Fertigation  

Nutrient Supply

Fertigations ability to supply nutrients directly to a plants root zone in a readily usable form increases the plants ability to act as a "pump" the increased flow of nutrients into a plant results in the leaves being able to absorb more nutrients both from the air and from foliar sprays. The plant can then grow thicker leaves that contain more chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are the site of photosynthesis, the more chloroplasts the more energy available to fuel the plants activities. The ability of fertigation, especially when performed in unison with foliar feeding, will develop and mature plants at a more rapid rate. This is beneficial in an area that may have an unpredictable season as far as its length and conditions such as the Pacific North West. To keep plants growing and completing their annual cycles whether it be flowering, ripening fruit or maturing vegetables in a more timely manner by meeting the plants nutrient and energy needs can mean the difference between getting the most out of summer or not.  

Having assessed the state of a growing area  the strength and frequency of fertigation can be set. For plants growing in a soil that is already performing well more nutrient dense applications can be made on a less frequent basis. For soils that have not yet been brought up to their full capacity less nutrient dense applications will be made but on a more frequent basis. Plants growing in poor soil do not have the capacity to utilize the level of nutrients that plants growing at 100% of their potential in good soil do. To apply more would be ineffective.

Soli Food Web

The health of a landscape is dependent on the health of its soil. The soil is not an inert media that holds the plants in place as is often thought by chemical proponents. It is the most diverse ecosystem on the planet, the vitality of the soil is created by the members of the soil food web.  The soil food web can be fed via an irrigation system through the process of fertigation. In a newly created garden or one that has been disturbed microbes can also be added to the fertigation formula to jump start the generation of the soil food web, a functional web provides health benefits to a plant that can not be replicated by fertilizer inputs on their own.  

Another good way to utilize an irrigation system is employing fertigation to apply non toxic deer, rodent and insect repellents. These liquids can be added to a scheduled nutrient application to maximize efficiency.