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Fertigation best practices?

I have a drip system currently setup on my figs and other potted plants and currently use a time-release fertilizer (Osmocote 13-13-13) in the potting mixes I make up.  However, it doesn't always seem to be enough and I'm frequently mixing up little batches of water-soluble fertilizer to really get things going.  


Can anyone recommend some best practices when it comes to fertigation: best products, settings, water-soluble fertilizers to use, leave it connected versus hook it up only when needed, how to use it with potted plants versus in-ground trees, etc?  I want to make sure I'd avoid having to mix up watering cans of fertilizer, but I also don't want to over-fertilize.

This is what I'm looking at purchasing: fertilizer applicator
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Not sure if you are going to get an answer here, but I hate when nobody answers, so I'll give you my 2 cents.  My figs are on an automated drip with the citrus, an hour every 2 days.  They do fine, except for the panachee which I'm getting ready to kick to the curb!

Figs don't like wet feet.  They love to be in-ground where the roots search for the best stuff.

Coffee grounds!  All things green love those!

Suzi
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Don't want you to think you're being ignored but you might be best served by looking at Al Tapla's posts here and on GardenWeb.  You can jump in on one of his threads and ask him questions.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0214580016564.html?96

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0510442422001.html
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I use basin irrigation instead of drip.  I may convert over to drip at some point just to save on the time and labor with all the watering I do.  I have had really good results with fish fertilizer.  The plants seem to respond well to it.  Most are dark green and have good growth and fruit production.  When I irrigate by filling the basins up with water I usually add some diluted fish fertilizer to the water.  Most of the fig trees seem to do well with fertilizer being applied once or twice a week.  I don't use any slow release, only the fish fertilizer.  I dilute it down to a very watery consistency before using it.  I pour about 1/4 cup of fish fertilizer into a gallon jug and fill that with water.  I shake the jug up real good and then I pour about 1/3 of the gallon jug into the basin underneath a tree as I am filling it up with water.  Good luck with your plants and I hope you find the method that works best for you. 
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Joe,


Do you have much wildlife in the area?  I'd switch to something like fish fertilizer if it were economical and it didn't attract unwanted pests (raccoons, foxes, etc).  We have an abundance of these where I'm located.

Tim
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Hey Tim,


Not sure if there are critters like that in my neighborhood.  I have 2 dogs and a cat out in the yard all the time so that might have something to do with it.  But the pets don't mess with anything.  I use such a diluted amount that the smell is not very strong.  I don't know if my approach would work for your situation.  Just thought I'd let you know what works for me.
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A few days ago I ran into this thread on GardenWeb. Read it before you buy your injector

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg061905308532.html?20
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Hmm, that scares me a bit. Perhaps I'll stick with mixing up fertilizer batches manually until I get a better idea of what I'm doing.

I suppose I could get one of those hose-end units that Miracle Gro sells, at least that would speed up the process rather than having to mix things manually.

Has anyone used this Gilmour hose-end sprayer?

http://www.amazon.com/Gilmour-362-Professional-Pre-Mix-Sprayer/dp/B00002N67I/ref=pd_sim_lg_2
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Hi Guys,
you can read more about fertigation in the site of Haifa Group


 
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http://www.portablehomegarden.com/accessories_page/nutrient_injector.html  Hose sphyon injector.

These can work well but only usually come at one ratio 1:16, meaning that it dilute your concentrated fertilizer to a 16th of the concentrated strength.  If you put your concentrate in a open container and leave it for a few days evaporation will happen making your concentrate stronger than what you intended so you would have to be careful with that, other than that they are cheap and relatively simple, anything you drip in make sure it does not have a lot of solids or dissolved solids as they will plug your emitters, ie fish fertilizer.  

I run town water on drip to my figs and other plants and fertilize them by hand with fish fertilizer and they seem to really do well with it, it can get tiresome in the summer to fertilizer everything but it works.  For best taste, try not to over fertilize and over water your figs whatever you do choose.  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chivas
http://www.portablehomegarden.com/accessories_page/nutrient_injector.html  Hose sphyon injector.

These can work well but only usually come at one ratio 1:16, meaning that it dilute your concentrated fertilizer to a 16th of the concentrated strength.  If you put your concentrate in a open container and leave it for a few days evaporation will happen making your concentrate stronger than what you intended so you would have to be careful with that, other than that they are cheap and relatively simple, anything you drip in make sure it does not have a lot of solids or dissolved solids as they will plug your emitters, ie fish fertilizer.  
  


I have one of those syphon injectors. Great idea... but it doesn't always work well. As to the concentration, that's not a problem. You just have to adjust your bucket of solution so that when it comes out of the hose, it will be the concentration you want. In other words, you make your mix very strong in the first place. If the normal fertilizer dilution is 1T/gallon, your basic mix will be 16T per gallon of concentrated mix the bucket the syphon tube is dipped into. The solution at the end of the hose will then be 1/16 of that, which is the equal of 1T/gallon.  If you want to apply a half strength solution, use half the dilution in the bucket.

There were things I did not like about using the syphon. If anything in the system gets clogged (the metal fertilizer feed on which the tube is attached is tiny), it stops delivering fertilizer, and you have no idea when that happened - and what got fertilized, and what didn't. This means the concentrated solution in your bucket needs to be strained from 'specks' or very carefully prepared and/or the syphon tube end needs to have some sort of strainer on it.

You also need to use a hose bib that delivers a strong stream of water for the syphon action to get set up. Lower water pressure does not work. Here, only the bib at the front of he house was consistently strong enough.

Mainly however, what I disliked was that the narrowness of the syphon itself decreases the volume of water from the hose end, and it takes longer. Here we fortunately have very strong water pressure so hand watering generally goes very fast. But with the syphon on the hose, watering took twice as long. It is possible to remove the syphon when not fertilizing, but that's another step that takes time. :)

I really love the idea of the syphon. It just didn't work that well in our circumstances.
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That is great info Gina, I guess I take my water pressure for granted here so I didnt have that problem, but it is good to know and now I will have to double check things this year at home.
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