I've been thinking about the logistics of getting compost extract on a large surface.
I've noticed that the farm I'm on uses venturi injectors for mixing fertilizer in with drip irrigation. In summer, they irrigate overhead with lake water and the pipes are still in place.
What do you think about connecting a compost extract barrel to the sprinkler irrigation via a venturi injector? Does the compost extract barrel have to be immediately beside the water pipe or could I run a hose?
Obvious advantage, if this system works well, it could be utilized on a large scale.
Sounds like it might work a charm. I would be careful about particulate sizes, though, so as to not clog the system. Sprayer nozzles can be finicky.
If you had a screen on the outflow, well you'd have to clear the screen if particulates were an issue, but you wouldn't end up having to dig up your sprinkler system.
My only other question would be what the effect of being sprayed into tiny droplets in the air would be on the bacteria and fungi living in the extract. Would it just give the droplets a boost of oxygen before hitting the ground, or would they be harmed by the pressures involved?
Dr. Redhawk has the description of a hose-based subsurface inoculator consisting of a flattened pipe that gets thrust into the ground with a valve to a pipe onto which a hose to the extract barrel goes. The pipe gets thrust into the ground, the valve is opened, and the whole device is lifted out of the ground, closing the valve as the tip emerges.
I would suspect that the extract would work mostly as intended, but you'd be diluting it, so it may act more as a foliar spray than a soil inoculation.
I've set up the venturi for the overhead sprinkler and it works well. However, I'm more lonely to use the drip line in the summer. Do I run the risk of clogging up the holes with bacterial sludge if I irrigate with compost teas through the drip line?
My irrigation supplier advised me to filter clean well water, saying that particles above 100 micron would clog my emitters..
As my water will be from a dugout/pond, it will surely be chunkier than that. I intend to use a couple of old pool sand filters.
I am very interested in applying compost tea the same way, but am wondering how much the sand filters will eat. Seems problematic.. I may stick with sprinklers for amendment purposes.
Post by:autobot
This will take every ounce of my mental strength! All for a tiny ad:
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