Hose feeder

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ralphrmartin
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Re: Hose feeder

Post by ralphrmartin »

I've had a couple of these (generically), and found they didn't dose very reliably: how do you tell when the fertiliser is all used up? As it mixes the incoming water with the stuff in the bottle, the bottle contents get ever more dilute, surely? Perhaps the Birchmeier one is different.

MiniDos water driven injectors do the job, but are pretty pricey.
Last edited by ralphrmartin on Sun May 15, 2022 8:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ralph Martin
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Cidermanrolls
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Re: Hose feeder

Post by Cidermanrolls »

ralphrmartin wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 8:25 pm I've had a couple of these (generically), and found they didn't dose very reliably: how do you tell when the fertiliser is all used up? As it mixes the incoming water with the stuff in the bottle, the bottle contents get ever more dilute, surely?

MiniDos water driven injectors do the job, but are pretty pricey.
The Birchmeier doesn’t dilute, it sucks the fertiliser concentrate out of the bottle until it is empty.
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ralphrmartin
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Re: Hose feeder

Post by ralphrmartin »

Ah, you replied before I edited above to say perhaps the Birchmeier is different.
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Phil_SK
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Re: Hose feeder

Post by Phil_SK »

I water my plants using a hose from a water butt with a fairly feeble in-line pump. It delivers what you might call a fast dribble but not enough power to work a spray feeder, I shouldn't think. Up until this year, I had to do feeds using a can. This year, I'm experimenting - I'm putting what I know to be more or less the right amount of feed in 12L of water and spraying it onto the plants with the pressurised sprayer I use for insecticide (I know that 12L works for the size of my collection). I then lightly water overhead as normal to rinse it off the plants and into the soil (my hose has a small watering can rose on the end which works perfectly). It helps that my collection is almost entirely in square pots that are touching up against one another. I do see some residue on some plants but not much. I've only fed twice this year but that's probably more than in most growing seasons previously. Still a bit of a pain but easier than with cans. I do find I need to decant the concentrated feed before putting it in the sprayer as the soluble food isn't entirely soluble.
Phil Crewe, BCSS 38143. Mostly S. American cacti, esp. Lobivia, Sulcorebutia and little Opuntia
peter831shaw
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Re: Hose feeder

Post by peter831shaw »

I dont have that many plants compared to most of you but I hate watering with a can. I fill a 30gal trash can with RO water, add some commercial fertilizer at a rate I like hitting an EC of about 0.7, then drop in a pump connected to a hose with a flow regulator and away I go. I can also use it for veggies in my wicking beds

Ralph, I have had 15 mini-dose injectors, but they all broke in about a year or two, and are more expensive to repair than buy new. They have ~20 moving parts inside all made of cheap plastic.

We went back to dosatrons - more expensive but bullet proof and super easy to fix - 4 moving parts.

Must be time to fertilize!
Peter Shaw
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ralphrmartin
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Re: Hose feeder

Post by ralphrmartin »

Thanks for the comment, Peter. I've had my minidos for 5 years now, although I have had to replace some worn parts (the spares kit wasn't cheap, but certainly nowhere near the cost of a new one). I guess it all depends how much watering you do. I'll look into the dosatron.
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Ross M
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Re: Hose feeder

Post by Ross M »

I bought one of the Birchmeier aquamix and used it for the first time last night. Worked really well and saves such a lot of hassle!

Thanks again for the info. (tu)
Ross

Dunbar, SE Scotland.
BCSS member #46264 (originally joined 1983).
Growing cacti since 1978, with a particular interest in Sulcorebutia and Rebutia.

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