Fertilizer Injectors - What's Best For My System

[Darkhorse]

Hello again everyone,
 
    I haven't posted in awhile, but I've definitely been doing my best to keep up with reading.  The time has finally come for me to set up a drip irrigation system.  I'm watering about 75 large plants (more on the way) and a huge number of little plants by hand.  I'd guess that it's taking me about an hour and a half in the mornings to water. 

   I'm going to get phase 1 of my drip system up and running today.  I'm off to Home Depot to get the poly pipe, connectors, stakes, and emitters.  I'm only running a line to only my large plants first--  more on that in a second.  My phase 1 won't run any fertilizer to them, though, so I'll be adding a fertilizer injector within a week or two.  I was originally thinking of going with an EZ Flo like some of those that I've read on here, but I hesitate.  I read that the dosage is inconsistent with these injectors.  Those of you that have an EZ Flo, are your plants really ok with this?  I don't want them going from salt burn to chlorosis and back again.  I'm willing to step up and get a Dosatron or something similar if necessary.  I will be mixing HVH Acid Blend, chelated Iron, seaweed extract, and Supernova in the reservoir.  Will it be a problem mixing liquid in with all of the dry fertilizers?

Sooner rather than later, I will be adding a line or two for my small plants as well.  These plants are in 2" liners and 5" pots.  I'm assuming I will need a Dosatron for them, as they're newly started from cuttings and will need a more specific feeding schedule.  They're only going to be getting chelated iron and HVH Acid Blend.  Are there fertilizer injectors that have two separate reservoirs for different fertilizer mixtures?

As always, thank you all for your help!
Jordan

[wirebender]

Jordan, I bought an Ez-Flow about 3 years ago for my greenhose drip system. I was disappointed with the system because it was difficult to calibrate, it was difficult to tell if you mixed the fertilizer at the proper strength, and just exactly what the plants were getting. The worst part was trying to tell when the tank was empty. when it operates water runs through the tank so the mixture gets diluted and you deliver a different mixture to your plants everytime you water.It's almost impossible to tell when the system needs more fertilizer mixed. The only way to really tell is by the color of the liquid in the tank. So.... 9 months ago I bought a Dosmatic injector. Ther are many types and sizes to choose from. It's easy and exact to deliver the same amount of fertilizer to your plants consistently. You get a 5 gallon bucket to mix the fertilizer in, drop the tube/filter assembly in and forget about it until the solution in the bucket needs to be replenished. Set up of the system is more difficult, but in my opinion well worth it. Jeff

[Darkhorse]

Hi Jeff,

   Thanks for your feedback on both the Ez Flow and the Dosmatic injectors.  I'm a numbers person and have been fortunate to be able to control exactly what my plants have been getting (albeit losing lots of time watering by hand); this said, I don't like the idea of ball-parking it with an EZ Flow.

   After posting this I spoke with my mother, who owns and runs a commercial turkey farm in SC.  She uses a Chemilizer injector to medicate her birds through their water supply as needed, and has used both the Dosmatic and Chemilizers.  Apparently the Chemilizer lacks a piston that tends to cause problems with both the Dosmatic and the Dosatron.  Have you had any issues with your Dosmatic locking up yet?  Of course, my mom's system gets a lot of wear and tear, as 25,000 turkeys go through a lot of water...

   Another question--  do you use any sort of backflow preventer or pressure regulator?

   I did get most of my drip system up and running today, and will finish adding the rest of the emitters tomorrow.  Save for a small leak at the hose bib connector (which I'll fix when I add ferts) and a couple of sore thumbs, we're doing just fine!  I'm sure the plants will be very, very happy!

