fertilizer How do you fertilize plants that are on drip irrigation?

mas_fuego

mas_fuego

Last year I had a handful of plants. I am in Zone 10b and did not realize how badly I underwatered my plants until late in the season. This year I plan to do several more plants and plan to install a drip irrigation system.
 
I have seen folks like juanitopeppers do injectors but that is a little out of reach (and overkill) for what I plan to grow.
 
For folks who use drip irrigation, how do you fertilize your plants? If I fertilize by spraying the leaves, can I use something like this?
 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-1-Gal-Sprayer-1501HDX/207202420
 
Please, someone school me.
 
thanks

Edit: I am growing in containers if that matters.
 
Thats what i use but i never spray the foliage... i just soak around the base once a week or 2 weeks... just turn off the drip for a day or 2to make em thirsty to drink it up
 
LIBERTY said:
Time release pellets ?
 
A cheap fertilizer injector can be bought for about 10$  ---   https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Irrigation-Venturi-Fertilizer-Injectors-Device-Water-Tube-Switch-Filter-1-2-3-4/32724684039.html?ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10065_10068_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10060_10061_10062_10056_10055_10054_10059_10099_10078_10079_427_10073_10103_10102_10096_10052_10050_10051,searchweb201603_3&btsid=dd2433e9-e35f-4601-b36a-9cbabedec437
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Do those work with low flow drip systems?

Also, I am using containers if that matters.

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JUR-Z-Devil said:
Thats what i use but i never spray the foliage... i just soak around the base once a week or 2 weeks... just turn off the drip for a day or 2to make em thirsty to drink it up
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How long do you have to spay each to soak them? I have only used them for weed control.

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Nothing beats an old fashioned watering can, if you've got a manageable number of plants.
 
This is where the question gets complex, though.  When it comes to watering, and how, and how often, it has to first be established what your grow media is.  I'm close to you, from a growing perspective.  The media you choose is important, because the seasonal weather down here greatly affects the attributes of the media. So what media are you growing in? In general, when you water or fertilize, you soak the plant.  Pour until the media is saturated, with some overrun. 
 
Fertigation systems are easy to make.  You need a heavy duty plastic garbage can, a sump pump, some PVC, and some drip irrigation components.  But if you haven't got 50+ plants, and you're not growing in some super lightweight media that needs to be fed every day, I'm not sure I'd dive right into that. 
 
solid7 said:
Nothing beats an old fashioned watering can, if you've got a manageable number of plants.
 
This is where the question gets complex, though.  When it comes to watering, and how, and how often, it has to first be established what your grow media is.  I'm close to you, from a growing perspective.  The media you choose is important, because the seasonal weather down here greatly affects the attributes of the media. So what media are you growing in? In general, when you water or fertilize, you soak the plant.  Pour until the media is saturated, with some overrun. 
 
Fertigation systems are easy to make.  You need a heavy duty plastic garbage can, a sump pump, some PVC, and some drip irrigation components.  But if you haven't got 50+ plants, and you're not growing in some super lightweight media that needs to be fed every day, I'm not sure I'd dive right into that. 
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I have seen juanitopeppers setup and while a thing of beauty, overkill for the dozen plants I am planning.

Last year I used Miracle-Gro potting soil and in a 5-gallon pot I seem to get pretty good drainage. It was my first year growing and I realized how much I under watered my plants.

I kept reading how you can let them Wilt a little bit not realizing here in South Florida that happens after a day or less of not watering in the summer. Here in December I still have to water every day.

After doing some reading I plan to make my own potting mix this year since I'm doing more plants. I want to save some money on soil, and I figure with a good fertilization schedule I don't need the potting mix to fertilize it for me.

The reason I'm doing a drip system is that I have to travel for work at times between three days and a week. That's too long not to water but I can still manually fertilize.

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Well, it's really a long perpetuated myth among pepper growers that you should let them wilt.  I, and many others, don't ever do that.  In general, you don't want to stop moisture uptake to any plant, as repeated periods of interrupted uptake, can start to present nutritional deficiencies. (especially when uptake is rapid)  Keep the plant fed and watered, and looking healthy at all times, whenever possible.  
 
About your summer wilt - in our area, that is often high humidity that stifles transpiration.  Often, the plant isn't so much wilting for lack of water, as it is "suffocating" from being unable to properly transfer oxygen through the stomata in the leaves.  You may notice that your leaves will return to normal at night, in that case, when the temperature drops, and oxygen levels (slightly) increase.
 
