From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Erin, Ontario Canada

Just woundering if anyone has used an EZ flo injection system and have kept the system always on when watering? The EZ flo system that I have has a slow setting of 1:1000 which what I have research works out to 1100 PPM. I use soaker hoses on my system which puts out 75 gallons an hour. In the EZ flo instructions it states that if u have less then 120 gallons an hour to use a flo-disc. The white flo-disc is to be used for 60-120 gph. And to pre-dilute to 25% strength. So would that be 275 PPM? I was told 100 PPM would be more then enough if running constantly. Anyone out there that runs an EZ flo constintly that could give a suggestion on PPM and what ratio to pre-dilute the fertilizer would be grately appreciated.

5/5/2012 7:25:46 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Not sure about ppm rate but the ez-flo has predictable usages on the tables given online. Check this out;

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=10&p=396903

At 1000:1 it will deliver 750 gallons of pre-mixed solution...so ppm depends on what strength solution you start with.

http://www.dripworksusa.com/store/fertilizer.php

http://www.ezflofertilizing.com/

So rather than worry about ppm ratio, just put in enough of whatever you are wanting to deliver in either setting.

Slow = 1000:1 and uses 750 gallons water
1 = 500:1 and uses 375 gallons water
2 = 250:1 and uses 185 gallons water
Fast = 100:1 and uses 75 gallons

Good luck with it, I love the ez flo and the convenience it offers. I use it with overhead, misting, drip lines...whatever...works great.

5/5/2012 8:58:23 PM

Mass

North, Are you using the standard input fitting or the ball valve fitting that allows ajustable flow or a one time batch? I am almost ready to order one. do you have the 1.5 or 2.5 gallon model? Im not sure either how to figure out rates. If I want to hit whole patch with say a certain fert that is 2TBSP per gallon. I guess just multiply that by however many gallons I want it to go in at.

5/6/2012 7:42:32 AM

Mass

I saw the other post, I'm looking at the mainline units. the 3/4 gallon must be the hose end unit for 3/4 inch line?

5/6/2012 8:20:04 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Just my 2 cents here, but dripline sells a fitting that replaces the ball valve making the movement of ferts through the system much faster, without this I've found that it takes more than a day to cycle ferts through it.

5/6/2012 8:31:21 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Hey, yes I've got the 3/4 gallon version and almost always run it on the fast setting....mixing like you said...75 x 2tbsp and you get the right mix rate.

5/6/2012 9:35:09 AM

Erin, Ontario Canada

I see what you are saying north shore boyz, I totally understand how the ratio you give in tbsp to gallons. How often are you watering with the EZ flo injected on though?
I got the PPM from this web page
www.organicgardengrower.com/ez-flo-fertigation
At the bottom of this web page it has an example of a main- line EZ flo which has a slow setting of 15000:1 that is equivalant to 67 PPM and a 400:1 on fast that is 2,500 PPM. So I worked out the math 67x15=1005 PPM for the 1000:1 ratio on the slow setting on the hose bib EZ flo.

Now my patch size is 30x60ft=1800sqft. When I do my calculations for 1inch of rain per week it looks like this. 1800/43560 in an acre
=0.041x27154 gallons is 1 inch of H2O an acre per week. =1,122 gallons a week
1,122/7 days
=160 gallons a day
So in theory if I put the EZ flo on 1000:1 ratio and kept it on everytime I water the math would be 750/160= 4.68 days and the fertilizer would be gone. For example if the fertilizer was 1tbsp per gallon you would be putting 75 tbsp of fertilizer out on the patch in 4.5 days. That sounds like alot?
But I am using soaker hoses and have to use a white flo-disc for 60-120 gallons an hour. The instructions say to pre-dilute the fertilizer to 4 parts water to 1 part fertilizer (25% strength)
So now it would be 75/4= 19 tbsp going on the patch in 4.5 days at around 250 PPM. Sounds more reasonable?
The reason why I want to run the fertilizer constantly at low PPM is so its not washing away and the plant is getting a little a time and not shocking the plant.
Alot of green houses use this theory and it works grate. I would like to hear some options about this would be grately appreciated. Thanks

5/6/2012 1:31:09 PM

Lloydminster/AB

At very low water flow rates the siphon system doesn't work well. There is an adjustable ball valve available that lets you fine tune the fertilizer rate. It works very well but you need to play with it untill you get it right. Very easy. I have a feeling that the system settings are overidden with it. I can, if necessary, go through a lot of fertilizer in a short period of time. Before, the system might not siphon at all if I only had a couple of soaker hoses. I'm using the 3/4 gallon model. I don't use it constantly though. Haven't heard of the flow disc. Is that supposed to help the siphon effect?

5/6/2012 1:47:10 PM

Erin, Ontario Canada

I have the EZ flo 1 1/3 galon system.
The hose bib adaptor where the inlet is and the outlet is for the fertilizer lines is a flow restrictor. In the instructions it states if you do not have 120 gallons an hour flow to use 1 of 3 flo- disc.
Red flo- disc- 7.5 to 30 gallons an hour.
Black flo- disc- 30 to 60 gallons an hour
White flo- disc- 60 to 120 gallons an hour
What ever disc you need u simply push into the hose bib adaptor and it restricts the flow. The three flo- disc r made of rubber 1/8 inch thick.
The red has a hole in the centre that is an1/8 inch hole
The black has a hole that is 1/4 inch
And the white is around 5/16 inch.
It gives you the instructions on how to install it an to pre- dilute products 4 parts water to 1 part product when using a flo- disc.
I did order the ball valves as well ( grey with blue handles)

5/6/2012 3:51:31 PM

Lloydminster/AB

I see. That should work well on a system that doesn't require different flow rates from day to day. My soil is probably too high in some nutrients so I have to be careful. Ive had my best results when my plants showed they were a little lacking and then adding as needed. If your soil is well drained sandy type it will take a higher amount than my clay soil. Its taken me 10 years of testing and experimenting for me figure out how my soil behaves during the season. Once you have too much it will take your season out. That's where just adding a little all the time is safer. I'd say you are on the right track. A couple of soil tests during the season should tell you something about your rates.

5/6/2012 9:46:07 PM

Erin, Ontario Canada

Yes I do have sandy soil and it is well drained. I'm going to give it a try and run the EZ flo constantly and try to make the fertilizer to water ratio some where in the range of 1/8-1/4 of fertilizer to a gallon of what they recommend. So I guess that would be 8000:1-4000:1 ratio and see what happens with soil samples through out the season.

5/6/2012 10:06:19 PM

Mass

Im looking at the main line units, and 400 to one is just to slow if you want to do a one shot deal. Ezy Flow Rep said use the ball valve (like Don is saying) so you can do a batch application or slow it down to a gradual feeding. I might just use my 300 gallon tank, make up however much I want and pump it on to the whole patch in one shot. At least I plumbed in for the unit if I want to add it.

5/7/2012 6:35:07 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I just pour whatever product I am using into ez flow and almost always just use it on the fast setting and mix accordingly for a 75 gallon feeding using the fast setting...works great!!

Really usefull in the early summer when you've done a tissue test on the plant and want to adjust any micro-nutients that may be lacking or needing.

5/8/2012 5:03:33 PM

Wi

I have one and it works great. Just put in what I want to feed set is on Med. and is takes about a week to use the 2.5 gallon feeder.

5/16/2012 7:44:00 AM