# "homemade" root feeding needle



## PurdueJoe (Aug 4, 2009)

Found my rig and picking it up tonight after looking around at prices of root feeding needles out there I'm planning on making my own. Sherrill has one they sell using just simple ball valve and galvanized pipe for like $265 I'm thinking I can make one for less then half that. Any tips, tricks or pics from anyone who has already done it?


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## mckeetree (Aug 4, 2009)

PurdueJoe said:


> Found my rig and picking it up tonight after looking around at prices of root feeding needles out there I'm planning on making my own. Sherrill has one they sell using just simple ball valve and galvanized pipe for like $265 I'm thinking I can make one for less then half that. Any tips, tricks or pics from anyone who has already done it?



Yeah I got a tip. Pay the $265.00. Take my word for it.


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## treeseer (Aug 4, 2009)

Another tip--find out what the soils need before squirting. #1 ingredient lacking is









Air!

#2 is



organic matter


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## mckeetree (Aug 4, 2009)

treeseer said:


> Another tip--find out what the soils need before squirting. #1 ingredient lacking is
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Wise words.


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## PurdueJoe (Aug 4, 2009)

mckeetree said:


> Yeah I got a tip. Pay the $265.00. Take my word for it.



I have to ask why? I could be wrong but looking at the pics from their site the unit looks to made of about $25-35 worth of pipe, fittings and a ball valve minus the tip which I would gladly spend the 20 bones on. What am I missing???


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## treemandan (Aug 4, 2009)

PurdueJoe said:


> I have to ask why? I could be wrong but looking at the pics from their site the unit looks to made of about $25-35 worth of pipe, fittings and a ball valve minus the tip which I would gladly spend the 20 bones on. What am I missing???



I almost was thinking the same, no, I was thinking the same thing. I have an old Ross Model 150 I used 2 times in 10 years. It hooks up to a garden hose, has a place to add fert and a on/off switch. I used it on some smaller trees with good sucess, startling even.


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## frashdog (Aug 4, 2009)

I made one for about $40. Don't have any pictures. 

The end of my 5' X 1/2" I.D. npt threaded steel pipe (lowes)was cut at an angle like hypodermic needle and then I drilled many 1/4" side holes around 6" from the end. It worked like a charm. Simple 90 degree fitting mated to a ball valve to a hose female formed the handle. 

I was able to stab it in and out with ease. Being able to control the flow was key to keep the back spray to a minimum. Turn it up to go in and back it off to deliver the quantity. That upside down cone jobbie on the gold plated one from sherills is meant to keep the operator less wet.

I was rather impressed with the soil aeration it made once the water drained away. 

Thinking about adding a fitting to introduce air into the water, make like a root Jacuzzi.


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## mckeetree (Aug 4, 2009)

Look, I do soil injection of some kind on almost a daily basis. I have a strong PHC business and have several spray guns and injectors. I see you folks post and see where this is going. Yes, Purdue, go ahead and build your own deal there. I should not have said anything. Pretend I didn't.


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## pdqdl (Aug 4, 2009)

The better soil injection systems have a removable (screw in) carbide point with multiple outlet holes on the side of the stainless steel pipe with extra thick walls for rigidity and strength.

The trigger assembly is "invariably squeeze to inject", and provides good control of the injection volume.

Those little features add up to quite the problem to make for yourself. But yes, some pipe and a ball valve would get liquid squirted into the ground.

Myself, I never soil inject tree fertilizer unless it is specified by a government contract, and I have all the tools to make it easy. You will get just as good results by throwing fertilizer on the ground and watering it in.

(Your results with broadcast fertilization will probably be better than soil injections, but you won't get those lovely green spots all over the yard showing where you made the injections. )


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## mckeetree (Aug 4, 2009)

pdqdl said:


> The better soil injection systems have a removable (screw in) carbide point with multiple outlet holes on the side of the stainless steel pipe with extra thick walls for rigidity and strength.
> 
> The trigger assembly is "invariably squeeze to inject", and provides good control of the injection volume.
> 
> Those little features add up to quite the problem to make for yourself. But yes, some pipe and a ball valve would get liquid squirted into the ground.




Exactly.


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## treemandan (Aug 4, 2009)

mckeetree said:


> Look, I do soil injection of some kind on almost a daily basis. I have a strong PHC business and have several spray guns and injectors. I see you folks post and see where this is going. Yes, Purdue, go ahead and build your own deal there. I should not have said anything. Pretend I didn't.



Uhm? Huh? Look, dude just wanted to build his own Ok? Can't be worse than mine allright?


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## mckeetree (Aug 4, 2009)

pdqdl said:


> Myself, I never soil inject tree fertilizer unless it is specified by a government contract, and I have all the tools to make it easy. You will get just as good results by throwing fertilizer on the ground and watering it in.





