Description
Overview:
A top dress fertiliser that provides nitrogen and calcium nutrition for vegetables, fruits, vines, flowers, turf and ornamentals. Nitrogen 15.5%, Calcium 19.3%.
Advantages:
The nitrogen in calcium nitrate is fully available to plants and provides an immediate and predictable growth response. The calcium helps to reduce plant disorders such as bitter pit of apples, blossom end rot of tomatoes and capsicums, hollow heart of brassica crops, and assists in reducing tip burn of lettuce.
Calcium is an essential nutrient for the development of all plant tissues and adequate supply and uptake assures a longer shelf life for all horticultural crops.
- Cannot be lost to the atmosphere like urea or ammonium based fertilisers:
- Is not affected by temperature, so nutrients are still available when conditions are cold and wet
- Does not contain harmful chlorides or heavy metals
- Is not acidifying to the soil
Application:
Can be the major nitrogen source in a fertiliser program or strategically used at specific times in the development of crops, in conjunction with other fertilisers.
Can be applied through the fertigation system, as a foliar spray and can also be used in hydroponic systems.
Calcium Nitrate is particularly suitable as a post-harvest application on stone fruit, pome fruit and vines, where it is important to achieve the best flower quality, fruit set and early fruitlet development the following season.
Rates:
General rates for horticultural crops are between 25 to 70 kg/ha through the fertigation system. When applying through the irrigation system more frequent and smaller applications guarantee the nutrients are supplied to the plants without being lost due leaching or excessive rainfall. General foliar application rates are at a concentration of 1-2%. The actual rates, number of applications and their timing will vary considerably for different crops and for different districts. Before application, seek advice.