Plant nutrition in container grown crops is the driver of growth. Controlled release fertilizers provide a consistent, reliable, available nutrient stream targeted toward plant growth

• Controlled Release Fertilizer
• Micronutrients and Limestone
• Monitor Nutrients

Controlled Release Fertilizer

Technical Publications

• North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual: Fertilizer Use. A portion of the NC State 2017 Agricultural Chemicals Manual. Ornamental on page 52.
• Ivy et al. 2002. Date of potting and fertilization affects plant growth, mineral nutrient content, and substrate electrical conductivity. Promising results show that potting in fall and applying the full rate of CRF can increase growth by matching nutrient release in spring with CRF release. also, reduces N loss since plant is taking up N at the time of peak release. R.L. Ivy, T.E. Bilderback, and S.L. Warren, Depart. of Horticultural Science, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 2769-7609
• Mikkelson et al 1994 Nitrogen leaching and plant uptake from controlled-release fertilizers. A comparison between coating types and release rates for various CRFs and soluble control. Highlights different scenarios for nutrient release based on plant uptake. RL Mikkelsen, HM Williams and AD Behel, Jr. Fertilizer Research 37: 43-50, 1994.
• Lea-Cox et al 2001 A Water and Nutrient Management Planning Process for Container Nursery and Greenhouse Production Systems in Maryland. A nutrient management planning strategy has been identified that will provide an assessment of nutrient loss potential from a wide variety of production scenarios, identify the specific factors that contribute most to nutrient leaching and runoff, and enable targeted best management practices to be implemented to reduce the risk of nutrient run-off. JD Lea-Cox, DS Ross and KM Teffeau. J. Environ. Hort. 19(4):230-236 2001.

Extension Publications

• Evans, Dodge and Newman 2007. Nutrient management in nursery and floriculture. Describes the interaction of nutrients and irrigation in the nursery system to determine the fate of both and how best to minimize losses of each. RY Evans, L Dodge, and J Newman. U. of California and NRCS. Publication 8221.

General References

• Bilderback. Table of suggested ranges and limits for nutrient standards. This is Dr. Bilderback’s table of magic numbers for container grown plants in southeast US. It contains the suggested ranges for growing plants optimally from mineral concentrations in foliage to leachate concentrations.
• Bilderback. Nutrition and fertility of substrates. Dr. Bilderback discusses briefly the nutrients for plant growth and provides examples of their importance.
• Bilderback. Getting the most from fertilizer dollars. Dr. Bilderback uses this annotated power point lecture to discuss in depth the importance of various nutrients, their rates, method of application, and effect of time of year to pot plants in containers.
• Mathers 2010 A new look at fertilizer guidelines Nursery specific discussion about using CRFs in field production of shade trees. H Mathers NMPRO 2010.

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Micronutrients and Limestone

Technical Publications

• Cabrea and Lopez 2004 A leaf interveinal chlorosis-necrosis disorder in crape myrtle. A good finding that Zn deficiency may play a role in the dreaded crape myrtle chlorosis/necrosis we get in late summer. Raul I. Cabrera and R. E. Lopez. SNA RESEARCH CONFERENCE 49:90-93 (2004)
• Ruter 2005 Effect of nickel applications for the control of mouse ear disorder on river birch. Importance of nickel in solving mouse ear or little leaf on river birch in 15 gallon containers. Provides an excellent history of the problem in hte introduction, and indirectly provides a great scaffold to use in detecting new problems on plants where the cause is unknown. J Ruter J. Environ. Hort. 23(1):17–20. 2005.
• Tyler et. al 1993 Composted turkey litter: II. Effect on plant growth. Early work to show that alternative nutrient amendments (turkey litter) to controlled release fertilizer can provide all the necessary nutrients for growth but may reduce growth if added in high amounts. HH Tyler, SL Warren, TE Bilderback, and KB Perry. Environ. Hort. 11(3): 137-141. 1993.

Extension Publications

• Altland. J 2006. Managing manganese deficiency in nursery production of red maple. A primer on micronutrients particularly manganese (Mn) in production. Discusses the affect of soil pH, uptake, cultural practices and mobility of Mn in red maple. J Altland. Oregon State University Extension Service. EM 8905-E March 2006.

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Monitor Nutrients

Learn how to determine nutrient availability in containers, soil, and plant foliage using several different methods.

Foliage

• NCDA &CS. Plant tissue analysis for growers: submit sample. Use this to send in a foliar sample for testing. Visit Agronomic Services — Plant Tissue Analysis for more information.
• NCDA&CS. Plant tissue analysis guide. New update to explain everything about taking a sample correctly to understanding how to use the information for many Ag crops and major ornamental crops.
• NCDA&CS. Agronomic Services — Plant tissue analysis.
• Bi and Scagel 2007 Nitrogen foliar feeding has advantages. Discusses nitrogen needs of plants throughout the year and how to provide for them by foliar feeding. G Bi and C Scagel Nursery Management & Production Mar:43-46 (2007).

Containers

• LeBude and Bilderback. The pour-through extraction procedure: a nutrient management tool for nursery crops. A how-to guide and simple explanation for using the pour-through method originally created by Dr. Robert Wright of Virginia Tech. AV LeBude and TE Bilderback NC State University, North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
• Landis and Dumroese. Monitoring electrical conductivity in soils and growing media. Provides a forestry perspective on measuring EC. Also compares various methods to monitor EC. TD Landis and RK Dumroese.

Soil

• Owen J 2010 Bareroot shade, flowering and fruit trees fertilizer guide. Recent reference from Oregon addressing nutrition of field grown nursery crops. Bareroot Shade, Flowering, and Fruit Trees (Willamette Valley) J. Owen, D. Sullivan, D. Horneck, and J. Hart. EM 9013-E Oregon State University.
• Mullen et al 2007 Soil acidity and liming for agronomic production Straight forward discussion of using lime and its affect on soil. Applicable to field grown nursery crops. R Mullen, E Lentz, and M Watson. AGF-505-07 The Ohio State University. visit ohioline.osu.edu for more information and publications.
• Schulte 2004 Soil and applied iron. Also discusses foliar iron application, forms and activity in soil. Schulte E.E. Wisconsin county Extension RA3554 Many other publications available from the links within the article.
• North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual: Fertilizer Use. A portion of the NC State 2017 Agricultural Chemicals Manual. Ornamental on page 52.
• Soil sampling for home gardens and small acreages. Brief reference on how to take soil samples across a number of growing platforms. (2003) Oregon State University Extension Service EC 628.

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	Use flags to create a sampling scheme within a block (*imagine the block in the picture is a larger irrigation zone*)
	Use 360 ml of water to pour-through a 3 gallon container to leach 50 ml
	Pour through 120 ml of water per gallon container size to leach 50 ml.
	Use some sort of catch-can under the container to collect leachate.
	Pouring leachate into small container to reach 50 ml and measure EC and pH
	Myron meter to measure electrical conductivity
	Hanna Pens to measure pH and electrical conductivity
	Hanna HI9813 meter to measure pH and electrical conductivity
	Buffers and standards to calibrate the measurement device before conducting pour-through
	Sachet standard to measure conductivity 1413 us/cm 12345678910111213
	Buffer solution for calibrating pH. A pH 7.0 can also be used to calibrate if solutions are near this pH.
	Availability of nutrients based on pH
	Hydrangea missing both macro and micronutrients. Everything is chlorotic.

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