Re: Fertilizer

Devon -- Sounds like you are describing me instead of yourself!  I also
have problems with fertilizing, similar to yours.  When we put in our drip
system a few years ago, we installed in-line tank-style injectors.  They
costs about $20 each and go in between the water source and the valves.
I've used them for fertilizing and have mixed feelings about them.

1)  You can't put in fish emulsion because after a while, it clogs the drip
lines.
2) Most fertilizers that are appropriate for this type of fertilizing are
"synthetic" fertilizers and I am trying to move away from the blue stuff,
even though it works pretty well.
3)  I set my valves to go on early in the morning, before I am up and able
to put the fertilizer into the tank.  So then, do I set them to go again
and end up watering everything twice in the same day?  Since I have five or
six valves attached to a single injector, I have to run them in sequence in
order to do a complete round of fertilizer.
4)  In order to calculate how much fertilizer you need to put into the
tank, you need to know how much water you are applying/hr which means that
you need to know how many emitters are on a single valve.  My method of
laying drip line means that whenever I need more irrigation, I just add it.
I have no idea how many emitters or how much water each line is putting out
and I can't imagine that anyone could keep track of it.  So I guess how
much water I am putting out and how much fertilizer I need.  Not very
precise or accurate...

All that said, if I could resolve the synthetic vs non-synthetic fertilizer
issue, I would be delighted!

Regarding DripWorks products, if this is the company who's products Home
Depot carries, I STRONGLY recommend you look at a different manufacturer.
I typically buy my drip irrigation parts at a landscape supply company in
my area.  Occasionally, I need a part on Sunday when their store is closed
so I hoof it down to Home Depot to purchase the nearest thing they have to
what I need.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been disgusted not
only by the fact that their products are many times more expensive, but
they are also of very poor quality.  Parts don't work, break regularly,
they're just awful.

I've been very very satisfied with the system we've installed -- it has
in-line emitters, in other words, the emitters are embedded in the 1/4"
drip tubing.  Read Bob Kourik's "Drip Irrigation for Every Landscape and
All Climates"  He does a supberb job of walking you through drip irrigation
options and system design.

Hope this helps!

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Nan Sterman
San Diego County California
Sunset zone 24, USDA hardiness zone 10b or 11

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