Fertilizer Injectors

[BHarrison]

Do any of you guys have any experience with Fertilizer Injectors? I don't have a crop, just a couple acres of grass that I'd like to fertilize via the existing irrigation system. I see systems out there for about $300.00, but they look like about $20.00 worth of parts from Home Depot. Anybody know of a home made way to do this? I think venturi is out of the question because the ratios are too great.
Thanks in Advance

 

[OCDLubeman]

Hi ben,

Greenhouse growers use basically two brands of "cheaper" injectors - Dosatron or Dosamatic ($200 and up). The comercial injectors (Anderson) cost thousands. I imagine these $200 greenhouse injectors could be put into your lawn irrigation. They are very reliable and pretty accurate.

However, there are several inherent problems with injecting into your system. Backflow prevention is a must (might be code in your area) to prevent fertilizer from getting into your drinking water. A code accepted backflow preventer might cost several hundred dollars.

Next, sprinkler uniformity tends to be only mediocre with round pattern sprinklers. Even if you had a VERY good engineer design your system, chances are there are areas that are getting three or more times more water because of poor over lap-patterns. Thus, these areas would get more fertilizer and maybe result in an uneven lawn or leaching.

I base this experience from my greenhouse and nursery background - so, maybe I'm out in left field regarding lawns. Do commercial lawn firms fertilize through the irrigation? Golf courses?

Good luck,

Randy

 

[lblair]

Doit your self'er
You mentioned you have green house and nursery know how. Can you give me some pointers on getting going in the small scale for profit greenhouse growing. Ive been tossing the idea around in my mind to do this with my property. I live on a perfect road for this. Im new from the kiddy'up also. I have a green thumb but thats it. I have a few dollars to invest also. I live in the north east (upstate ny) so heating will be a must. I want to grow annuals and garden plants to sell and possible landscape shrubbs,
Thanks for any and all input. Larry

 

[W5FL]

You probably will not like my suggestion, but my experience is limited to using the little fertilizer sticks in a drip irrigation system for a garden and it was pretty worthless, but here goes. A venturi and liquid fertilizer are the only way to do it simply. This requires a backflow protector and handling the liquid fertilizer which is somewhat hazardous as are all strong chemicals. You will need to transport a feed about 40 gallons of the liquid fertilizer. Unfortunately, most irrigation systems are not very good at getting a good distribution on the lawn.

However, it probably only takes about 400 pounds of Nitrogen to evenly fertilize 2 acres. You can get a big spreader from the feed stores and pull it across the 2 acres with a small tractor if it can take a pin hitch. I have pulled them with my Cherokee by simply removing the 2 inch ball and the pin drops through that.

I have also used the plain old Whirley Bird Type spreaders and set on the tail gate while my wife drove back and forth to keep from walking so many miles putting out Oat seeds on 7 acres. 2 acres is about 200 x 400 feet, so if you use a standard spreader that will throw 12 feet wide you only have to make 16 trips or walk 1.2 miles at 3 mph only takes 30 minutes to put out 400 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer and I guarantee you that it will be more accurate than putting it in the watering system and a heck of a lot cheaper and safer.

I also saw a spreader made for a small tractor at Home Depot that would hold about 200 pounds of fertilizer and fit on a garder tractor hitch of your Kubota.

Now that might be a lot easier and it was less than $100.00 and this is a tractor forum, anyway, so might as well find a way to do it with a tractor. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[justractors]

Yes, some golf courses use "fertigation".
The systems are very complex, tempramental, and expensive. Much of the cost is in state and federally required safety systems.
Even with their expensive fertigation systems they still have the overlap problems. The last course I worked at had a system that cost more than $150,000 to install and was not used for the two seasons I worked there.
Bill

 

[OCDLubeman]

Larry,

Sorry, but I don't have any experience in the small scale greenhouse growing. I manage a university research farm and we grow forest tree seedlings - meaning.... I work in a plastic bubble and don't have real world experience. If my crops fail, I still get a paycheck!

I imagine greenhouses for profit are much like Christmas tree growing - lots of hard work. I would start with your land grant university (county extension agent). They have greenhouse experts for your climate that will get you in touch with the right information and contacts. Talk to as many people as you can in your state to find out what they do. Most plant people like to share their experience. Good luck.

Randy