I don't agree. If I could show you some test groups of trees here fertilized using both methods I might could prove it to you. But I don't know , I have seen you post something like that before and you are probably convinced of yourself. I proved it to Dr. Gary Baugh who had told me once my little ISA Certified Arborist credential and associates degree didn't impress him much.


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## pdqdl (Aug 4, 2009)

Yeah, that tree fertilization thread has been beat up pretty well, so I'm not anxious to go down that path again. 

If the soil test says fertilize (for the health of the tree), and the customer isn't doing anything else... sure! Shoot some fertilizer into the ground. I don't talk bad about the folks that soil inject, I just think it is a waste of time and money. I think there are more practical ways to get the job done.

Soil conditions in your part of the world might very well need that injection too. Around here...throw it on the ground. The tree will get it.

I wish somebody would come up with a wettable powder for Iron Sulfate. Then I could quit drilling holes in the yard and start soil injecting.


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## frashdog (Aug 5, 2009)

mckeetree said:


> Look, I do soil injection of some kind on almost a daily basis. I have a strong PHC business and have several spray guns and injectors. I see you folks post and see where this is going. Yes, Purdue, go ahead and build your own deal there. I should not have said anything. Pretend I didn't.


Aw come on don't be like that.

Well good for you, that's great. If I did soil injections of some kind almost daily I sure would have the fancyshmancy setups. The limited biz I do with injections lends me a homade jobbie that does just fine. Maybe I will do way more injections in the future and buy a gold plated one with a diamond encrusted handle and have a lovely assistant carry it around in a nice gun case or something classy, then I will be able to look down upon those silly wanna bees. 

I myself am glad that you said something, thank you for your comments. 
Where would the world be with one sided coins?


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## mckeetree (Aug 5, 2009)

frashdog said:


> Aw come on don't be like that.
> 
> Well good for you, that's great. If I did soil injections of some kind almost daily I sure would have the fancyshmancy setups. The limited biz I do with injections lends me a homade jobbie that does just fine. Maybe I will do way more injections in the future and buy a gold plated one with a diamond encrusted handle and have a lovely assistant carry it around in a nice gun case or something classy, then I will be able to look down upon those silly wanna bees.
> 
> ...




I wouldn't go so far as to say I look down on the silly wanna bees. But like I said, I saw where this thread was going.


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## treemandan (Aug 6, 2009)

mckeetree said:


> I wouldn't go so far as to say I look down on the silly wanna bees. But like I said, I saw where this thread was going.



Yes you do, or you wouldn't have said " silly wanna bees". So where is this thread going? My guess its back to the beggining where some silly wannabe made a 265 dollar tree injector way back when.


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## mckeetree (Aug 6, 2009)

treemandan said:


> Yes you do, or you wouldn't have said " silly wanna bees". So where is this thread going? My guess its back to the beggining where some silly wannabe made a 265 dollar tree injector way back when.



No, Dan, that was just a reply to frashdog's post. I don't look down on anybody.


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## treemandan (Aug 6, 2009)

mckeetree said:


> No, Dan, that was just a reply to frashdog's post. I don't look down on anybody.



Ok, but where was the thread headed?... since I have no idea. I don't. Seemed an odd thing to say.


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## chainsawhugger (Apr 21, 2015)

frashdog said:


> I made one for about $40. Don't have any pictures.
> 
> The end of my 5' X 1/2" I.D. npt threaded steel pipe (lowes)was cut at an angle like hypodermic needle and then I drilled many 1/4" side holes around 6" from the end. It worked like a charm. Simple 90 degree fitting mated to a ball valve to a hose female formed the handle.
> 
> ...


You are both ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, notice how the "experts" offer only condescention and no specific answers? My family have been orchardists in Wa. state since 1906, in Germany generations before. So here is how it is. You can damn sure build your own injector exactly as you described, we have been doing it successfully for over 100 years. First you need to look at annual terminal growth to determine existing nitrogen conditions. A soil testing lab IS best, but NOT absolutely needed. Do you have zinc deficiency? You need to read some hort books to get a good grasp, if you haven't already. WSU has excellent information, as does The Good Fruit Grower. Foliar application of UREA/water ratios are 3-5 lbs per 100 gallons. Don't be tempted to mix it hotter, nitrogen burn looks like a dog has been peeing on a bush. This ratio works well for soil injection. Now here is the most important consideration. You MUST calibrate the flow to avoid burn. Take a bucket and a stop watch and measure output. Then factor desired output, and play with time and pressures. Again DO NOT over apply, and NEVER apply late in the year or you will over stimulate, the tree wont shut down for the winter, and SERIOUS winter damage WILL occur. The good old boy school of technology wins every time, if you are a good student. There would be no NASCAR, no Wright Brothers, no Don Garlits, if they listened to the nay sayers.


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## BC WetCoast (Apr 21, 2015)

Talking lots of trash considering you're replying to a 6 year old thread.


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