I have drip installed in all my raised beds. After futzing around with different irrigation depending on what I'm growing in the bed I decided to just make everything the same. I now use 1/4" drip lines with emitters every 6"...and I space the drip lines about 6" apart. That way I get good saturation in the bed whether I'm growing carrots and radishes that are closely space or tomatoes/squash that are spread out.

I agree that drip is the way to go. You can install a filter at the source, making maintenance simpler. You can automate the timing relatively easily. It may take some experimentation to determine the rate of flow that provides adequate irrigation for your needs, based on crop, soil type, climatological circumstances, etc. In the event that you are doing a large area, drip becomes financially advantageous to soakers, and the increase in uniformity and reduction of potential problems caused by overhead irrigation make the investment worthwhile.

drip will not work well for carrots and radishes. For those, you will still have to water by hand. Buy pipes with 1 ft emitter spacing, and those will cover most of the rest.

I haven't yet turned my eyes to drip irrigation, but you mentioned an interest in the the soaker hoses, and I have been using them. What I have learned so far is this: I reccomend to go for the newer ones that look like they are made from a woven cloth material. They actually have another tube inside with holes punched at small intervals and can be repaired much the same as regular hoses (I ran over mine with the mower). In order not to burst soaker hoses, the pressure needs to be much lower than what you have. I forget exactly what, but around 8-10 psi or something. Gardeners Supply was selling the hoses last year and they sold a pressure regulator also and were open about saying what pressure you needed. I bought one elsewhere for cheaper, even counting in the cost of a couple hose:pipe and pipe:hose adapters. Anyhow, the new woven ones last better and are much easier to handle and move than the older "foamy plastic" ones. And that's the key to how I used mine, movability. I had a back-flow regulator and filter at the source, used a regular hose to run it out to the garden and through the pressure regulator, then had a Y-adapter and ran a soaker hose up either side of a 3-ft wide row, often under the mulch. I figured out how long I needed to run my system per row, then just set a timer and moved them as appropriate. With 50-ft rows, I could water 1/2 of my 2000 sq ft garden easily and deeply in a day, once a week. Now, of course, I am in a very different area than you. I don't know that this is the answer for you, but it is cheaper than drip. It does require more work(from what I read), but nothing I found arduous. It uses more water, I think, but way less than conventional watering. I don't know that I would want to try to use it on a much larger scale than what I am doing. So, if any of this helps you make up your mind, then cheers!

Thanks everyone - good information. I might mention I have two garden areas. The first for my small veggies like carrots, onions, beets, radishes etc is 16' x 18'. This has 6 rows in it for the different plants.

The second area is six raised beds, 4 that are 4' x 8' and 2, 6' x 8'. I use these for my larger veggies like corn, peppers and tomatoes. This should give a better idea of what I am trying to do - Bruce

I just started using soaker hoses (were given to me) in my tomato and asparagus beds because that's where they reached.
I did like them, but I also like to go out and water by hand for "therapy" alone time. This also gets me down into the plants to inspect for bugs or other critters and things the soaker hose doesn't see, so I like to use both ways.
The soakers are also very convenient to have in place in case you get busy and need to do a nice deep watering!
My well water is too gunky for drip, and filters need to be cleaned too often.
I also set my oven timer to remind me to turn off the soaker hose. It keeps beeping til it's turned off.
So, soakers and hand watering for me. Nancy

Glib- I disagree on using drip for carrots and radishes. Just use multiple runs per bed. Works like a charm. I use 12 inch spacing, but I think 6 or 8 would be better. I only want to buy one roll of drip tape at a time.

Sunnibel- I also disagree that soakerhoses are cheaper than drip tape. I looked at gardeners supply, those soaker hoses are $19.95 for a 50 foot hose. That is 39.9 cents a foot. My drip I use, Aquatraxx, cost 2.9 cents a foot. I buy it in 6,000 foot rolls. That makes each 50 foot row you talk about $1.50 each for drip Tape. Use 2 or three runs a bed and you are up to $3.00 or $4.50.

Making some assumptions about your 4,000 square foot garden. If your rows are 50 feet long, that means it is about 80 feet wide. If you use a 3 foot bed spacing, you have about 25 rows. You could easily run these 25 rows off one header line if you put in valves. An 80 foot inch black pvc pipe will cost about $20. SO, you would have to add a filter and pressure regulator (that should be used on both set ups, so I am leaving that out of the equation).

You have 1,250 row feet. That is $37.50 for the drip tape (one run per row). Your header line would be $20. Your 25 couplers are 60 cents each, so that is $15. If you wanted ones with valves that would be about $2.00 a piece or $50. So if you low balled your system. You could be watering your whole garden for $72.50. A set up with valves would cost $107.50.

With your soaker hoses, it would cost $498.75 for all 25 rows. In addition, you would have to have hoses or something running to each soaker hose to get water there.

Like you I thought drip tape was too expensive however, I am now watering 8,000 square feet of high tunnels and 1 acre outside for very little.

Just a thought!

Jay

dripdepot.com has a lot of good videos about drip irrigation.

they recommend 25 psi max 200ft of 1/2" tubing and no run of 1/4 tubing greater than 30' off that. for the 1/4" you can get lines with built in drippers every 6 or 12" or just custom cut your own.

One thing, I am talking about drip tape and not drip tubes and emitters. There is a difference. I run emitters for my hanging baskets.

Jay

Jrslick,

When I said cheaper, I was talking about how I use only 2 hoses for all 12 of my rows, and do it by moving them over 1 row at a time. You are talking about having a hose permanent for each row. Given our different assumptions, we're both right? ;)

Cheers!

Then yes it is cheaper, but the time involved to move your hoses every time you need to water is worth something.

I wouldn't use the word permanent to describe drip tape sat on the surface, maybe dedicated.

The point is, using drip tape isn't as expensive as most think. Check it out. It is really a quick and easy way to water. Especially for those who can't always get out in the garden everyday.

Get a timer and you are set.

Jay

I think I have decided to go with a drip system, mainly since I already have many of the parts for it, including lots of unused 1/2" mainline (couple hundred feet) and lots of emitters (about 100, many have been used), along with many of the fittings we have accumulated over the years.

I have one more question about emitters. Many of these are partially plugged. Has anyone had luck cleaning them. I thought about soaking them in a bucket of warm water and dish soap, agitate them good and then blow with an air hose in a reverse direction. Has anyone done this or used other methods to clean emitters? Typically these are plugged with moss and other organic stuff, not sand.

Here is a link that might be useful: DripWorks

Jay,

Do you buy your drip tape locally? I have been looking at nurseries and hardware stores here in Kansas City but haven't found it.

Daryl

For what it's worth, moving my soaker hoses takes about 1-2 minutes. The new ones are so easy to handle, just pull them down from one row, move over 3 feet, stretch them up the next. It makes sense for me, my garden, and my style of gardening to do it this way, I know it isn't for everyone. But whenever I write in one of these threads I am always aware that someone in the future may find it while doing a search to answer their own question. A question that might be similar to the OP but not the same. So my info. may be useful to someone someday?

That's my long way of saying "I ain't arguing, I'm 'splaining."

Use vinegar for the emitters. I don't have a drip system but use vinegar in my minsters when they clog.

Sorry, I meant to say misting emmiters

Tracydr, Does vinegar work for regularity ;-)

Daryl try an irrigation supply house for drip stuff. Most will sell to consumers. Call and ask first.