When Is the Best Time to Apply Ulexite Fertilizers?
Fertilizers are one of the largest costs when it comes to oil palm plantations. Up to 85% of agricultural expenditures are spent on fertilizers. As such, fertilizers should not be wasted and should be used conservatively.
The best way to make sure that wastage is minimized is to ensure that fertilizers are correctly applied. Fertilizers like Ulexite (which provides Boron) should be applied at the correct time and place. This will benefit your soil and crops, as well as help, keep your expenditure in check.
Here are the best times to apply Ulexite fertilizers:
- After you have weeded your plantation
Weeds are very common in oil palm plantations and are often carried by the wind. There’s no easy way to deal with weeds as they have to be removed manually. You cannot use herbicide as this will endanger the oil palms.
Therefore, weeding has to be done by manually removing the weeds. Make sure you apply your fertilizers after a fresh round of weeding. This is because weeds can leach away the Boron in your fertilizer and use it to grow rapidly.
- Avoid overly rainy seasons
In any case, you should avoid applying fertilizers during the wettest time of the year, which usually occurs from November to January each year. This is because the excess rain is able to wash away Boron into the deeper parts of the soil, away from the roots.
- Dry seasons are not good either
Too much rain will cause the Boron fertilizers to leach away, but applying them during extremely dry and hot seasons isn’t practical either. This is because there isn’t enough rain to dissolve the Ulexite. Furthermore, the heat can cause the fertilizer pellets to dry out into dust and be blown away by the wind.
The driest months in the year for Malaysia are June and July, with less than 10 days of rain.
- Months with moderate rain are the best
The best months to apply fertilizers would definitely be the months that are not too hot or rainy. These moderate months are usually from February to March, and September to October each year.
Moderate rainfall months can optimize the effect of Ulexite fertilizers, as they avoid the environmental extremes that can reduce efficiency. Ulexite or boron fertilizers need time to be absorbed, so it’s best to start applying these fertilizers as early as possible in the optimal season.
- The best time of the day
The best time of the day to apply Ulexite is in the morning, before the sun gets too hot and there’s a lot of wind. Applying fertilizers evenly in the morning reduces the chances of it evaporating and being lost to the elements. It would be even better if you water them a little to protect them and ensure maximum absorption.
In order not to miss the optimal months of the year, you’ll have to make sure you prepare all the necessary equipment, machinery and fertilizers beforehand. Check out our new Granular Ulexite fertilizers, available at 10% and 15% concentration.