What You Need to Know About Fertilizing and Watering - Southwest ...

Slow-release/slowly available forms of nitrogen use various
mechanisms to delay nitrogen’s availability for plant uptake and use
after application and is less likely to cause burn when applied. The
mechanisms used, such as coatings, slow the release of nitrogen to the
soil so the nitrogen feeds the plants longer and makes it less likely to be
dissolved and washed below the root zone in a heavy rainfall. Slowrelease/slowly
available forms of nitrogen (see Insert E) typically cost a
little more but last about twice as long as water-soluble sources. They
also can save you application time.
The label also contains useful information on secondary plant
nutrients, such as iron or sulfur content (for acid-loving plants).
Other useful package information
The following information from the Guaranteed Analysis label will
be useful in determining the fertilizer you want to buy, how much to
buy and how much to apply.
Net weight – is the actual weight present in the package or container.
This is important for determining how many packages you’ll need to buy.
Coverage in square feet – is usually found on the package and can help
you determine how many packages to buy.
Brand name and address of the registrant (manufacturer) – can be
useful in obtaining additional information from the company if needed
— such as spreader settings, if yours is not listed.
Reclaimed water
Reclaimed water can contain substantial amounts of nitrogen and
phosphorous. If you use reclaimed water, you may want to try using the
basic level of fertlization in Insert F to see if acceptable results occur.
Using more of the wrong fertilizer
won’t produce the results you want.
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