Jordan

[wirebender]

Hi Jordan, It was good to get your reply. If you read all of the postings about EZ Flow I posted a positive review about the system. As I worked with it over several months I decided I wanted something more precise and easier to monitor. I use a Minidos 0.4% injector set for 1:100 rate, which is an exact setting. My hook-up is hose bib-back flow preventer- filter- Dig battery operated timer- Minidos with by pass valves. I mix my fertilizer (Dynamic gro 7-7-7 mixed at the 1:100 ratio) in a 5 gal. Bucket. I usually mix about 3-4 gal. At a time. If I want to use a bloom boosting fertilizer, I use a 2nd bucket and put the Minidos hose/filter into that bucket. Easy and precise. I'm only familiar with the Minidos, have used for about 9 months, and have had no trouble with it. You can definitely hear the piston as it works. I also have a smaller bucket where I mix a systemic insecticide/ miticide and apply it through the injector. Very easy. Let me know if you have any other questions. Jeff

[farmer d]

Hi Jordan,

I just finished installing my drip system Wednesday so a couple of learning curve observations fresh in my mind.  Leaks were/are an issue with all the different parts used going from the hose bib to the poly tubing.  I included both an anti-siphon valve (back flow regulator) and a filter to go with the fert injector (EZ Flow), DIG timer and pressure regulator.

A boatload of plumber's tape helped and only leaks at the fert injector connection now when on so not happy about the quality of that part (does it on both drip lines I installed).  I think for your set up the dosatron sounds like a better way to go for feeding regulation.  My plants are bigger and also get exposed to sprinkler water, rain and other elements so ball parking works fine for me as all these factors are going to continually effect what my plants get.  

I do agree that knowing how effectively the fert mixture is feeding thru the lines is a big concern.  I see little bubbles and the like in the transparent tube going from the tank to the injector but it is hard to tell if it is really moving thru which I am guessing it is as I would think the tube would have big gaps of air pockets not pushing thru if not.  I do like the idea of adding a dye to the fert mix to better see it though I don't think I need to as other members here have already figured out the time frames and amounts needed - that is why this forum is so beneficial.

I liked Erny's, Norm's and John's advice about changing out the fert mixture every six weeks and setting the mixture to 1:100.  Erny's bloom and plant results are impressive as I have seen first hand so that is good enough for me.  We both like using hose splitters so you can also have a hose to use on the same line too.  

My fingers are also really sore too - even with gloves punching in almost 150 emitters and all that 1/4 tubing in two days time is rough....

Best of luck!

Farmer D

[Darkhorse]

Hi all, thanks again for everyone's advice.  As always, I'm very busy these days and sadly don't have nearly as much time for posing as I used to.  However, I wanted to share my "after-the-fact" thoughts on setting up a drip system.  I've finally settled on and ordered a Mixrite 1% (1:100) fertilizer injector for my system.  Of course, it's backordered, so the plants have been without fertilizer since I set up everything at the end of April.  I'll hopefully get the injector soon. 

For those of you on the fence about setting up drip irrigation...

DO IT!!!


WOW, what a difference it has made not only to my morning routine, but to my plants as well.  I don't have the words to express the change I've seen in them.  I have plants that haven't done well for several years, and certain cultivars that I've never seen do well.  Every single one of my plants has absolutely flourished since I've set the system up.  They're HUGE.  There were some plants that I was at the brink of throwing out and ordering again because they had just been sitting in their pots for a couple of years, not really growing.  I thought it was the soil, the climate, the insects...  even with daily watering they weren't getting the right watering routine.  I never would've thought that a drip irrigation system would've made all the difference.  I can't wait to get them on fertilizer again and see the results.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Jordan

[jpiper82]

It would be interesting to hear what size emitters you used, and what your watering time duration is.
I just bought an EZ-Flo Injector system 2 gallon, that I am going to set up with a DIG drip system and timer. one system going to cover about 40 plants, 4 Hibiscus trees, and 5 Palm trees.
John

[Darkhorse]

John, I used 1/2 gph emitters for the smaller plants and one GPH emitters for the larger plants.  They are not pressure compensating, so I will be adding a pressure regulator so I know exactly how much water is going through them.

Right now I'm just turning on the hose a couple of turns and leaving the water on for about an hour. 

