Siphon Injector

abugoogoo

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Hey ladies n gents,
I'm looking into using a siphon injector for fertilization and I have a question for anyone familiar with this topic. Let's say that I get XYZ Liquid Fertilizer, and mix a 5 gallon bucket up according to manufacturer's specifications and the flow rate of the siphon injector that I get.... How much am I giving to my trees? Most of the ferts say mix up such and such amount per gallon of water.... So does each tree get a gallon to get enough fertilizer? I guess the question is more about how much fertilized water each tree should get more than about the siphon injector. Thanks for your help.
 

MrWunderful

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The hozon brand I use is 16:1.
I dont bother measuring fertilizer because even with it at full strength, it is still diluted by 16 times. I just dump my organic fert in, throw 60 oz of water in, then water my full yard.
 

abugoogoo

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The hozon brand I use is 16:1.
I dont bother measuring fertilizer because even with it at full strength, it is still diluted by 16 times. I just dump my organic fert in, throw 60 oz of water in, then water my full yard.
So you're not adding more to compensate for the flow rate and get the full recommended dose?
 

Eckhoffw

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So you're not adding more to compensate for the flow rate and get the full recommended dose?
How is a siphon injector better than watering with fert mixed in as recommended?
sorry. Just curious 🤨
 

abugoogoo

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Ok. I did a little research.
I think I get it. 😄
I'm just looking to make life easier... I have a buncha trees, and you can basically fill a 5 gallon bucket with the fert and hook that up to your hose and water everything, instead of having to refill a water can
 

penumbra

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My wife has been using one for the past 35 years at the greenhouse at her work. I know half a dozen commercial growers that use them as well. I tried one at my house some years ago and it was very inconsistent due to the fact my water pressure was inconsistent on the low pressure side. I do have a new pressure tank now and a few more pounds and I might try it again, but for the last few years I have just been doing a foliar feed with a garden sprayer about once a week early down to about every 2 to 3 weeks later.
I am going with what everyone I know does and mixing to the directions. I stopped asking why years ago after seeing the results.
 

abugoogoo

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My wife has been using one for the past 35 years at the greenhouse at her work. I know half a dozen commercial growers that use them as well. I tried one at my house some years ago and it was very inconsistent due to the fact my water pressure was inconsistent on the low pressure side. I do have a new pressure tank now and a few more pounds and I might try it again, but for the last few years I have just been doing a foliar feed with a garden sprayer about once a week early down to about every 2 to 3 weeks later.
I am going with what everyone I know does and mixing to the directions. I stopped asking why years ago after seeing the results.
So the only fertilization you do is a foliar feed, or did I misunderstand? Also, how much water do you spray on each tree after mixing, that's what I'm really trying to get at. In order to properly fertilize with a liquid fertilizer only, how much should one spray per tree? Or am I thinking too much about this. Thanks for your help
 
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Hey ladies n gents,
I'm looking into using a siphon injector for fertilization and I have a question for anyone familiar with this topic. Let's say that I get XYZ Liquid Fertilizer, and mix a 5 gallon bucket up according to manufacturer's specifications and the flow rate of the siphon injector that I get.... How much am I giving to my trees? Most of the ferts say mix up such and such amount per gallon of water.... So does each tree get a gallon to get enough fertilizer? I guess the question is more about how much fertilized water each tree should get more than about the siphon injector. Thanks for your help.
If your syphon is 16:1, then your stock solution needs to be 16 times more concentrated. However, the fertilizer is usually given once every two weeks and not every day, or to simplify thing say every 10 days. So I'd make the stock solution 1.6 concentrated. None of this needs to be perfect, you if do a 2x solution and you use that much of the stock solution in 10 days, in that period of time you would have given the correct amount, except that instead of all at once, 1/10th every day.
 

penumbra

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This topic has been discussed here under foliar feeding. Many people consider it a myth or of inconsequential benefit. I don't want to get into it again because I have gotten flak for it before. But yes, I foliar feed almost exclusively. And I feed by wetting the leaves well with a standard strength mix. That is what I do. With very young plants or recently re-potted plants, I will often spray the soil a little too.
I am also a long time proponent of spraying liquid kelp or a seaweed blend with fish emulsion at least once a month and more when I feel it is warranted. I started using kelp about 50 years ago so I don't feel I need to defend my use of it. Many people think it is useless too.
But all of this and the reasons behind it are in the archives. As are the arguments as to its efficacy.

