Kiss fertilizing goodbye as you know it.

[Smoke]

I have been using this product for about a month now. You may have read about it on my blog a few weeks ago. I mix my bucket of stuff and it injects it right into my water hose and out my Yoshiaki water wand.

In my bucket I use five gallons of water and one cup of gro pwer from the bag and one third of a miricle grow bag for their siphon hose end feeder. The five gallons of "stuff" last about four days and then I mix a new batch. I fertilize now everytime I water.
One can see the miricle grow in the line and the bucket shows about two inches of product used during a fifteen minute water trial period.

So far I have had no problems with this method and I can already see some imrovement in some of my plants.

 

[Smoke]

What I like best is the addition of the fertilzer as a solution rather than piling it on top of the soil and having it wash through and clog. Also no critters to haul it away, no smell and no waste. The addition of the humates in the grow power assures me that the fertlizer stays in the pot and the miricle grow gives a very good wallop of nitrogen in dilute form.

 

[Poink88]

I have been using & recommending a similar product (but superior IMHO) for almost 2 years with good results.

http://www.amazon.com/Jacks-Classic...BF1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395556959&sr=8-1

Unlike you, I cannot compare the difference with other fertilizing regimen since I started with Miracle Grow and since it works, never needed to change.

 

[Smoke]

Check out this pine. Lots of buds and recently since the increased fertilizer I see some new buds on older wood. Thats always encouraging.

 

[edprocoat]

You guys know what a Venturi injector is?

ed

 

[Smoke]

Uh....yea same thing as a cup spray gun, an airbrush and the airfoil on an airpane.

 

[Poink88]

You guys know what a Venturi injector is?

ed

Yes. Isn't what we are talking about a venturi injector?

 

[edprocoat]

Yes. Isn't what we are talking about a venturi injector?

Bingo ! They are easily made with a piece of pvc pipe for mere pennies too.

ed

 

[Smoke]

I have been using & recommending a similar product (but superior IMHO) for almost 2 years with good results.

http://www.amazon.com/Jacks-Classic...BF1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395556959&sr=8-1

Unlike you, I cannot compare the difference with other fertilizing regimen since I started with Miracle Grow and since it works, never needed to change.

Recommending it where?

So the antique metal syringe is superior to the plastic one? How is it superior? How is a brass injector superior to the palstic? In this case what constitutes superior?

 

[Poink88]

Recommending it where?

So the antique metal syringe is superior to the plastic one? How is it superior? How is a brass injector superior to the palstic? In this case what constitutes superior?

Here and IBC (before).

It is superior IMHO because no plastic watering/plumbing attachment/fixture EVER beat brass in my experience yet. But if you are happy with the Dramm plastic version...good for you and enjoy it.

 

[Smoke]

Bingo ! They are easily made with a piece of pvc pipe for mere pennies too.

ed

Do you have or have you made one? I had the old Hozon injector back in 1999. I wrote about it on bonsaiTALK in a thread titled "Boy , my backyard stinks". I was using fish emulsion in it.

The one I had used a one quart bottle that came with it for a supply bottle to mix in. I had it next to my faucet and it broke down in the sun. It never dawned on me that I could put a longer hose on the siphon and just put the end in a bucket. The Hozon company stopped making this product about ten years ago. They recently came back out with the product in the new format. I have seen antique hozon siphon feeders on ebay from 1946. There was one recently that sold for 10.00 bucks buy it now. They wanted 10.00 shipping and I could buy this for 16.00 from the local nursery. I wouldn't even pick up or drill a piece of PVC for 16.00.

 

[Poink88]

BTW, in support to your argument...plastic is superior in corrosive environment as I mentioned in this thread.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?9071-Which-system-is-good-for-fertilizing

 

[edprocoat]

Do you have or have you made one? I had the old Hozon injector back in 1999. I wrote about it on bonsaiTALK in a thread titled "Boy , my backyard stinks". I was using fish emulsion in it.

The one I had used a one quart bottle that came with it for a supply bottle to mix in. I had it next to my faucet and it broke down in the sun. It never dawned on me that I could put a longer hose on the siphon and just put the end in a bucket. The Hozon company stopped making this product about ten years ago. They recently came back out with the product in the new format. I have seen antique hozon siphon feeders on ebay from 1946. There was one recently that sold for 10.00 bucks buy it now. They wanted 10.00 shipping and I could buy this for 16.00 from the local nursery. I wouldn't even pick up or drill a piece of PVC for 16.00.