[farmer d]

This thread has really been helpful for me, no doubt!  I have 2 separate drip systems (one for the front yard and one for the back yard) with the front one supplying fert to 78 plants with a 3/4 gallon container.  I use 2 gallon/hr pressure compensated emitters except for about a dozen smaller plants that get the 1 gl/hr emitters and I have a pressure compensator on the hose line as well.  I have noticed that the fert dye does turn clear in less than a week in the 3/4 gallon container which has me wondering even after reading about how the sun fades the dye with so many emitters going for 30 minutes every day.  

So what I have now done is increased the amount of ferts in my container, changed the timer to run 4 times a day at 6 minutes each run, and I will refresh my fert every 2 weeks instead of every 6 weeks.  My bet is I won't see any drastic changes until it starts to really warm up here and my plant's metabolism jumps.  Usually that is sometime in July.  So far I have seen a little fert burn on just my T Pretty Boy so I have moved the emitter further away from that immediate root ball.

My backyard only has 27 emitters so I might not refresh the fert mix as often, probably every month.  What is very interesting though is that I have my 3/4 gallon container hidden behind my a/c unit so it really gets maybe 1 hour of sun at most each day yet it still loses the dye coloring just as fast as the one in the front that gets lots of hot afternoon sunshine.  Makes me think that it isn't the sun fading the dye as much as the fert getting used up much more quickly than we think it is with the EZ Flow system.  Like Charlie said it runs hot in the beginning then gets cold as time goes on.  I'm wondering how hot in the beginning?

Farmer D

[jpiper82]

This thread has really been helpful for me, no doubt!  I have 2 separate drip systems (one for the front yard and one for the back yard) with the front one supplying fert to 78 plants with a 3/4 gallon container.  I use 2 gallon/hr pressure compensated emitters except for about a dozen smaller plants that get the 1 gl/hr emitters and I have a pressure compensator on the hose line as well.  I have noticed that the fert dye does turn clear in less than a week in the 3/4 gallon container which has me wondering even after reading about how the sun fades the dye with so many emitters going for 30 minutes every day.  

So what I have now done is increased the amount of ferts in my container, changed the timer to run 4 times a day at 6 minutes each run, and I will refresh my fert every 2 weeks instead of every 6 weeks.  My bet is I won't see any drastic changes until it starts to really warm up here and my plant's metabolism jumps.  Usually that is sometime in July.  So far I have seen a little fert burn on just my T Pretty Boy so I have moved the emitter further away from that immediate root ball.

My backyard only has 27 emitters so I might not refresh the fert mix as often, probably every month.  What is very interesting though is that I have my 3/4 gallon container hidden behind my a/c unit so it really gets maybe 1 hour of sun at most each day yet it still loses the dye coloring just as fast as the one in the front that gets lots of hot afternoon sunshine.  Makes me think that it isn't the sun fading the dye as much as the fert getting used up much more quickly than we think it is with the EZ Flow system.  Like Charlie said it runs hot in the beginning then gets cold as time goes on.  I'm wondering how hot in the beginning?

Farmer D

Your 3/4 gallon EZ-Flo injector system has a fertilizer capacity of 5 lbs. That should make 750 gallons of fertilized water to use. You can calculate your flow rates by adding up how many drippers you have and there flow rates, and then it is a function of total time you run the system.
I am going to wrap my 2 gal container in a white plastic bag to protect it from UV, it should also protect the dye. Once you know your total flow rate in GPH, check and make sure you have the correct flo disc installed.
The 2 gallon system I am setting up holds 10 lb of fertilizer, and I will be using HVH Fert, and HVH booster, 5 lbs each, plus 1 Qt SuperNova, a little extra 10% Chelated iron.  That should give me about 2000 gal.
I live in Naples,FL where it is already hot 74deg at night, and 90 deg daytime, with very sandy soil. This is a whole new install for me and will probably 30-40 Hibiscus from Charlie, with each plant going in the ground with HVH potting mix. (the $20 hole!) Just received 15 CV's and they are acclimating to the FL sun.
Best regards, John

[capt-j]

I am a newbie, and have installed a drip system and EZ-Flo system for my plants.

