Direct mixing of fertilizer in a tank.

Getting my veggie garden ready for planting with 6 x 50' rows covered with white plastic mulch (New Mexico gets really hot, so I need to reflect heat, not absorb it, and with out ongoing drought, it's almost the only practical way to grow)
Irrigation is from a 1,500 gallon storage tank, filled from a well pump to around 1000 gallons and gravity fed to drip tape under the plastic mulch.
As it's gravity fed I can't use any sort of fertilizer injector so was pondering the idea of adding soluble fertilizer directly to the tank.
The tentative plan is to fill the tank, take PH and EC readings, adjust the PH and add sufficient fertilizer to raise the PPM by about 125 parts then run the tank to empty and do this every month or so adjusting the nutrients for the stage of growth through the year, and of course correcting if there's any sign of over or under fertilization.
Will this work?

Hi Neil. Welcome to Permies!

Interesting challenge, growing in those conditions. I hope you'll share what you learn with us.

A couple of thoughts:

- Have you tested your drip tape with a low pressure water source? Some varieties don't perform well.

- Have you considered methods other than chem fertilizers to feed your plants? Folks on this site have built up a deep wealth of knowledge on how to build up rich, fertile, healthy soil that then feeds your plants without artificial inputs, and retains much more moisture as well. It's worth looking into.

I would just top dress with compost and possibly dry organic well balanced fertilizers at a low rate (compost will make it more effective) around the drip line under the mulch. Instead of plastic, which will disintegrate and blow away in the wind, as well as make soil below anaerobic, I would use rocks as mulch in NM to mitigate temperature swings and condense evening moisture.