Control-release fertilizers for greenhouse crops

摘要

Flower growers are always looking for ways to improve upon their trade by producing a better product with an extended shelf-life at the garden centre and a valueadded benefit for the consumer. Using control-release fertilizers (CRF) can help the grower achieve that goal. The use of slow-release fertilizers is not new to the containerized nursery industry, however, it is relatively new with the greenhouse industry. The use of CRF is becoming a common practice among certain flowering plants such as hanging baskets, bedding plants, perennials and mums. There are a number of reasons why growers may chose to incorporate CRF within their production program. A grower has to feed the crop anyway, and CRF allow for a convenient way to do this. There's no question that if the flower grower can extend or improve shelf-life at the garden centre, he or she is providing a value-added product to his customer. CRF provide a practical way of fertilizing a crop such as perennials that make significant root growthduring the cool fall and winter months. Providing a low-level background fertility in the form of slow-release makes sense because very little watering is done during that time period. The roots still need plant food and delivering nutrients through theirrigation system in winter would not be very practical.