If this was my system - I'd be looking at using a dry fertilizer, and simple drip irrigation.  You can put together a simple irrigation system from any big box store.  We're talking less than $100 to get started.  That would include a battery powered timer.  A rain sensor is useful, if you can get it.  You'll place that in one of the pots.  In the summer, I run mine every other day for 21 minutes.  I have containers up to 10 gallons.
 
A really great grow media to use in our climate, and simple, is 3 parts peat, 1 parts coco coir, and 1 part perlite.  This does several things: first, it's a very light weight mix, that roots penetrate easily. Secondly, it can be used in just about any type of container.  Third, it has all of the benefits of both peat and coco.  Peat can be a bitch to re-wet, but coco is a piece of cake.  Also, this works perfectly for liquid or dry fertilizer.  
 
solid7 said:
Well, it's really a long perpetuated myth among pepper growers that you should let them wilt.  I, and many others, don't ever do that.  In general, you don't want to stop moisture uptake to any plant, as repeated periods of interrupted uptake, can start to present nutritional deficiencies. (especially when uptake is rapid)  Keep the plant fed and watered, and looking healthy at all times, whenever possible.  
 
About your summer wilt - in our area, that is often high humidity that stifles transpiration.  Often, the plant isn't so much wilting for lack of water, as it is "suffocating" from being unable to properly transfer oxygen through the stomata in the leaves.  You may notice that your leaves will return to normal at night, in that case, when the temperature drops, and oxygen levels (slightly) increase.
 
If this was my system - I'd be looking at using a dry fertilizer, and simple drip irrigation.  You can put together a simple irrigation system from any big box store.  We're talking less than $100 to get started.  That would include a battery powered timer.  A rain sensor is useful, if you can get it.  You'll place that in one of the pots.  In the summer, I run mine every other day for 21 minutes.  I have containers up to 10 gallons.
 
A really great grow media to use in our climate, and simple, is 3 parts peat, 1 parts coco coir, and 1 part perlite.  This does several things: first, it's a very light weight mix, that roots penetrate easily. Secondly, it can be used in just about any type of container.  Third, it has all of the benefits of both peat and coco.  Peat can be a bitch to re-wet, but coco is a piece of cake.  Also, this works perfectly for liquid or dry fertilizer.  
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I plan to connect my drip system with the rest of my irrigation system simply making it another Zone. I have an open sprinkler system and it gets weather updates and adjusts watering with the precipitation. It's really cool did not cost much more than a standard controller.

Hopefully next week I'm going to see where I can buy my soil ingredients. I didn't realize how expensive that would get when you start adding up pots.

If you do a dry fertilizer, how do you deal with having a mulch on top of your pot? I planned on adding some ingredients to the soil as I made the pots. I had planned to follow the tutorials on The Rusted Gardens YouTube channel.

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I use two things in pots, and it's based on my own trial and error.  Either I use pine bark as mulch, or I use compost as a top dress.

Either way, you just put the fertilizer in the pot, and scratch it in, in the case of top dress, or pull back the mulch, and cover when you've applied the fertilizer.  Or, you can also mix the fertilizer into your next top dressing before you apply it.

Be careful if your system is on well water.  We have high salt content in our wells here.  Also, be sure to put a 25psi regulator on whatever zone you detach the sprinkler head from. 
 
As for ingredients... It's cheap to buy compressed bales of peat.  Around $13 for 85L.  Coco coir can be had for around $12 for a 5 Kg compressed bale, which you'll have to rehydrate and thoroughly rinse.  You can get a 4 Cu ft. bag of perlite for around $20.  Still much cheaper than buying any bagged media that is worthwhile.

Another thought...  If you can find it in your area, what works REALLY well for a season, is nursery mix.  In Florida, nursery mix is typically 80% composted pine bark, 10% peat, and 10% sand.  You'll only want to use it once, and then recycle it to a compost pile or planter bed.  But it works phenomenally well, and is usually pretty cheap.  I can have it delivered for $40/cu yd.  Its already at the proper PH, and ready to plant out and fertilize.
 
I have a half dozen bags of MG Garden Soil from an earlier project. My plan is to mix it, perlite, and Peat Moss with some garden lime.
 
I'm pretty sure that foliar-only feeding will be insufficient.  You'll need to feed the soil too.
 
Fish emulsion might(?) work OK in a drip system, particularly if you add a fine particulate filter.  Or go with a 100% chemical, like the dreaded Miracle Grow, that will completely dissolve.  
 
