Yes - I came-up with a system that I incorporated in to a drip system that will do exactly as you want. I'm currently out of town and will be home tomorrow and will write back and provide you with Photos and an explanation on how to build it. It's very easy to build and inexpensive to buy the parts.

Greg
Nevada

hi sandyman,

maybe you would like this unit ez-flow you can get info at
www.ez flow.com hope this helps you regards.

les

Hozon Syphonject - Brass

Dramm Syphonject - Plastic

Either can be installed into your drip system using PVC fittings.

See Also:

Strong Injectors, EZ Flo Injection, Bio-Green, Fertigator, Mazzei, Dosmatic, Add-It

Plus a Google search on:

siphon mixer

in-line fertilizer

fertilizer Injectors

This looks like it would be good:

http://www.dripdepot.com/1386

Just not sure what that means by saying 35 gallons will empty injector. My drip tape is .6 gal/hr. Does that mean .6gal/hr/emitter? That means that 35 gallons will go though very quickly. Am I thinking straight?

Here is a link that might be useful: Add-It Proportional Fertilizer Injector

When you start adding liquid fertilizer to your drip you're going to have to start paying attention to water quality as well as checking regularly for clogged emitters.

It can end up costing you more time and money depending on your water quality and the size/quality of your emitters.

This is the drip tape I am using:

http://www.dripirrigation.com/drip_irrigation_info.php?cPath=121_109&products_id=280

Here is a link that might be useful: Drip Tape

This one from HomeDepot filters the water for particles that may hurt the system. Protects the small orifices of the drippers and microsprinklers from clogging.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fertilizer Applicator

Here's a real simple and cheap way to "Fertigate" or fertilize your vegetables using water soluble fertilizers through your drip irrigation system.

I simply took a hose end sprayer, in this case a Miracle Grow Sprayer, (I Don't Use Miracle Grow!), and modified it as shown in the Photos. I used it a couple of times before I stopped gardening a few years ago and the only trouble I had was the original bottle that came with the sprayer not holding-up to the pressure. Now that I'm again getting back in to gardening I'm trying new larger and stronger bottles as you see in the above Photo.

Someone mentioned in another post about emitters clogging but I didn't experience that at all - never have. The drip system you see in the the Photos is called "Netafim" and has been lying where you see them for (10) years. I've never had any leaks or problems with splitting - cracking -leaking or emitters clogging. It's a little more expensive than the stuff you find in garden shops but well worth the investment. This stuff lasts forever and out performs the cheap hoses. And NO - I'm In No Way Connected With The Company That Mfg. This Product, Just A Satisfied Customer!

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Sandhill, Nice setup!

Thats exactly what I wanted to do but I cannot find one of those "garden sprayers" from miracle grow that looks like that. All of the ones in the store now look like this with only one end with garden hose threads:

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I guess I will try and look around for one.

So what type of fert do you add and how much? Is How long does it take to empty container?

Well I just called Scotts and they discontinued the old style feeders! Ah!

Anyone have an extra that I can buy from you?

Sandyman - I was in our local hardware store and saw that new style that you have pictured above - that sucks as their old style works great for this. I didn't really look at the new style, is there any way to modify it? Perhaps another company has one that can be modified to work, I'll have to look around.

As far as the type and amount of fertilizer to use to be honest I only used this setup a few times before I had to quit gardening due to work. You do want to use a water soluble fertilizer and I would just use whatever one you so choose. I won't be planting and growing my fall gardens for another month or so and that's when I'll be putting this back in to use and experimenting with amounts. The emitters on my drip system are 1-gpm (gallon per minute) and are spaced 1 foot apart.

Good luck in finding one of the old style sprayers, I'm going to be looking around here for a few more myself.

Greg
Nevada

Come to find out my Mom has one of the old style sprayers that she is going to give me. Woo Hoo!

Looks like I will be fertigating this weekend!

Sandhill..I've been using the older style Miracle Grow jars to fertigate for a couple of years. We had one jar and one top give out on us this year. The jar from the new style fits the old top, but I don't know what we'll do when the rest of our tops give out.

Where did you get the stronger jars that you tried?

