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Watering cans

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Mike Jones
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Post  drgonzo Mon Sep 19, 2011 3:35 am

I've been driving myself batty looking at, and looking for, a good quality watering can with a fine rose to replace my cheapy plastic 1 gallon that is LITERALLY being held together with duct tape Very Happy Closest I've found so far are the Haws cans, I'm not too fond of the traditional Japanese style that seems to put you several feet away from the tree your watering....Seeing as I'm going to be using rain water a lot more in the future its time to think about a good watering can. what does everyone recommend? I don't want to replace a cheapy with yet another cheapy.

-my best and my thanks as always
-jay
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Post  stavros Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:46 am


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Post  bonsaisr Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:34 am

I have an ancient 2L plastic watering can from Agway, so you know it is old. I buy new spouts & roses for it periodically. I have to keep it because it is designed with the handle ON TOP. Therefore I can fill it by dunking it in a bucket. All the other watering cans in the world have the handle in back, so their use with a bucket is very limited. Don't any of the companies that make watering cans know that there are people who feed their plants from a 5 gallon bucket of fertilizer solution? Am I the only one? confused
Iris
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Post  fiona Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:37 am

Nearly £50 for a watering can? A significant number of the average UK bonsai club members wouldn't pay that for a tree!

I have a couple of plastic Haws watering cans similar to that in Stavros's link at a fraction of the price. I prefer ones with handles top and back as I find them easier to balance. I have one with a long reach handle and one with a short. I also seldom use the rose as I apply the water direct to the base of the trees. The rose spreads it too far (especially on my shohin trees) and is wasteful. I also only use the cans for when I'm appplying fertiliser - for general watering I use a hose with a variable strength/spray pattern nozzle. The one I have is a trade horticultural one and not from a garden centre, although there are much better ones available nowadays in harware stores and garden centres as opposed to the cheap ones we used to get.
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Post  PaulH Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:03 pm

Wat's wrong with the garden hose and a $10 water wand from Home Depot? Works great for me. The only time I use my cheap plastic watering can is to apply liquid fertilizer.
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Post  drgonzo Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:01 pm

PaulH wrote:Wat's wrong with the garden hose and a $10 water wand from Home Depot? Works great for me. The only time I use my cheap plastic watering can is to apply liquid fertilizer.
Paul

The water coming out of my garden hose is so alkaline (hard) it has caused nutrient lock up on several of my trees. I've judged it to be Basically (get it basically Laughing ) unsuitable for "most" of my trees. I live in a part of central NY that averages <280 ppm calcium carbonate in the ground water. Therefore I'm having to switch next season to watering primarily with rain water, I will be installing a collection barrel with a hose spigot at the bottom but a watering can will now start to be a major part of my watering routine.
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Post  rock Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:38 am

drgonzo wrote: I don't want to replace a cheapy with yet another cheapy.


Watering cans Untitl10
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Post  drgonzo Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:48 am

I finally went with this a 1.3 gallon Haws Slimcan; Mostly for function in that I need a can I can get a ph meter into, and reach into with my hand for mixing fertilizer plus it had to be small enough to dip into the top of my rain cistern and be un-obtrusive next to the couch. i like this style of handle as well it lets me water one handed and 'wiggle the stream with a rapid wrist shake'. Try and say that ten times fast. Watering cans Haws-s10
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Post  Poink88 Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:11 pm

Jay,

I just received my Haws Slimcan (5L/1.3 Gal) w/ oval rose yesterday and it is SWEET! It will be used for fertilizing only and main watering will still be via hose and watering wand.

Thanks for the tip/recommendation!
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Post  Mike Jones Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:41 pm

Jay

You do crack me up as do others ... in the best possible sense said Kenny Everett! THINK about it folks Cool

What a great thread; one of which I have started elsewhere. Haws for me, or actually if honest, any feckin receptacle that is capable or producing sprinkleed (made up name) water on me bonsee as I sup a beer or three or G&T whichever weather dictates.

To date I have yet to find the (italian voice ON) Perfectorama watering can that ticks (tics) every boy. Oh dear that should be BOX. Wonderful Stilton and ='''y (work it oot) grand Port is not great when tryiny oneses best to fokus on keytboard.

Oh deer, unable to poof read to check it / this repose makes sensai.
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Post  drgonzo Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:45 pm

Its a good sturdy can and serves me well as it not only mixes the fertilizer but does the 'rainwater only' duty for the salt intolerant trees in my collection which is a considerable chore. I use the fine spray round nozzle for better control as I found the oval that came with it broadcasts too large a pattern. After about half a year with it I have said a few times to my wife how much I love it and how nice it is to work with a good tool. My only complaint is the "fine spray" is so fine that the pin holes actually tend to clog up on me with what looks like filamentous algae. I may order the round spray head with the larger hole size in future.