Or just apply the fert of your choice, with a big slug of water, once a week or when convenient.
 
Geonerd said:
 
Or just apply the fert of your choice, with a big slug of water, once a week or when convenient.
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This is pretty much my plan. Maybe mix a concentrate in a 5 gallon bucket and put a cup or two in each plant.


You gon learn today!
 
mas_fuego said:
I have a half dozen bags of MG Garden Soil from an earlier project. My plan is to mix it, perlite, and Peat Moss with some garden lime.
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Personally, I'd throw away the MG stuff, and just mix Peat and Perlite at a mixture of 70/30.  Keep your containers 7 gallons or less, and you'll grow great plants.  (obviously, you'll still have to fertilize)
 
Mix in about 10% compost, and you'll have no re-wetting issues.
 
You can use the MG injector and add any ferts you like, just hook it up to any irrigation system you want to. I use drip tape and made a bigger reservoir to hold more nutes.
Here's the MG injector http://www.homedepot.com/p/Miracle-Gro-LiquaFeed-16-oz-Universal-Feeder-Starter-Kit-101910/205563774
0a3ae06f-d845-45fd-b870-71517266017b_1000.jpg

 
I made an adapter from pvc to screw into the injector then piped it into a 5 gallon bucket using off the shelf parts. I had to get someone with a lathe make that adapter to fit the buttress threads
20160705_164551.jpg

20160705_164537.jpg

20160705_164506.jpg
 
I don't think you can just use any ferts you want.  A device like that is made to dose MG nutrients, at a given rate.  If the concentration is not the same, you run a risk of improperly dosing the ferts.
 
Rajun Gardener said:
You can use the MG injector and add any ferts you like, just hook it up to any irrigation system you want to. I use drip tape and made a bigger reservoir to hold more nutes.
Here's the MG injector http://www.homedepot.com/p/Miracle-Gro-LiquaFeed-16-oz-Universal-Feeder-Starter-Kit-101910/205563774
0a3ae06f-d845-45fd-b870-71517266017b_1000.jpg

 
I made an adapter from pvc to screw into the injector then piped it into a 5 gallon bucket using off the shelf parts. I had to get someone with a lathe make that adapter to fit the buttress threads
20160705_164551.jpg

20160705_164537.jpg

20160705_164506.jpg
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That is super ingenious. How has it worked for you? What have you run in it? What was the dosing? I love to automate things.

You gon learn today!
 
mas_fuego said:
That is super ingenious. How has it worked for you? What have you run in it? What was the dosing? I love to automate things.
 
Click to expand...
 
That is meant to dose an NPK ratio of 12-5-8, which is Miracle Grow.   You can't just use any fertilizer...
 
Obviously you need to do tests to figure out your dosage but that injector fertilizes 40 gallons with the bottle that comes with it. I tested it against the blue MG stuff and it's different from the green stuff it comes with. If you use a weak solution you can feed at every watering. I'll use Masterblend, calnit and epsom this year and I'll have to test it.
 
I did some test on it last year and posted them somewhere. Here's the results of me testing the blue MG against the green MG solutions. This was to use the original bottle that came with it. It's probably Greek but ask if you have questions.
 
 
I set up the feeder like directions say and out the hose the PPM is 519
I then mixed a batch of the blue stuff, 1 tbsp-1 gallon of water and it tested 885, this is closer to what my hydroponic mix is but maybe it's too strong for the garden because we already have most of the requirements to grow compared to hydroponics soil-less mix.
I changed the solution in the bottle and ran that home mix, it was only 186. This should confirm that the fertilizer in the bottles are made from different stuff.
I mixed another 4.5 tbsp and then it tested 265
I added another 4.5 and it went up to 366
That's a total of 15 tbsp to get 366, I'm guessing another 6 tbsp and it would reach the same PPM as the bottle but about half as much as the recommended mix in the directions.
I used 1/2 lb of the 1.5lb box I bought for $5.00, that $1.66 for 40 gallons
 

solid7 said:
 
That is meant to dose an NPK ratio of 12-5-8, which is Miracle Grow.   You can't just use any fertilizer...
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You can use any water soluble fertilizer, just test the ppm and make adjustments. 
 
Rajun Gardener said:
You can use any water soluble fertilizer, just test the ppm and make adjustments. 
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Agreed.  Just didn't want anyone to try it with non-MG, and blame the disaster on you.  The concept was right, but with a few missing details...
 
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