for the fertilizer or additive you're injecting into your irrigation system. There are several options available to accommodate both high-water flow and smaller-scale applications.
DripWorks provides various MixRite parts, including new piston kits, plastic springs, and seal kits. You can also find accessories such as wall-mounting brackets to help with installation.
In the world of agriculture and gardening, the right choice of fertilizer is essential. From small-scale gardens to expansive commercial operations, the combination of the right fertilizer and irrigation system is a key to success.
And when it comes to effectively providing those nutrients, a suitable drip irrigation system combined with the right injector can make all the difference. Remember that it's not just about convenience; it's about making the most of your resources, conserving water, and, eventually, promoting healthier, more productive crops.
If you want to learn more about fertigation, irrigation, or other areas of garden maintenance, our team at Dripworks is here to help. Feel free to reach out for more information.
If you have ever shopped for fertilizer for your plants, then you know the wide variety of options available. Water-soluble fertilizers are popular, often because they seem easy to work with: a scoop or so in the watering can and you’re done. Even within this subcategory, the options seem daunting: Organic? Synthetic? High phosphorus to promote blooms?
To help clear these muddy waters, we tested five water-soluble fertilizers derived from a variety of sources. We applied them to plants grown for their fruit (‘Sun Gold’ tomato), flowers (a dwarf marigold mix), and foliage (‘Purple Ruffles’ basil). And while some of the results might be what you would expect, there were a few surprises.
Our control group of plants was grown with no fertilizer besides what was in the potting mix (Fafard 3B—a professional growing medium similar to many over-the-counter mixes) to see whether adding fertilizers made a difference in growth. The plants were planted in April, and we applied fertilizers every two weeks at the rates recommended for container plants on the packaging. In two cases, we did not follow the packaging instructions exactly as written. First, we applied Miracle-Gro Liquid All Purpose fertilizer at half of the recommended rate (this was an error caused by misreading the label and not the fault of the company); second, we used fish fertilizer every two weeks instead of every month as recommended on the packaging (this was done for the sake of consistent application across fertilizer types). All of these fertilizers were applied to three of each of the plant types tested. Average flower number and fruit number per plant were tracked for marigolds and tomatoes, respectively. At the end of the experiment, all plants were dried and weighed.
What we tested
We tested a range of fertilizers that come from different sources: organic options, like seaweed and fish emulsion, to synthetics like Miracle-Gro. The NPK ratio is the percentage of the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively, that the fertilizers provide. All of these fertilizers are widely available, and the costs presented are from amazon.com.
Bonide Atlantis Fish FertilizerNPK: 2–4–0
Cost: $11.67 for 1 qt.
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Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster
NPK: 10–52–10
Cost: $9.04 for 1 lb.
Nature’s Source Plant Food
NPK: 10–4–3
Cost: $16.99 for 1 qt.
Miracle-Gro Liquid All Purpose Plant Food
NPK: 12–4–8
Cost: $5.92 for 1 qt.
Neptune’s Harvest Organic Seaweed Plant Food
NPK: 0–0–1
Cost: $15.20 for 1 qt.
All fertilizers offer a range of nutrients to plants, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, zinc, and a host of other elements. Of these, nitrogen usually has the most effect on plant growth. Adding nitrogen usually results in more growth. This was evident in our study. The final average weights of the plants tested provided an obvious way to separate the influence of fertilizers on plants. As expected, plants grown without fertilizer were smaller than plants grown with fertilizer. Of the plants treated with fertilizer, those that offered the lowest percentage of nitrogen resulted in the smallest plants, while those with higher levels of nitrogen resulted in larger plants.
All of the plants grew reasonably well with no obvious nutrient deficiencies; however, some differences in plant growth emerged as the experiment continued.
One of the most interesting things that we saw was the earlier emergence and greater number of fruit on tomato plants that were not fertilized. Though interesting, this is not surprising because, unlike the fertilized plants, the plants given no fertilizer immediately devoted their energy to reproduction (fruit production) instead of vegetative growth (stem and leaf growth). Plants that were fertilized devoted their energy to growth and developed fruit later than the control plants. By the end of the experiment, they were clearly producing more fruit. The same general trend was seen with marigold flowers. With sufficient nutrients, plants prefer to grow before they reproduce, but if nutrients are limited, plants prefer to devote what resources they have to ensuring that there is another generation.
One of the most interesting things that we saw in this experiment was the failure of Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster to provide a consistent increase in average bloom number in marigolds or fruit number in tomatoes (which should be expected because blooms turn into fruit). At only one sampling date for marigolds did Bloom Booster have the highest average number of blooms. Bloom Booster is supposed to work by offering plants a high dose of phosphorus, an element that is supposed to improve the number of blooms. Phosphorus is certainly required for plants to bloom; however, only a small amount is needed. Adding more phosphorus can even be considered a waste of a natural resource because most phosphorus for fertilizers is mined from a limited number of sites around the world. With an analysis of 10–52–10, Bloom Booster offers a level of phosphorus that is excessive for most plants. Remember that any phosphorus added to your plant beyond what the plant uses could end up running down a gutter and into a local pond or lake. Once it’s there, it will undoubtedly feed algae and contribute to a damaging reduction of oxygen in the water, which could suffocate fish and other aquatic creatures. Though the use of a half rate of Miracle-Gro All Purpose fertilizer was an accident, it did show that, even when applied at less than the recommended concentration, fertilizers can still have a significant effect on growth. Though a little more fertilizer can improve plant growth, plants can still grow and be perfectly healthy with much less fertilizer than what is recommended.
Using fertilizer provides better results than not using fertilizer, and paying attention to the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the fertilizer you are using is important. What appears to be less important is whether the product is organic or synthetic as both types performed well in our tests. Based on our results, our recommendation would be to select a fertilizer with a low concentration of phosphorus relative to the amount of nitrogen, something like a 5:2 ratio, and to apply it according to label instructions—or even at a lower concentration.
What is the benefit of these fertilizers?
Unlike granular, slow-release fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers offer nutrients already dissolved in water, so they will be quickly available to plants.
Are organic options different than synthetic ones?
There are so many different types of organic and synthetic fertilizers that dividing them along these lines isn’t a reasonable thing to do. That said, organic fertilizers are often (but not always) made from renewable resources, might be more likely to release nutrients slowly, and might be more likely to contain valuable micronutrients.
Is salt buildup in the soil an issue?
This can be an issue with any fertilizer. For most fertilizers, it’s important not to add them with every watering so that you can flush out any excess fertilizer. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label.
Is it worthwhile to use them on in-ground plants?
Water-soluble fertilizers will work fine for in-ground plants; however, some of the fertilizer is likely to run off during application. Granular fertilizers will release more slowly with soil moisture and are likely to be more efficient, unless you have a downpour right after they’re applied.
Jeff Gillman teaches horticulture at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Mae Lin Plummer is a student.
Photos: Steve Aitken
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