Irrigation is nutrient management

Dissolved nutrients ride water to the root. Too little water and they sit out of reach. Too much water and roots and soil life lose oxygen, so uptake falls even if the nutrient is present.

Mulch, organic matter, and a root zone that can hold then drain make fertilizer and compost actually arrive. Sandy beds need more frequent, lighter watering than a clay crumb that already holds.

If a fed crop still wilts or yellows in heat, check moisture and drainage before another product.

In this series

• Test soil before you buy another bag
• Irrigation is nutrient management
• pH can lock nutrients that are already in the soil
• Leaf colour is a clue, not a diagnosis
• Microbes and root fungi deliver what a bag cannot
• Return what you harvest so fertility does not walk off the field