A real basic system can be made out of a water hose, an in-line feeder (like this one MG makes ) and your soaker hose. You just replace the spray head with another short piece of hose that can then run to a Y or 3 or 4 way split to soaker hoses.

Water______________Feeder______ Y----------------

Limited quantity of course fits in the feeder but it works. Use liquid ferts, well mixed first, or the can plug the soaker hose over time.

You can also just use a bucket and a fertilizer siphon like this.

I have an EZ Flo System that I got from Charley's Greenhouse Supply several years back for about $50. Well recommended.

Dave

Thanks!

I changed my search wording and have been reading about the easy flow. Looks like it might do fine.

Conflicting info though. One site requires a back flow preventer, another states anti syphon protection included?

My timers slam shut so I've never given them a thought but I've always been kinda leary about the dosage accuracy of syphons and hardly ever use them. Gotta couple old glass jar types but I only use them occaisionally for mass scale foiliar feeds, never anything stronger.

An air gap at fresh water discharge is generally enough but inside of a tank, I'm not so sure. Do I or don't I?

Putting a Y after it would mean no mixing for the potted plants either. Cooool :-)

OK, are you asking about this for fertilizing TOMATOES? Because unless you have horrible soil, tomatoes don't benefit from a lot of fertilizer, it creates all leaves and no fruit. Since I have been building my soil for years, I don't fertilize my tomatoes, other than some compost under the mulch at the beginning of the season.

Carla in Sac

Carla, I don't have an established spot yet and do have major competition from trees. Also, even in 2 cu' containers with good, fresh mix, a full size tomato plant will benefit from occasional supplemental fertilization throughout the season.

Fertilizing at various stages of the fruiting cycle are common recommendations from many sourses and extension offices including mine, suggest it.

I'm looking forward to when I can have a spot as prime as yours :-)

An air gap at fresh water discharge is generally enough but inside of a tank, I'm not so sure. Do I or don't I?

Dave, not clear on your question. Yes an air gap is ideal (which is one of the potential probs with the MG/hose set up tho you do have a small air gap in the MG container). EZ Flo includes one.

Dave

Thanks Dave,

You navigated through my late night ramble perfectly :-)

Since I use the check valve type quick connects, won't even need a Y for the containers.

Looking at their ferts, seems they are more geared toward turf than gardening. Gotta rec for what to use in it?

Gotta rec for what to use in it?

Yeah I don't buy their ferts. Compost tea if made with a tea bag rather than just dumped into the bucket where you'd have to filter out the solids works fine and is my preference. Fish emulsion works. Spray and Grow makes some good stuff too.

If you take care with the N levels, any of the liquid ferts like MG or Peters will work but I make them 1/2 strength. You can use the powders but you have to make sure they are well diluted and mixed first.

If you want to do a foliar feed just put a sprinkler on the end of the hose. ;)

I think your referring to a hyponex or as the old timers called it a "hose on".

I never had any consistent results with such a devise. You would be better off finding a large tank to mix a working strength solution in. Then pump it into your drip system.

I purchased a unit from drip supply co I beileve. It holds 1 pint of fertilizer and requires 10 gpm to use if I remember correctly. You have to be careful that your system supplies enough water movement to get all the fertiler out of unit. Or avoid it all together and get a powered injector.