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Fertigation vs granular fertiliser
By Frank van den Heever · 5 min read
It’s not really fertigation versus granular. The best programmes use both — for different jobs.
What each one is
Fertigation delivers water-soluble fertiliser through the irrigation water — little and often, precise timing, straight to the root zone. Granular is spread on the soil and releases slowly — the workhorse for base nutrition and soil correction.
Where fertigation wins
- Timing — change the feed week to week (lift potassium at véraison).
- Precision — nutrients go straight to the active roots.
- Responsiveness — a sap analysis flags a shortfall, you adjust next week.
Where granular wins
- Base nutrition — a compound blend lays the foundation efficiently.
- Soil correction — lime for pH, gypsum for structure.
A typical Rooted programme: granular base + corrections at the start, then weekly fertigation tuned to crop stage and the latest soil and sap analysis.