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The type of fertilizer you use will affect the performance and quality of your finished product, choose the right fertilizer to maximize your gardens potential. Understandably, some of us may do nothing but hook up our drip system and plant. But here are some recommendations to help you develop a balanced long term approach critical for optimum growth and a spectacular garden.

Mycorrhizal Inoculant

An amazing natural additive, the benefits of using this water soluble microbial powder on the roots of new plants or adding to the soil cannot be over stated. The symbiotic relationship between these powdery microbes (mycos) and the roots (rhiza) of the plants will have the following dramatic effects.

• Provides nutrients that are in your soil to the plants roots
• Enhanced plant efficiency in absorbing water and nutrients
• Enhanced plant growth, health, and stress resistance
• Enhanced seeding growth and rooting of cuttings

High Phosphorus Bat Guano 0-10-0

Important for root, fruit, and flower development this fertilizer is for those heavy feeders from which you expect the highest yield such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, or pumpkins. Use this product in the beginning stages of flowering and fruiting.

High Nitrogen Bat Guano 9-3-1

This bat guano is good for all plants in their early vegetative stages of growth and in general all leafy plants such as lettuces, kale, spinach, etc. The lack of odor makes it very friendly to use. Mix in your soil or top dress.

Liquid or Granular Baseline Humus

Humus is the foundation of good soil and provides many benefits that fertilizer alone cannot accomplish. Either pre-mix baseline into your soil or top dress around the root zone of plants. Baseline liquid can be injected into a dosing system (see below) or as an ideal ingredient in compost tea.

Grow More 20-20-20 is an all-purpose balanced synthetic formula for most plants, crops, or trees that promotes the health and vigor of your plants. Completely water soluble, it can be added to a drip system through a fertilizer injector. You may also like the 10-52-10 and the 30-10-10 formula.

Fertilizer injectors can help us simplify the fertilizing process of our plants. Most fertilizer will adapt easily into a drip irrigation system. Fertilizer injectors are an efficient way to deliver liquid nutrients directly to the plant’s roots.

EZ Flo

For backyard gardeners, small farmers, or commercial landscapers, getting nutrients to the root zone while reducing fertilizer run-off is possible when you use this injector. The low pressure tank sits on the ground near your faucet. Just fill the tank with dry or liquid fertilizer, set the adjustment valve, and the fertilizer solution will automatically flow through your drip system when the system is running.

MixRite

The most accurate and easy to maintain pump style injector we have found, this is the best injector for the professional grower and is a great choice for organic fertilizers. Simple to install, operate, and maintain, it reliably meters the solution into your drip line.

Composting will add organic material to your soil which will help plants grow. Adding compost to your garden has huge benefits.

• Can help moderate soil temperature
• Provide plants with extra nutrients
• Helps soil retain water longer
• Reduce the amount of trash that you throw away

Bokashi Kitchen Composter

Bokashi is a Japanese term meaning "fermented organic matter". During traditional composting, nutrients are lost due to heat and evaporation. The cold composting system provided by "Bokashi" will retain the nutrients that are normally lost. In its five gallon bucket, it is the most efficient and greenest method of composting producing no greenhouse gasses, and will supercharge the natural biology of your soil. Compost is usually completed in 2-4 weeks after being buried.

The Worm Factory

Turn your kitchen waste into nutrient rich compost. No turning required, and virtually odorless, this composter has a very small footprint (16" x 16"). You too can be a worm farmer!

Maximize the health and growth of your garden, landscape, or commercial venture with the fertilizers, fertilizer injectors, and composting methods mentioned in this blog. DripWorks wants to help you have a wonderful and sustainable garden.

Now is a great time to start an edible landscape. Growing your food without sacrificing beauty is possible by planting a few small fruit trees, berry bearing shrubs, vines, and even food producing ground covers. Beneficial insects are needed to help pollinate your edible garden. These insects are attracted by flowers such as alyssum, thyme, cosmos, marigolds, echinacea, and coreopsis.

With spring only a few weeks away I am excited about getting the first seeds and starts planted. Thoughts of tasty heirloom tomatoes, garden fresh spring greens, cucumbers, basil, a wide assortment of sweet and spicy peppers, and a colorful array of flowers will keep your spirits high through the challenges of spring. Designing new and sustainable, low maintenance garden features will help make your yard come to life. Adding on to my edible garden with new fruit varieties, vegetable starts bought from local sources, planting herbs to use in our kitchen, and seeing the perennial flowers come back year after year are some of the pleasures of spring for me.

For 26 years, DripWorks has been the right partner for gardeners of all types because of our focus, experience, and passion. Always supplying the highest quality drip irrigation supplies and great technical support, the mutual loyalty between us and our customers is what makes our business great.

For every three bites of food you take, one was pollinated by honey bees. Last winter, beekeepers reported losing over 40% of their hives. Bees are more than just the “canaries in the coal mine”, warning us of a frightening threat to our food. Bees are a critical link to the future of our food production.

You may have heard that pests, disease, and climate change are the main causes of the bee die off. A growing body of evidence points to one of the world’s most popular class of pesticides neonicotinoids. These “neonics” are designed to kill pest, but they don’t distinguish between harmful insects and beneficial ones, like bees. Neonics are used on over 140 commercial crops! As a result the bees that are needed to pollinate organic crops are on the brink of extinction.

Don’t let your garden stand empty this winter. With a little help, most of us can grow the vegetables mentioned below. In the northernmost states, a greenhouse, a high tunnel, a row cover or a small hot frame might be needed. Most southern areas of the US are well suited for growing winter crops outdoors if a thick layer of mulch (hay, dry leaves, straw, compost, or grass clippings) or a row cover is used. There are advantages of planting at this time of the year: less weeds, fewer insects, very little irrigation needed, and most of all, fresh vegetables.