Hey all, I’ve been thinking about an easier way to distribute compost teas once brewed and figured I’d source some opinions on an idea I’ve got. I brew my teas in a 5 gal bucket, and currently it’s a process to pour off into a watering can or a pump sprayer to actually get them to the plants. It’s particularly difficult with scrogged plants that you can’t easily maneuver around with a cumbersome watering can, and the process of scrubbing out a pump sprayer after pouring in a tea is a real pain. I’ve been thinking on the issue for a while and came to this as a possible solution:
I figure with this thing once the tea is brewed I can snap it onto the bucket, pump it up and dose it out from the hose, plus the small spout and long tube will be just as easily maneuverable as my pump spray for getting around scrog sand other tight spaces. Wondering if anyone has tried something like this or if anyone sees a fault in this theory that I’m not seeing.
I’ve definitely looked into this before. I swear I bookmarked something similar to that bucket pump but it was plastic, cheaper and a lot more simple. If I find it I’ll reply! Gotta look through my bookmarks!
please do! this one says its rated for heavier oils and lubricants and stuff, so i wonder if it would have a harder time with a thinner, more watery solution like a tea.
Also this one with a bunch of options on the page.
You could probably modify any of these pumps to make the suction tube smaller and affix it to a lid or something… This was my plan when I was growing in coco and feeding 1-2x daily and getting sick of reaching into the pots.
The one you posted looks like it might be ok…but I’m slightly concerned about some of the things it says not to use with this–like a soap solution. If your teas/water contain any saponins (yucca, aloe, soap berry powder, quillaja powder, etc) for emulsification, it might not work well for you.
I use something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J5MWAW0 to pull water/teas out of 5 gal buckets. Usually I’m directing the water/tea into either my sprayer or some other container like a pitcher for additional mixing, not directly onto the plants.
Maybe Brew in a 10 gallon or more then transfer 2.5 gallons at a time to your 5 gallon by hand and just pour it in from there. Or drill a hole and set up a drain or a spout
@NorthNorthNugs im in the US, but I like the price tag of that design over what I was looking at for sure.
@BirD that thing looks rad, just flip a switch and it starts dispensing? Do you have a link to where you got that one?
@SmackyMcSmackers didnt see the bit about the soap solutions, I’ve seen other brands and models with the similar pump handle operation design, I’ll have to see if there are any of them that don’t advise against such a solution
@WeTokeChronic i actually brewed for a while in a 5gal that I rugged with a spout, I’d lift it up into a stool and dispense into a can but the thing ultimately leaked and made the whole process tediously long, hoping something like this would be a time saver
