# Simple Fertilizer Dispenser



## Ray (Nov 29, 2019)

When I still had my greenhouse, I used a metering pump to feed fertilizer concentrate into my irrigation water. Now that I have a much smaller collection and use a pump-up sprayer to water my plants, I have found that using powdered fertilizer is a hassle. Fortunately, my packaging supplier carries self-measuring "Bettix" bottles.





A Bettix bottle has two chambers, a larger “holding tank” (to the left in the image above) and a smaller, graduated measuring or dispensing chamber on the right, connected to the holding tank by a molded-in tube going from the bottom of the larger chamber to the top of the smaller one. Operation is as follows:


Add fertilizer powder to the holding tank.
Add water to that tank and close both tops, shaking to dissolve the powder.
Loosen or remove the cap from the dispenser side and squeeze the holding tank until the dispenser is filled to the appropriate level.
Pour that concentrate into your fertilizer application jug, then replace the cap.
For example, I want to apply 100 ppm N using K-Lite to my plants weekly. From the label, I know that 100 ppm N requires 2.9g or 3/4 teaspoon of that fertilizer powder per gallon.

My Bettix bottle has a 67 ounce capacity – perfect to hold two quarts (64 ounces) of solution. I have decided to use 2 ounces of concentrate per gallon so that my concentrate doesn’t run into solubility issues, so I must add 2.9g to every 2 ounces of concentrate, or 2.9 x 32 = 92.8g (24 teaspoons) of powder to two quarts of water, giving me enough concentrate for 32 gallons of solution to be applied.

So now, I just have to shake the bottle, dispense the two ounces/gallon into my pump up sprayer, fill that with water and I’m good to go.


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## Ozpaph (Nov 30, 2019)

good idea, Ray.
Does it go 'off'?


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## Ray (Nov 30, 2019)

Nope. Fertilizers are typically inorganic salts, so are very stable in solution.

The only potential concern is the calcium, which is less stable in solution, but that's why I made the concentrate more dilute.


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