You say that for a 2 gallon setup, you use 5 lbs HVH and 5 lbs Booster. 

Does this mean you put the dry powders in the container, and that is it ?
OR
Do you make a liquid concentrate?

Thank you.

JBS

[Ernest]

I put the powdered fertilizer in and then fill the container with water to make a liquid concentrate.

Erny

[capt-j]

Hello Ernest

How much dry do you put in the container before you add the water?

I live in Galveston Texas, and water every morning thru the fertigator.

I only put a couple of tablespoons HVH in my 3/4 gal container - I'm guessing this is way too little, but I didn't want to risk "killing them with kindness"

JBS

[farmer d]

Your 3/4 gallon EZ-Flo injector system has a fertilizer capacity of 5 lbs. That should make 750 gallons of fertilized water to use. You can calculate your flow rates by adding up how many drippers you have and there flow rates, and then it is a function of total time you run the system.
I am going to wrap my 2 gal container in a white plastic bag to protect it from UV, it should also protect the dye. Once you know your total flow rate in GPH, check and make sure you have the correct flo disc installed.
The 2 gallon system I am setting up holds 10 lb of fertilizer, and I will be using HVH Fert, and HVH booster, 5 lbs each, plus 1 Qt SuperNova, a little extra 10% Chelated iron.  That should give me about 2000 gal.
I live in Naples,FL where it is already hot 74deg at night, and 90 deg daytime, with very sandy soil. This is a whole new install for me and will probably 30-40 Hibiscus from Charlie, with each plant going in the ground with HVH potting mix. (the $20 hole!) Just received 15 CV's and they are acclimating to the FL sun.
Best regards, John

Thanks John for the reply and additional specifics.  When first starting out I have been using the same amount Erny uses in his 3/4 gallon EZ Flow tank which is 1/2 lb (which is about the same as a measured 1/2 cup) of Special Blend Fert and then I added same amounts of Quelant-K and Supernova which by the way I know for a fact Supernova does not fade in the sun as I have had it sitting in my transparent spray bottle for several weeks if not longer and it stays the same color the whole time so I know that the loss of color I'm seeing is not due to sunlight fading it.

Anyways so I am working out the outflow numbers on my set up which for the front yard combo of 2 & 1 gallon emitters comes out to around 140 gallons.  If I use it for 24 minutes a day that is about .4 hours per day which equates to 56 gallons per day.  If the capacity is 750 gallons then I have 13.4 days before I used it up.  So my guess of changing it out every 2 weeks is pretty much right if the 750 gallons is a correct calculation.

My backyard set up is much smaller so when running the numbers it comes out to hitting the 750 gallon total every 37.5 days so again my guess of every month is not too far off.  That one I average about 20 gallons a day for those trying to work out the numbers.

The last factor I can think of is the setting on the injector which I have set to the fastest level which is 1:100.

Now I did see fert burn (just a couple leaves each) on 2 plants out of almost 100 so I'll probably cut the amount of Quelant-K by maybe a third at most as that is the only thing I am using that can cause fert burn.

Thanks again for your input, for me I find the most valuable discovery for me is that the rate of consumption is much higher than we were thinking when you have a lot of emitters like I do.  It makes sense when you run the numbers so I will continue changing out the fert in my front yard every two weeks with just a little less Quelant-K.

Farmer D

[jpiper82]

Darren,  If you use the lowest setting on the EZ-Flo system, you will be using 3/4 -1 tsp. per gallon of water. Which is the recommended HVH amount of fert for people who fertilize with every watering, as I do.  You should get no fert burn at that setting.

Living in Fl, even with the rainy season, and daytime highs of 88/92 deg, with high humidity, nighttime lows of 70-72 deg.  All the plants need watered twice a day to keep them at the ideal 60 to 80% moisture level, because the soil here is so "sandy".  To compensate for that I am using HVH potting soil slightly blended with a good organic soil to hold the moisture in longer, or else all the nutrients would just wash thru the soil.
Best Regards, John