-Jay
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Post  Mike Jones Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:50 pm

Tried the Haws large hole Jay, and goes through water like a resovoir resfoir reavoire resaffoirre 'water storage place' on heat;
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Post  Poink88 Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:51 pm

Having owned a lot of tools & equipment I believe in the mantra of "buy once cry once". Buying inferior tool is more expensive...because you will keep upgrading until you eventually buy a good one. I still fall victim now and then but I stick to it most of the time.
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Post  Mike Jones Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:53 pm

Poink88 wrote:Having owned a lot of tools & equipment I believe in the mantra of "buy once cry once". Buying inferior tool is more expensive...because you will keep upgrading until you eventually buy a good one. I still fall victim now and then but I stick to it most of the time.

DARIO ... there I was hanging on every one of your words ... and what did I get???? Nuffing matey Smile
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Post  lordy Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:25 pm

I bought an inexpensive plastic one probably 12-15 years ago and only now is the rose cracked and lets a gusher out the middle. I frequently have to pull it off and clean the debris that fell into the bucket that I fill it from. The nice brass ones (and perhaps others) have a screened input hole to catch that crud. My next one will have a prefilter so the rose stays clean.
I cant use a wand on the hose because evidently my water pressure is such that it comes out in a flood instead of a spray. Oh well, I'd rather use rainwater anyway.
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Post  Mike Jones Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:41 pm

Very interesting this is. On rainwater I've not used for quite some years. Heck of a subject and storing of same is tantamount to 'potential' problems I think. I store tap water and make certain it leeches properly before I use it. Potentially big subject I realise. Sorry to digress. LONG TERM stored rainwater is EVIL! In my most humble of opinions.
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Post  drgonzo Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:56 pm

What I'm doing now is draining and refreshing my collection tub with each good rainfall that we're getting to help keep it fresh and clean.
-jay
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Post  Kev Bailey Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:03 pm

I've never had a problem with stored rainwater. I have 7 x 50 gallon covered rain tanks and they provide me with a perfect watering solution for most of my trees. I only resort to inert, treated tapwater when I run out of stored rainwater. Think about it, what do trees in the wild receive?

These water butts are all used so frequently that they never stagnate, but mosquitoes can ocasionally be a problem if the covers aren't a tight fit.

For the actual watering I use several very old Haws galvanised 1, 2 and 3 gallon cans with brass rose sprinklers. I've owned a second hand one for 40 years but picked up the others from car boot (garage) sales for pennies when they appear. Perfect for purpose if you can find the right ones. Some have a nice long spout and great balance, making lifting and watering much less of a chore.

Filling a can from a tap is so slow. Dunking it briefly in an uncovered water butt takes seconds and done repeatedly is almost as good as joining a gym!
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Post  bucknbonsai Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:25 am

is there anything bad about watering a tree with stagnant water? Does anyone ever water with compost or manure tea? and in some areas (especially where jay lives I believe doesnt "natural" rain water have a very "unnatural" ph ever since industries were built to the south west of him, im pretty sure that is some of the most acidic rainfall anywhere but maybe its better by now.
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Post  drgonzo Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:45 am

Totally clean rain water has a Ph of around 5.7-6.0. The pH of my freshly fallen rain water is about 6.0. naturally occurring carbonic acid sometimes even nitric acid, is the primary culprit as the government has placed severe restrictions on SO2 and NO2 emissions as part of various EPA programs over the past 20 years, at least I hope, its not my area of expertise by any means. However, even after just a short while the pH of my rain returns to around ~7. All the trees around me seem to enjoy my native rain.

I don't use manure teas or liquid composts as I find my primarily inorganic mix doesn't foster a large enough microbial population to efficiently metabolize organic fertilizers into a form my trees can absorb. Found that one out last year when I switched some of my trees over to Fish emulsions exclusively.

But I sure do use them in my garden as one of the many benefits of owning poultry. Very Happy
-Jay
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Post  marcus watts Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:56 am

Haws for me - I picked up a second hand vintage galvanised 8.8 long reach at a garden show last month for £30.00 - Good old British racing green and brass Very Happy

Since I sourced the pure soluble fish emulsion powder I wanted a can to make aplication easy and accurate - 1 teaspoon of powder in the can fully dissolves and is perfect - 3 full cans does all my trees. ( I use FE as a plant 'snack' though rather than a complete feed - used in combination with other organic feeds, and have certainly found the results to be very good (soil contains bark and chopped sphagnum for organic inclusion too))

Great can, cant fault it.

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