Best way to mix up nutes?

Hi community thanks for taking time to read my question. This is a remedial question but it's something I've been wondering as my plants get bigger and require more water more often. I have 3 plants in 15 gallon smart pots and 2 plants in 10 gallon smart pots. The 15 gallon pots are drinking at least 3 gallons of water per feeding and the 10 gallons are taking at least 2 gallons per feeding. So now I need at least 15 gallons of food mixed up. Before when all I need was 3 gallons total it was easy mixing 3 separate gallons in old 1 gallon water jugs. But now this isn't anecessarily efficient method to mix up 15 gallons of nutes. So I was just wondering how every else mixes up at least 15 gallons of nutes at a time. What kind of container are you using? What's your method to stir the nutes good enough to dissolve properly into the water? What's your method for removing the liquid from the container? Thank you in advance. I have my own thoughts on how I'm going to attack this I just wanted to see how everyone else mixes their nutes.

tote, poly barrel, large water bladder. pretty much however you see fit. just don't mix multipart nutes together without first diluting them.

b4ds33d said:

tote, poly barrel, large water bladder. pretty much however you see fit. just don't mix multipart nutes together without first diluting them.

Click to expand...

Thank you. The water bladder is something I never thought of. I like that idea thank you.

Home Depot sales wine barrel liners that are 25 gallons ....il fill it with whatever amount of water I need for feeding my girls ....let it sit a few days and mix my nutes the day I'm feeding unless it's a powder nute that needs a 48 hour steep .....but either way il mix my nutes in my barrel then I picked up a cheap submersible pump for a fish pond from harbor freight and some cheap hose the length of my garden .....mix up my nutes drop my pump in and fire it up and go around and water. Easy peasy. That's my method

Brandon Nebel said:

Thank you. The water bladder is something I never thought of. I like that idea thank you.

Click to expand...

no problem.

27 gallon tote (or whatever size works best for you) raised up on milk crates above the height of the pots you are watering. Just add a bulkhead with a garden hose and an on/off valve at the end of the hose. No pumps to get it to your plants since gravity does all the work, and it can be drained from the same hose as well when you're ready to change up nutes. Been using mine for a long time without a drop leaked or spilled.
Not the best pics, but you get the idea.....

HydroRed said:

27 gallon tote (or whatever size works best for you) raised up on milk crates above the height of the pots you are watering. Just add a bulkhead with a garden hose and an on/off valve at the end of the hose. No pumps to get it to your plants since gravity does all the work, and it can be drained from the same hose as well when you're ready to change up nutes. Been using mine for a long time without a drop leaked or spilled.
Not the best pics, but you get the idea.....

View attachment 3749010 View attachment 3749011

Click to expand...

Thanks. Nice set up. I did something similar for my compost tea brewing. How are you mixing up the nutes once you've added them to your water. The small 1 gallon water jugs allow me to really get the nutes assimilated. I've always wondered how people mix up 27 gallons of nutes. Lol. Air pump? Mix mixing paddle?

I use a 1/2"x24" piece of pvc pipe and stir it. Measure out per gallon how much you need then multiply by how many gallons you need for your res size and EC or ppm. Mix it up and its ready to go. If you end up using 15 gal, then just work out the nutrient math for 15 gal and top off what you used. Add your nutes one at a time to the water first.
Glass measuring cups in multiple conversions and a conversion chart on the wall for reference are a must for me lol.

Brandon Nebel said:

Thank you. The water bladder is something I never thought of. I like that idea thank you.

Click to expand...

sounds good to me, but how, effectively? Solar Shower bladder? those come in 5/10 gal (20-40 L) usually... seems a pain... for most people.... but this whole thread is great... I plan on using caught water soon as I can, and a good delivery system would be great...

HydroRed said:

I use a 1/2"x24" piece of pvc pipe and stir it. Measure out per gallon how much you need then multiply by how many gallons you need for your res size and EC or ppm. Mix it up and its ready to go. If you end up using 15 gal, then just work out the nutrient math for 15 gal and top off what you used. Add your nutes one at a time to the water first.
Glass measuring cups in multiple conversions and a conversion chart on the wall for reference are a must for me lol.

Click to expand...

I agree. Conversion charts are essential. I'm always referencing one as I have to up my nutes. Some of the nutes are so thick and dark it's hard to see how much you are using, so I found that measuring cups work better for me. I'm going to give some of these ideas a shot. Thanks for all the great input so far.

Also, make note of water levels on your reservoir and mark the inside so you can keep an accurate estimation of how much you really used. I marked the inside of mine with little white paint marker lines every 5 gallons.

HydroRed said:

Also, make note of water levels on your reservoir and mark the inside so you can keep an accurate estimation of how much you really used. I marked the inside of mine with little white paint marker lines every 5 gallons.

Click to expand...

Great idea. I also want to mark the 15 and 20 gallon mark too so I don't have to measure out the water each time. Just fill and go.