Hose end feeders

Anybody got any recommendations for hose end feeders.

I've found the Miracle Gro ones for both soluble stuff and the Liquafeed. Apparently the bottles on the Liquafeed are sealed units, which puts a dampener on that because I was going to fill it with other types of feed rather than buy the refills, which could get expensive

Anybody use a hose end feeder and if you do, which ones would you recommend please?

 

I use the miracle gro type, they had the unscrewable?? ones in Wilkos on special a week or so ago, I have had mine for over 5 years..

 

I bought both Miracle Gro ones, the Liquafeed and the one for soluble feed. The bottles aren't sealed units after all but the top is quite fiddly to get off. I just need to figure out now whether I can put the other types of feed into the Liquafeed neat and whether the Liquafeed fertiliser is the same concentrate as the Miracle Gro liquid or whether I need to dilute other liquids slightly first

 

KRISTEN

 

I have used both miracle gro feeders in the past. I have had 2 liquafeed feeders which have both stopped working much to my annoyance!

Have used the diluting one this and last summer and I think it does a good job! I feed approx twice a week and find it quicker than filling the watering can

 

I have used this type of hose end feed for the MG powder lawn feed . Now if you put liquid MG flower fertiliser or say powdered Phostrogen , I would not be sure what solution strength would be served from the nozzle ?
Note the plastic container on this type can easily fall off and deliver neat fertiliser to your lawn = big brown patch !! I put an elastic band around it now.

 

You after my input? I don't use one so no comment really. I do own one, but I think it a bit profligate to just cover the whole area with feed. I keep a pot of Miracle Gro and something high Potash (Chempak usually, as its cheapest I have found) near the waterbutts that are near the beds and a couple of large buckets (usually the 10kg ones that the garden centre sells Chicken Manure pellets and the like in). I have a massive tap on the waterbutts (they are IBCs, I expect the outlet is 1.5" at least) and it will fill the bucket in just a few seconds. Couple of scoops of soluble fertiliser into each bucket, fill with water (at that discharge rate it takes care of the "mixing" as well!), walk to the plant and pour 1/4 to 1/2 a bucket on it, return to the water butt. I probably only have to make 4 or 5 trips for all the large plants, its quicker than a hose (which doesn't deliver water at anything like that speed), and its rain water too - don't like using / wasting potable drinking water on plants.

For everything else they get granular fertiliser sprinkled around the plants a couple of times a year. I buy that off the local farmer, its stronger than garden centre (16:16:16 I think) so don't need very much, and it works out at around 50p/kg

If fertilising plants is an ongoing issue I think better to use a slow release fertiliser, to avoid loads of faffing about, and then just water plants through the growing season

 

I use slow release fertiliser in all my baskets and containers . This year I have also added a pinch of it around each of my bedding plants , so I may only feed my beds in late summer with Tom feed .

 

I've put a pinch of Chicken Manure pellets under each bedding plant this year. Used it extensively for the first time planting out last year, but just put it under Cannas and Dahlias - their growth was impressive, but it might just have been the wet summer that they liked. I'll tell you next year if it worked, or not

 

You are so good at the technicalities, you can do in moments what would take me an age,

 

That's my downfall ... I'm a Detail person, not an Overview manager!

 

Well I've tried both today. The one which you use with soluble feed was a nightmare - as soon as I put it on there was water squirting out of several different places and I got drenched. It also slowed the water down too much. So that's going back to B&Q

The Liquafeed was better to use in that it didn't leak anywhere. However, I don't think it was pulling the liquid through as the level in the bottle didn't go down. It would have been better with a lever to stop and start the flow of water, instead of which you have to use the switch on top if you want to turn the water off. Will have another go but if I can't get that to work then that will also be going back.

Back to square one