Fed Daylilies & Roses with Modified Hooker Method

Yard

This feeding was done like the second feeding last year.

It took 20 seconds to fill a 5-gallon bucket from the hose at the veggie cleaning slab bib. Used that to figure how long to fill the 25-gallon white plastic barrel.

We measured the following into the metal 2-gallon watering can and added water to dilute it.

  • 1.5 cup (24 Tbls) Miracle Grow (Crystals)
  • 1.5 cup liquid iron – Southern Ag’s Chelate Liquid Iron that is 5% total Iron and 3.4% sulfur
  • 1.5 cup fish emulsion
  • 1.5 cup Epsom Salts – This is the first time we included Epsom salts.

Poured the ingredients in watering can and ran water in full force to mix it. Poured that into the white barrel sitting in the back of the Gator. Then added about 20 gallons of water as the full 25 would not fit.

Using a quart jar, we timed how long it took to fill it from the 1/2″ OD hose. It took a 24 count to fill the quart jar half full. With that as the guideline, Mary drove the Gator and I applied:

  • 24-30 count on the large daylily clumps
  • 8-16 on the small to medium clumps
  • ~48 on the large roses
  • ~20-30 on the smaller roses

That ~22 gallons let us feed all the daylilies and roses around the perimeter of the yard, the Lady daylily bed, and the Bay Tree bed. The amount of liquid applied was less than the modified Hooker but then the mix was stronger as the barrel had 3 gallons less water than the 25 planned.

Had to make up a second barrel and estimated we needed about 16 gallons; i.e. ~60 seconds. So, mixed up 1/3rd less (16 is 2/3rds of 24) of each ingredient into the watering can and mixed that into about 16 gallons in the barrel. Applied that to the roses and daylilies around the house and backyard.

The total of 38 gallons was siphoned onto 125 clumps of daylilies and 23 roses. The large clumps and large roses got 24 and 48 counts and the small ones got 12 and 24 counts.

Assuming all got the same then 1 quart would have been applied. But the large ones (about half) got twice as much as the small ones.

Next time mix two 20-gallon batches.

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