Homemade Tanks for Mixing Fertilizer

Liquid Fertilizers

• Mix liquid fertilizer solutions in 20 gallon stock tanks. Add a bag of fertilizer to the stock tank first, followed by warm water. Water should fill the remaining empty portion of the tank. Warm water dissolves fertilizer at a quicker and steadier rate than cool water. Mix the water and fertilizer until the mixture is uniform. This solution is used for fertilizer injections and foliar sprays.

Container Materials

• Homemade tanks, for mixing either granular or liquid fertilizers, can be constructed from both plastic or metallic garbage cans or bins. Any solid, non-porous material can serve as the walls and floor of a homemade mixing tank. Porous materials, like clay or pottery, are not appropriate. Nutrients leach into porous materials and they are not capable of protecting fertilizers from moisture. Check to ensure the tank does not leak. Cracks or other openings allow fertilizer mixtures to leak into the mixing area, where the material can damage soil and water supplies. Cement areas, sometimes called mixing pads, are suitable for mixing fertilizers. These pads feature a slight slope leading into the central portion of the pad to capture and contain any spills.

Container Size

• Measure a garden area to determine the amount of fertilizer needed per cubic foot. Mix only the amount needed for the current application. Four 2-gallon buckets are equivalent to 1 cubic foot. Fill 2-gallon buckets with water and pour their contents into the homemade fertilizer mixing tank. This test will determine the homemade container's holding capacity. Homemade tanks should be capable of holding the entire amount of fertilizer mix desired. Store leftover or spilled fertilizer in a dry place and within a sealed container far from a heat source. Reuse spilled or left over fertilizer before mixing a new batch.

Considerations

• Fertilizers contain nutrients and minerals necessary for plant life. Nutrients like potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen are found in high quantities in most fertilizers. Materials responsible for providing a fertilizer mix with these nutrients are potash, potassium nitrate, sulfate and urea. Organic fertilizers employ additives like bone or blood meal, manure and compost. Most of these ingredients are available at nurseries or garden centers, where they can be purchased in bulk quantities. Bulk quantities are measured in accordance with a recipe and can be mixed in a range of non-porous containers.