Al I have made them many times. I originally made one as a chlorine injector to use with a water hose to clean mildew off Florida homes to paint back in the early 80's. Made that one out of galvanized pipe thinking it would really last with the galvanize, lasted about a month and exploded as it was eaten through by the chlorine. Went to a brass pipe and that worked well. I made one for fertilizer a few years later, I was using Peters, the green stuff with the eye dropper, I would put half a bottle into a 5 gallon bucket of water and water with it every day.

You can make one with the small size PVC pipe, I think its 5/8's inch size, get a piece of plastic tube and the hose barb, hose barb's are about .15 cents, drill a hole the size of the hose barb in the PVC pipe and stick the barb in the hole and glue it in place your tube goes on the hose barb. The 5/8's pvc pipe will fit inside your average water hose, cut the water hose and slide a piece over each end of the PVC pipe, hose clamp it in place. The pressure of the water sucks the fertilizer through the tube and out it goes through your hose. Anymore I fertilize about every 3-4 days using a pump up sprayer, I get more control and the same results. I firmly believe the plant only takes what it needs and the rest just passes through the pot anyway.

Wow ! These things have went up in price in the last 30 years... $1.29 now ! - This is the type of hose barb, when you drill the hole insert the hose barb with the end pointing the direction of the water, that way it sucks from the tube instead of filling it with water. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/green-leaf-nylon-elbow-barb-1-4-in?cm_vc=-10005

Edit yup for $16 bucks it would not be worth the time to mess with it, mine was used on a sprinkler system and i was young and liked messing with things anyways.

Damn I could have made one quicker than drawing this in Inkscape and uploading it to Flickr, but this will give you and idea of what I am talking about.

drawing by edsnapshot, on Flickr

ed

 

[Shima]

Uh....yea same thing as a cup spray gun, an airbrush and the airfoil on an airpane.

And Carburetors, remember Carburetors?

 

[markyscott]

I can imagine that the rate the fertilizer is drawn in could be affected by by back pressure (the level of the fertilizer in the bucket) and anything that affects the pressure in the hose - the length, the type of sprayer that you're using, if the dishwasher is running, etc...

Do you feel as though you're getting a good constant dilution with this method? How do you check?

Scott

 

[JudyB]

I have always subscribed to the idea that fertilizing with every watering is a good idea with our aggregate soils. I have always used the dyna gro that way, and supplement with a granular feed for aggressive feeding at certain times of year. As I have a sprayer tank now, it's much easier, just mix in the tank and done. Every so often I'll add some humic acid...

 

[Don Blackmond]

I use the Scotts/Miracle Grow hose attachment with Peters 20-20-20 for regular liquid fertilizing. You probably have more control with your system.

I also hand mix and feed individually, depending on need/tree/program.

 

[GrimLore]

Al, Curious how long of a hose are you able to use with the Dramm and if it is 1/2" or 5/8"? It would help me determine if I could hard plumb that in to the new mister system. I been using Grow More http://www.growmore.com/products/type/fertilizers.html which really dissolves well even in cold water.

Grimmy

 

[twarawa]

Just a word of advice for anyone using this (I am a plumber and sirens are going of in my head right now). Please use some form of backflow prevention when you are injecting anything directly into your water system.

At the very least one of these will work for only a couple of bucks:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202369987?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&N=5yc1v&R=202369987

There are better ways but at least that bad boy will make sure any of that fertilizer doesn't make it's way back into you drinking water, or the public system. Also, many municipalities have codes regarding these devices and hand out heavy fines for infractions.

Ok, enough of my rant. It looks like a great idea, just want to make sure everyone stays safe using it.

Thanks,

Tyler

 

[Poink88]

Just a word of advice for anyone using this (I am a plumber and sirens are going of in my head right now). Please use some form of backflow prevention when you are injecting anything directly into your water system.

At the very least one of these will work for only a couple of bucks:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202369987?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&N=5yc1v&R=202369987

There are better ways but at least that bad boy will make sure any of that fertilizer doesn't make it's way back into you drinking water, or the public system. Also, many municipalities have codes regarding these devices and hand out heavy fines for infractions.

Ok, enough of my rant. It looks like a great idea, just want to make sure everyone stays safe using it.

Thanks,

Tyler

Thanks Tyler.

Great point, something I forgot to mention just because all my outside faucet is already equipped with one (building code requirement here).