I prefer to spend my money on plants, not on doo-dads to take care of them :-) I mix up my fertilizer solution in a 5G home depot bucket, then pour into a basic watering can (rose removed) for application. And I have too many containers to count!!

I also limit the amount of containers I need to address on a weekly basis by using a CRF (Osmocote) on all the woody plants - a single application in spring lasts the entire growing season, with maybe a once or twice app of the liquid fert to supplement.

I agree with you on spending money on plants, but I did try to set a budget for the doo-dad. :) I would also like to spend my time on plants, not time on constantly refilling water containers. But your approach is worth considering.

For a cheap water system I would base it on something like a hand truck

Harbor Freight

https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore%2Cf%2CEAFeatured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+Rank%2Cf&q=hand+truck

If it is the two wheeled variety I would extend the the lip so that I could safely carry a bucket, and complete the system with a cheap hand pump.

Probably get the whole thing for less that $50 on sale. If you watch you can get the hand truck for about $30 on sale.

PS: I modified a hand truck for plants, by using 1 half inch angle iron. I cut out triagles to bend the material into the shape of a square, and attached the base of the square to the hand truck so it rested on the lip. I the cut a piece of quarter inch plywood for in the square for the plants to set on. I use it constantly to move plants. My wife has several that must be moved up and down the stairs. It has not failed me.

@aluvaboy do you have a manufacturer and model number for your sprayer?

west, wow. until i seen that question it never occurred to me that could be an issue. always used a hose to do watering. after googling portable water carts, i wouldn't have thought they would be that expensive. krnuttle, has the right idea, i found pics of "bucket carts" but couldn't find a price. northern tool has a 9gal 1 for under 200 it's called "master gardener" there's 1 they sell on amazon, but that's 300. i found this 1 in "shingle springs" a little ways from your area and would need some imagination to work. good luck.

sacramento.craigslist.org/grd/d/14-gallon-sprayer-for-quad/6564031454.htm

Hey Bud fimco forestry supply has a 15 gal unit c/w 12 volt elect pump and spray handle and nozzle for $109.00 . check it out , if you have a pull cart for your lawn tractor that can handle the 132 lb weight , your good to go !

@ssewalk1 so the Fimco products look fantastic but they are really power sprayers. I don't really want to hassle with a DC power source and I don't need power spraying. If I were doing insecticide or neem oil under leaves, I would need that pressure.

At this point, I am thinking of buying an eight-gallon water container, and I just need to find an attachment for watering plants so that I don't dump huge amounts of water quickly. I will get a weight workout lugging that thing around but that's okay.

Alternate , Smart Cart Watering Carts is the site which may have your solution . Basic gravity feed system plastic drum on steel tubular frame with bicycle wheels . Top feed bottom discharge , check it out ! You could easily adapt a hose and valve / nozzle for the flow you desire !

Just throwing this out there as the idea popped into my head after reading through these threads: could you somehow repurpose a cooler on wheels? They come in all sizes and are fairly inexpensive. You'd have to figure out how to connect tubing to the drain hole...not sure how to address the gravity-feed component, though. Good luck.

ETA: Or purchase a non-wheeled cooler and set it onto a garden utility cart (cheaper if you are handy and can build your own).

Just chiming in: Westes, I will get you the model # of my sprayer over the weekend. It is buried deep in my storage shed. I am pulling it out over the weekend to spray my pre-emergent. But I have a question on your response to @ssewalk1 - If you don't have a pump how are you going to transfer the water to the bottom of the plant you want to water. You obviously cannot siphon it out. Because the water level at some point will be lower than the plant container (unless all the plants are in-ground). Or is it like scooping out of a open head drum mounted on a dolly.

@aluvaboy Good point. A lot of manual sprayers let you add pressure to the chamber with a manual pump, and that lets the water flow fight gravity. But at this point, I have no experience with the different systems and I am just researching what is the best combination of price and efficiency.

Westes- "I am thinking of buying an eight-gallon water container" being water weighs a little over 8 lbs/gallon, carrying 8 gallons will give you mighty big biceps.

Also, if u r watering plants and not spraying weed killer, you would still be going back to refill the 8gallon bottle.

"....massive overkill at 20 gallons with a powered motor. At over $1000..." brings back memories - I got a 300gallon trailer with briggs engine to pump water for $20 at my company auction. (I gave it way to a friend being having a "4th car" only to spray my 1.5acre yard is overkill.)

A big water bottle\5gal closed bucket on a yard wagon with hand pump might be your best bet (i think).

@upup_and_away I ended up going for a six-gallon container so that will be a 50-pound workout. I will report if I get biceps. :)