Testing Our New Fertilizing System!

[@limenzest]

the best way to keep the thin tube going into the fertilizer bucket is a thin piece of pvc around it. i use 1/2" conduit

[@jonathanleiss914]

If you install a ball valve in the top line by the pressure reducer, you should be able to partially close it, directing more water across the Mazzei valve so there is still a high flow velocity across the valve. That should allow the venturi to function even at a lower flow rate, but it might affect the eduction rate and therefore your dilution. We used a system like that with our EZ Flow device and it worked great.

[@whoisjohngalt7861]

Do you think it makes a difference if you do the ball valve up or down stream from the pressure reducer? Which did you do?

[@jonathanleiss914]

@@whoisjohngalt7861 our setup didn't look like this so it doesn't exactly translate.

[@johac7637]

I don't use a pressure reducer, I use 3 valves, close the top one, use the inlet, outlet to control flow/pressure, BUT I have gauges on each side. I control flow by the inlet valve, then close the outlet, it depends on my drip, overhead, etc Just remember, restriction makes pressure, flow makes volume, this the valves, gauges.

[@katz5434]

Brilliant explanation, many thanks!

[@BareMtnFarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@summerbeemeadow]

An excellent analysis and explanation of the system's operation. The minimum outflow rate from the Mazzei loop will determine the minimum size/flow and number of emitters. The Mazzei website has a handy calculator from which you can select the injector model (I am using a 283-PP model) and predict what outflow volume you will need. At your 8.5 gal/minute outflow, you'll need over 500 1-gal/hour emitters to avoid any restriction! You might try substituting a valve in place of your 20 PSI restrictor and moving the restrictor to the outflow end of the entire unit. Then you can use the valve to create your working PSI and flow settings. The Mazzei calculator and chart will give you a minimum flow through the Mazzei unit at which the suction flow from your bucket reduces to zero.

[@BareMtnFarm]

Thanks for the tips. I think I definitely started with the wrong sized Mazzei to get it to work with my drip emitters. So at this point I use the setup with a watering wand to get the outflow pressure to drop enough to keep good suction. I did change out the 20psi pressure reducer out for a valve and got better control. I need to work on this more using those charts!

[@summerbeemeadow]

@@BareMtnFarm I am finally setting up a drip system using a Mazzei venturi according to the rules and calculations they recommend. Being an engineering-minded old nerd, I've built my system with multiple pressure gauges and flow meters to verify its operating range. I will have multiple watering zones, each with different emitter numbers and outputs, so I will have several operating condition incidences to research. Wish us both good luck.

[@andrewmcdonald7077]

Brilliant! I really enjoy your experiments.

[@joniindo6127]

Thanks. This is very easily explained.

[@BareMtnFarm]

Thank you for your comment, so glad it is easily understood. Thank you for watching.

[@johac7637]

I have 4 of differing sizes, we use three ball valves, and a gsuge on each size and adjust per flow, and pressuer, i have both drip, overheads, the valves, gauges are foolproof after a bit of experience/time. Use a gauge on each side, as long as pressure differential, mine work at about 5-10%. differential of pressuer, upto 50PSI.

[@johac7637]

This is the slickest was i use to apply mollases, and LAB, besides my fertigation programs. I even filter my compost pile tea and apply it , I use a barrel , i even have a solinoid valve to the system/timer. With a bit of experienceyou can do amazing things with this.

[@jamestriplett790]

Another way to fertilize beds is using 1/2 or 3/4" pvc pipes with small drilled angled holes and raised up a few inches . May not plug up as easily.

[@whoisjohngalt7861]

Great video! I did this last season, but used a ball valve instead of a pressure reducer. I might add that to my system. I'd switch the 10 psi reducer before the fertigation loop, and use that inside the loop, and I'm thinking replace the old one with a 30psi. Also I did mine out of dripline, so it's a bit floppy, but not a big deal once mounted. I probably should have worried more about screening particles, but I used it a whole season with no post-fertigation loop filter, and no clogs in my drip tape (well...that I know of). I'll add a filter for this season. Your content keeps getting better and better with the JADAM, biochar, and fertigation experiments! Appreciate you teaching some tricks and sharing completed research on these topics that take a while to figure out on your own.

[@kehindeolotu8744]

thanks, kindly share the setting if the irrigation flows

[@ohanastrand5793]

Keep it up. Please share. I was wanting to do one as well. ;-)

[@jktriple_g_129]

Ok I like this

[@jgm3796]

Very cool. How did you initially calculate your dilution? Are you using a flow meter on the Mazzei Venturi? Thanks!

[@BareMtnFarm]

We went pretty low tech. We filled a bucket with 3 gallons of water and timed how long it took to be drained by the mazzei siphon. Then we did the reverse with the outflow and timed how long it took to fill 3 gallons of water through the mazzei systems outflow. Using these two pieces of information we could get total flow rate out of the system in gallons that would take place during the time it took to empty the 3 gallons in the solution bucket. From this info we could back into how much fertilizer to put into the 3 gallon solution bucket to get a 1:200 approx. dilution rate. Hope this made sense!

[@worl1610]

Kool👍🏽🙏🏽🇯🇲

[@BareMtnFarm]

Thanks

[@bajadrifter]

I built one of these hoping to run fertilizer through a Rain Bird impact sprinkler. It didn't work. Despite the adjustability of the inline pressure reducer (a ball valve in my case), the back pressure caused by the sprinkler killed the pressure differential required to suction material. If my output hose has no restriction the fertilizer injector works fine. Am I missing something?

[@clafournaise]

You need flow in addition to pressure. Put a second sprinkler on the line.

[@bobthrasher8226]

Why can't you just run your water straight through the injector (w/o the top line with pressure reducer)? Doesn't the injector pull material into the flow just with a flow through the injector?

[@whoisjohngalt7861]

The venturi will only work with a pressure reduction in the loop. It creates a high pressure side and low pressure side that pulls the liquid through the venturi. My initial design used a ball valve instead of pressure reducer, but this required a decent amount of adjustment depending on what I was pulling, and would not provide as accurate a flow rate as a reducer. I put pressure gauges on each side of the ball valve so I could see the differential. Never thought of using a reducer. One tip if you do this, you have to buy a reducer that's rated to hold static pressure (like the one shown in the video), as it will be under constant water pressure if you're using a timer on the output end and not cutting off the water source to your loop manually.

[@jamestriplett790]

Why was that system chosen over others that are more calibrated control output? I realize they cost more.

[@whoisjohngalt7861]

The calibrated systems are usually designed for injecting chemical (or very expensive organic) fertilizers - not your own JADAM brew made for free.

[@lisapassmore1904]

They already make those