Fertilizers: Types, Use, and Methods of Monitoring Fertilizer Status in a Nursery Operation
Fertilizers: Workshop 2
Fertilizers: Types, Use, and Methods of Monitoring Fertilizer Status in a Nursery Operation
Workshop series number 2 (English and Spanish sessions) where UC Cooperative Extension advisors Donald Merhaut and María de la Fuente presented plant nutrition and fertilizer management information useful to nursery growers, managers, and personnel.
English session,
Moderator/Presenter: Donald Merhaut, UCCE Specialist, for Nursery and Floriculture Crops. UC Riverside
Spanish session,
Moderador: Maria de la Fuente, County Director, UCCE Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties
This workshop will focus on fertilizers and their use in nursery operations. The first half of this program will describe fertilizer types such as granular fertilizers, Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRFs) and liquid fertilizers. We will describe the pros and cons of each fertilizer type and how to optimize fertilizer performance. The second half of the program will be dedicated to monitoring and measuring the quality of irrigation water and media. We will identify and demonstrate methods of conducting on-site tests for measuring media quality and water quality. We will then review protocols for proper sampling for off-site sample analyses.
Workshop “Key” Learnings:
- Have a working knowledge of fertilizer types.
- Choose the proper fertilizer(s) to optimize plant growth and have a sustainable operation
- Use fertilizers properly to optimize nutrient uptake into plants
- Monitor media and water quality
- Develop a record keeping program to track production with fertilizer usage.
