Anybody Do Drip Irrigation in Their Gardens?

Post Reply
 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Thu. May. 18, 2017 7:08 pm

Or their fruit trees? We have 9 apples, 3 pears, 2 plums, a flowering crab, 5 raised beds, about 150 sq ft of raspberries, and 24 blueberry bushes. Would probably be expensive to get it all watered but I'm not terribly good at remembering to water, nor fond of watering while the bugs take chunks out of my hide.

Have been looking around but there are a ton of different outfits, all of which have the best offers around. Was hoping I could go to the big box store today and piece it together on their floor but all they sell in-store is timers. Really helpful to a hands on guy.

Fire away with any ideas, good or bad and thanks!

 
User avatar
warminmn
Member
Posts: 8108
Joined: Tue. Feb. 08, 2011 5:59 pm
Location: Land of 11,842 lakes
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Efel Nestor Martin, Riteway 37
Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt

Post by warminmn » Thu. May. 18, 2017 8:12 pm

I dont know if this will work for you but you can take a thick rubber hose, drill real small holes in it, push thin diameter copper pipe into each hole, then bend the copper to where you want water to go, and attach the copper to the ground however you desire. Maybe plastic hose could work somehow?

Obviously you have to attach to a water source and either turn on/off yourself like i did, or I imagine you could make it automatic. It may not be as perfect as other ways but its cheap. You possibly could just set it at a small amount of water and leave on for hours. I ran 100 feet, maybe 40 pipes.

Im not sure how well this would work for trees, but could work for all those berries.

Ive used those dark 50 gallon barrels with an on/off nozzle, placed it in the air a couple feet on cement blocks, fill it with water letting it warm up, then open the nozzle and let a hose attached slowly drain onto my strawberries. Im sure one at each tree would work but you'd have to remember to fill them and open the valve :lol: Im a believer in warm water for plants if possible.

Some of the Amish just bury a hose with holes in it thru their greenhouse beds of tomatoes, but they have cheap labor (kids) to do all the digging.

 
User avatar
plumberman
Member
Posts: 264
Joined: Sun. Apr. 14, 2013 2:45 am
Location: andes ny
Stoker Coal Boiler: coal gun 130
Coal Size/Type: pea
Other Heating: solar dhw/samsung mini split/oil

Post by plumberman » Thu. May. 18, 2017 8:51 pm

let ya know next year! this years addition to the raised bed gardens is to install soaker hose under the plastic/weed barrier. bought the stuff on line hopefully better what the box stores have to offer.


 
User avatar
gaw
Member
Posts: 4437
Joined: Fri. Jan. 26, 2007 2:51 am
Location: Parts Unknown
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice from Schuylkill County

Post by gaw » Thu. May. 18, 2017 10:26 pm

Not in a few years but I have ordered from these guys https://www.dripworks.com

Not the cheapest around but good service and products. I have the 1/2" tubing with 1/2 gph emitters surrounding my trees and blueberries. Worked well. I did not have the need to use it in recent years. I have to go through and check it out for function again because you never know when the next. Long, hot, dry summer comes again.

Drip is a good way to go but you need to do some figuring to make sure everything is sized properly. You only get so many gallons an hour through a 1/2" tube so your number of emitters and flow rates are limited. Also know water requirements for your plants. Not hard but requires some thought.

 
CapeCoaler
Member
Posts: 6515
Joined: Sun. Feb. 10, 2008 3:48 pm
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: want AA130
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine BS#4, Harman MKII, Hitzer 503,...
Coal Size/Type: Pea/Nut/Stove

Post by CapeCoaler » Thu. May. 18, 2017 10:36 pm

Yep dripworks for me...
Good service...
get a commercial account if you have a large garden...
Cheaper prices...

 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Fri. May. 19, 2017 6:08 am

Thanks folks, will look into Dripworks and do some calculating this weekend concerning how much water and runs for the various plants.

Post Reply

Return to “House, Gardening & DIY Projects”