However, when I am potting plants up in baskets or large pots for extended growth periods in those pots, I start them off with a granular fertilizer mixed with the soil. These plants are usually not re-potted again for at least 3 years and often longer. But they get the same foliar feed that my saplings and my bonsai get.
 

abugoogoo

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This topic has been discussed here under foliar feeding. Many people consider it a myth or of inconsequential benefit. I don't want to get into it again because I have gotten flak for it before. But yes, I foliar feed almost exclusively. And I feed by wetting the leaves well with a standard strength mix. That is what I do. With very young plants or recently re-potted plants, I will often spray the soil a little too.
I am also a long time proponent of spraying liquid kelp or a seaweed blend with fish emulsion at least once a month and more when I feel it is warranted. I started using kelp about 50 years ago so I don't feel I need to defend my use of it. Many people think it is useless too.
But all of this and the reasons behind it are in the archives. As are the arguments as to its efficacy.

However, when I am potting plants up in baskets or large pots for extended growth periods in those pots, I start them off with a granular fertilizer mixed with the soil. These plants are usually not re-potted again for at least 3 years and often longer. But they get the same foliar feed that my saplings and my bonsai get.
Sounds good to me, I'm gonna look this up. I appreciate your help
 

MrWunderful

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So you're not adding more to compensate for the flow rate and get the full recommended dose?
I use about 5 ounces of concentrate with 60 ounces of water Mixed in for my humic fulvic acid liquid. I think it calls for 1 tablespoon per gallon.

Since my soil is so free draining, and I fertilize so often I don’t think it really matters that much. There was a time a few years ago when I really tried to measure it all out and make sure it was correct but it was far more trouble than it was worth and I found I get the same results by just throwing a bunch in there.

My main fertilizer is bio gold or similar placed on the soil.
 

markyscott

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The option I use the one gallon version of this. It been great. Only complaint is that the siphon and injector hoses are a bit sensitive to UV and will crack in the sun after a few years. You can adjust the concentration. It will get more dilute over time.

The option I’ll use in my next garden is this. It will always deliver the same concentration regardless of pressure.


S
 

abugoogoo

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The option I use the one gallon version of this. It been great. Only complaint is that the siphon and injector hoses are a bit sensitive to UV and will crack in the sun after a few years. You can adjust the concentration. It will get more dilute over time.

The option I’ll use in my next garden is this. It will always deliver the same concentration regardless of pressure.


S
I like that first one... looks super easy
 

Forsoothe!

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Most people are unequipped to do the math and wind up applying at greatly reduced rates. You need to know your water delivery per unit of time, the siphon delivery rate per gallon, and dilution rate of amendment. That's the easy part. Unfortunately most manufactures express dilution rates in per acre or per inch diameter of trunk which makes it difficult because you have to extrapolate (a fancy word for plucking a number out of the air) a "proper" delivery. The water pressure at my home varies widely depending upon how dry everybody else's lawn is, weekend or not, morning or afternoon, ad infinitum. Other than that,nothing to it.
 

NOZZLE HEAD

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Long story short, it is all about getting the parts per million of nutrients in the final irrigation water at a point where it won’t hurt your plants, the greenhouse growers I work with use dosatrons, and for Fertigation in field crops we don’t worry about ppm but in actual nutrients delivered per acre.

When I have to make a fertilizer plan and a Venturi siphon is being used I always err on the side of caution by using a lower concentration of fertilizer than the maximum economic rate, and do it more often.
 
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