It’s the growing season, and that means fertilizer application has begun!

The amount of fertilizer to be applied is determined by variety, soil conditions, and past practices, requiring constant evaluation of current conditions, history, and trends. Nutritional needs are also different for young vines as opposed to established plantings.

In addition to aerial methods (as always, expertly done by Downstown Aero Crop Service) our team is also trying “fertigation”: a uniform application via irrigation system.

Supervisor Jeremy Fenstermaker explains: “We inject it into the system via the dog leg coming out of the pump rather than pulling it through the pump itself and subjecting it to extra wear and tear. We’ve also put measures in place to keep it from pushing back into the water supply. After the application is done, we then continue to run the system to both flush it out with fresh water and make sure we get enough water into the soil itself.”

“As long as everything’s constant, you’re getting the same application,” says manager Mike Haines. “Which makes it even more important to have your sprinklers working properly; it helps uniform application for both water and fertilizer.” The team needs to do it early in the morning for the best coverage, testing it on the systems at Boricua. “We’re in the early stages of determining if it works for us or not. Ideally, if it works, we could automatically fit the pump houses with a tank as standard.”

The advantage, both Mike and Jeremy agree, is that you can really fine-tune what each particular bed will need. It’s also highly flexible; the team can work it in with the irrigation schedule and make sure to keep the balance just right. “We can refine the process, just like we did with irrigation,” Mike says. “That way everything gets what it needs when it needs it.”