Guess we'll have to start hitting garage/estate sales looking for the old style of top.

gma cheryl wrote:

"Sandhill..I've been using the older style Miracle Grow jars to fertigate for a couple of years. We had one jar and one top give out on us this year. The jar from the new style fits the old top, but I don't know what we'll do when the rest of our tops give out.
Where did you get the stronger jars that you tried?"

Cheryl, The one I'm trying now is from a feed bottle for small animals. Because now is not the time to grow in my area I'll know more about how it works later this summer when I get the fall gardens started. Actually any bottle or jar that will screw-in to the sprayer and not leak or give-out should work. How about your kitchen cupboards, what's in there that might work.

They do make professional fertigation systems that I may end-up buying but right now I'm just being cheap.

Greg
Nevada

What fertilizer are you all using in this system and how often?

Greg,
I did find that a small-mouth Mason jar or an old Best Foods (Hellman's in some places)mayo jar will fit the old Miracle Gro lids. They just don't take as many twists to screw them on. I suppose they would withstand the pressure as long as they are in good condition.

Caeebe,
I use Miracle Gro or Costco's equivalent. I'm going to start by refilling the jar every two weeks. Last year, I just refilled whenever I thought about it, but our yard/garden is so big I could never remember which jar I refilled and when. So this year I'm going to try to be a litte more methodical. I'm hoping every two weeks will be often enough. I just put notes on my phone calendar to remind me!

Cheryl

Did you guys have problems with the miracle grow burning the plants? I have one of those and when I used it I swear the next day there was brown spots like fertilizer burn on my plants. However, I did tip the sprayer up because I could not see any blue come out of the nozzle, so it looked like I was spraying straight water. Is that normal(meaning, does it look like water, but there is fertilizer in there? Or should I see blue?

I would like to keep using it, it is handy, maybe change out the MG when it is all gone.....

ezzirah011 wrote:

"Did you guys have problems with the miracle grow burning the plants?"

I'm one of those who "will not" use Miracle Grow for anything. You can use any "water soluble" fertilizer of your choice, you don't have to use MG.

Greg
Nevada

Can you tell me where I can find the old type fertilizer sprayer where I can hook hose on both ends???????

Hey Greg, What did you use for back flow prevention? Your method is elegant and simple, I love it. I've used the commercial drip tape for about 20 years with never a single clogged emitter; however, I'm going to switch over the 1/2" poly tubing w/in-line emitters and leave the tubing on the soil surface to avoid the chore of installing it sub-surface. The sub-surface drip tape works extremely well but it can get nicked during cultivation.

I have been looking for one of these since I broke mine last spring. I found one at my local Ace Hardware. If you are looking for one, check out your local Ace Hardware.

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Here is a link that might be useful: In line fertlizer sprayer.

Thought I'd update this post for folks looking for these "in-line" sprayers that can be used for this purpose. If you don't have an Ace Hardware locally Tractor Supply also carries one if per chance you have this store in you area.

Tom (Florid forum)

I have thought about using my old MG sprayer like this with my micro irrigation setup but I am stuck on how much liquid fertilizer I need to put into the container. Do I just fill it up or do I need to do some calculations? From the research I have done, I know that when filled with MG fertilizer it uses 50 gallons of water to empty it. I have John's Recipe Fertilizer that I am using and it suggests 1 oz per gallon of water. So how much do I need to put in the MG container to reach this or does it matter?

I also plumbed 2 MG feeders into the 1/2" lines for my drip systems. They worked well for 3 seasons, but the 4th when I turned the water on for the first time the bottom of the mix jars blew out. I assumed I could find bottles that would work and I will when I use them in a couple of new systems. Mine fed my raised veggie beds and I wanted something that held more mix anyway. So last year I bought a couple of Grow More Siphon Mixers. http://www.amazon.com/Grow-More-Siphon-Mixer-Injector/dp/B004HPPR9S I plumbed these in and the pick up hoses are fed from 5 gallon covered buckets. I have used some MG, but only because when a tenant moved out of our rental house they left a large box behind. So it was free. I mix one of the MG feeder packets to 5 gallons of water and it sucks the 5 gallons out in about 2 1/2 days of watering. When I use G&B liquid fertilizer I mix 2 cups to 1 gallon of water. and that feeds for the day. Then the siphon mixer ration is 15 parts water to 1 part mix. I'm not sure on the ratio of fertilizer to water yet and I did play with it some last year.