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Drip Irrigation System?

10 years ago

Does anyone have an irrigation system set up to water their plants? (Not an in-ground system) Pros? Cons? Worth the money?

As I'm beginning to think about spring I have begun to fantasize about an auto-watering system of some sort to make my life oh-so-much easier...is this just a dream???

Here are a couple I found:
http://www.dripirrigation.com/drip_irrigation_categories/50/drip_irrigation_parts/485

http://www.dripirrigation.com/drip_irrigation_categories/50/drip_irrigation_parts/896

Although I do enjoy the time watering gives me to closely inspect my plants and see critters, realistically it gets so darn hot here that spending an hour every other day or so gets to be a pretty big chore.

What do you all think?

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Comments (5)

mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
10 years ago
Hey E

I have used similar systems in the past with good results. Nothing beats an automatic system. You can also buy those kits at Home Depot and lowes. their kits are usually smaller but you can buy the individual emitters and tubing separately to customize your system. Dont forget a timer and be sure you get a good one. I have had some of the cheaper ones fail and leave my plants dry. I even had a cheap on blow up and flood the yard.

Mike
elucas101
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the reply Mike, I will definitely take a look at those! So you've used them in the past - are you not using an automatic system anymore? If not, why?

I was wondering if people prefer to hand water because they can spray the leaves, whereas an auto system won't, or if they are just more trouble than they're worth, break all the time, etc.? Or is the cost a deterrent?

Just curious why I don't hear about these more or have I just not been paying attention? haha!
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I recommend DripWorks. If you e-mail or fax them a diagram of your garden or deck, they'll recommend a system and sell you everything you need. I suspect you'll need something like this: a filter and pressure regulator; 1/2" "mainline" tubing to circle the rail or floor of your deck; 1/4" tubing leading from the mainline to each of your planters; one or two emitters for each pot; fittings for the mainline corners; a male hose end and cap; a female hose start and plug; tools and connectors; and some extras. They're very easy to set up once you get the hang of it. I would suggest a timer, too, and a "Y" hose adapter with shutoff valves so that you can attach another hose to the same faucet.
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Ezzira, I think soaker hoses work great. I have some I hope to use in the flower beds. The main reason I don't have any installed now is that I had a problem with them stopping up from mineral in the well water (lived at a different place then) and started using PVC instead. PVC is not as forgiving as soaker hose as to elevation of the row/garden. My PVC system runs on a very low pressure, or a very high pressure, and anything in between. A soaker or drip system will need at least 5 or 10 lbs of pressure. ( I am talking about operation pressure, not static pressure now). The more lines you have open the lower your operating pressure will be. Look on the rating tab on the soaker hoses and check the flow per foot and the min/max operating pressure. The ones I have I think are 40 to 60 lbs max and around 10 pounds min. The flow rate will be in the 2 gph. per ft. range at around 25psi. I cut about 8" of the capped end off of my 5/8 when it was new, filled it with water and stood it in the sink to see how much it would leak with no pressure, the water level dropped about 1" over night. I have a 1/2 and 5/8 dia. soaker hose, if I buy more they will be 5/8" dia. because of the higher flow rate and they can be spliced, tee'd or capped with 1/2" CPVC (hot water fittings and tubes), which I keep in stock in the shop. This makes customizing you system easier if you live out in the sticks like I do and don't want to wait for online orders or pay the high shipping. I expect the easiest to install (if you a large area to irrigate) would be 1/2" or 3/4" rolled irrigation line with self regulating emitters, but I don't have good access to those. I have 425 ft. of 1/4" irrigation tubing, 100 ft. of soaker hose and near 100 drippers and mini sprinklers in the shop of which I will install some of when the need comes but for now I am still adding PVC. Larry
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Brian, A larger line doesn't give you more pressure, only more volume. Your faucet coming out of your house is probably a 1/2" line operating at 60 PSI which is pretty common. Plastic pressure regulators aren't needed, IMHO, as you can effectively regulate the pressure with the faucet handle. Just another plastic part to degrade and fail in the hot sun. If you're setting up sprayers, go ahead and crack the sprayer adjustment enough so when you blow through it, some air escapes, then hook everything up and crank the faucet half way open and see how they're covering. The only advantage to high pressure is that the line pressurizes completely sooner than later. As an example, on one run I have eight sprayers, and about two dozen 1-10 gal emitters, and I run full pressure on the faucet, which is coming through a 3/4" galvanized nipple from a 1" PVC water line. The only time you run out of pressure is when you have a lot of large sprayers operating at max output, then they'll drop the pressure downstream quite a bit. Don't forget a vacuum breaker.
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I would say you get what you pay for. I ordered drip depot kits recently and it is definitely of inferior quality. Last year I ordered two from Dripworks and they had Netafim Soaker dripline( which is best in class), while DripDepot one has Jain Soaker dripline. Jain tubing is very stiff. You cannot swish the tubing at all between your fingers. It is also very slick, which makes its slippery to hold on to. I cannot properly place a transfer in the end of the tubing due to how stiff and slippery it is.
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mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
10 years ago
When i first became a home owner it was prior to my obsession for tropicals so I didnt have much to water. I used one of those systems for the flower beds and part of the grass. My next home had a small yard and everything was packed in tight so using a hose was not only therapeutic but easy enough to justify not spending money on the drip systems. The place i just moved into is almost an Acre and my veggie garden, tropical beds and where my plumies will be is a long ways away from the water source. I may come up with something to avoid hauling out 100' of hose.

mike
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the_first_kms2
10 years ago
E,
I am pretty sure Barbra had Gary convert her Plumeria beds to drip irrigation this last summer. You can buy a "Patio kit" which gives you all the basic components for setting one up for containers at L or HD. (just like Mike said). I think i have one in the garden shed I can bring to the next meeting if you wanted to look at one.

Mike,
as far as the hose goes...over the holidays I went to an "As Seen on TV" Christmas party and walked out with 100 foot flex hose and bacon bowls. The bacon bowls are the best thing ever and that flex hose is at least in the top 5 gag gifts ever received. It might be an inexpensive solution and it works well. Although I would say the flow or output is not as strong as standard hoses.
plumejunkie
10 years ago
Check out Blumats, they're awesome! A clay cone buried in the soil senses moisture and regulates the amount of water applied to the plant. There's a pressure regulator that hooks up to your spigot, or if you grow indoors, you can hook up your line to a resevuar. It's cool tech.

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