Add a "y", and regulate the pressure on either side of it.

Hey Tom, could you add some info on the type of emitters, feed lines, fertilizers, ect. Maybe some photos of the rest of the system and your successes this year too?

Looks like I'm going to be growing more plants next year and am tired of hauling water buckets. Would like to start assembling all the needed parts now. Thanks!

I use all the DIG stuff available at Home Depot (don't use a credit card ;-)).
You can bury the 1/2" line, or leave it on the ground so you can change up your future placement. 1/4" lines run off the 1/2" lines via "straight connectors" which are inserted into holes you punch with a tool that's found with all the emitters and other stuff.
I use a propane torch to soften the 1/2" and 1/4" lines before connecting stuff together. Makes it easier than hot water. Just pass the torch over it a couple of times. Don't get carried away.
The 1/2" comes in 100' rolls, the 1/4" in 50' rolls. Stay away from the stuff that will fertilize as it waters, as it will clog up the emitters. Use only 1-10 gallon adjustable emitters as those can be disassembled and cleaned. Sprayers are good when you want to soak an area that has granular fertilizer on the surface that you want to migrate to the root system. Usually run about an 18" diameter circle around ground plants, 6" in pots.
Only get the brass "vacuum breakers." Not plastic. They go south quickly in the hot sun. Only use Orbit timers, stay away from anything else. Don't use a pressure regulator. Regulate the pressure by the faucet. Turn it until you get good flow to all emitters. I like to do twice a day watering. Once in the AM, and once in the PM. Plants like it.
Let me know if you need more info.

Perfect! Just what I was looking for and it appears my local HD has it all. Cheaper than I imagined too. Thanks!

here's mine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjsJGKRlrqE

This post was edited by OKgrowin on Wed, Sep 10, 14 at 15:10

Ah, you're the guy using the Viagrow bags! What size bags are you using, and based on your results, what size do you recommend?

i got 3 and 5 gallon, seems like the 3 gallons get about 3-4ft tall and produce faster.. 5 gallons get about 5-6ft tall and produce more.

Both work, if i were in North east or canada i would go with 3 gallons to get the peppers faster. For us in the south 5 gal is good, i may try a couple in 10 gal next year (but that's a lot of soil if you buy it... think about buying soil for 100 10 gals, 1000gals 5 cubic yard)

I hear ya on the 10 gals. Pretty much ruled them out due to soil amounts needed. Have you seen the 7 gals? Now I'm thinking 5's or 7's. May have to get both. ;-)

OKgrowin,
Nice set up. Never tried the bags. I have enough trouble keeping the pots upright in wind. Had to buy some wire braces to take care of that.
You could probably duplicate that bag system with a 2' high, 2' wide raised bed as long as you want, or several, side by side.

I was just comparing the sizes on the Viagrow bags. Could someone check my math here?

5 Gallon - 9 x 8 x 17 inches = 1224 cubic inches.
7 Gallon - 8.5 x 10 x 14 inches = 1190 cubic inches.
10 Gallon - 17 x 17 x 17 inches = 4913 cubic inches.

The 5 gal has more volume than the 7 gal?
The 10 gal has nearly 4x the volume of a 5 gal?

I'll never understand nursery gallons.

That did it. This weekend's cold front with the promise of significant rainfall, and the result of only a trace of rain, prompted me to go ahead and set up the drip system sooner than later.

I bought the DIG Landscape Kit since it has most of what I needed for less than what the individual prices would have been. Plus you get a detailed instruction booklet.

To that I added the BA1B adjustable sprinkler spikes. If you buy 5 or more packages of 4, Home Depot offers a bulk rate saving you $1 per package.

Also picked up a package of 50 T's to go with the spikes, and made up a bunch of paired spikes on 14" long 1/4" hoses (28" total width, see photo) to plug into the 1/2" hose while watching football yesterday. I used a butane soldering iron to quickly expand the 1/4" hose when making connections to the spikes, T's, and single plugs.

Also opted for the premium tool for punching the holes in the 1/2" hose. Having all the spike T's and single spike lines already made up, then using the grip type tool made quick work of plugging all the lines into the main hose.

Another tip: Since I used a brass anti-siphon connector, as per Tom's suggestion, the bubble filter screen in the 1/2" hose connector would have interfered. Simply pop the filter out and flip it over. Problem solved!

Total cost to feed 28 plants with spike sprinklers (kit includes many more basic emitters), including hose bib, shutoff valve, timer, and various pcv connectors was $109. Total setup time was about 2 hours, including mods to the water feed line, but not counting yesterday's beer and football spike assembly time. ;)

PS Note all the dead tree leaves in the photos? Fall came early this year in the form of drought, not the normal Fall leaf drop. ;(

This post was edited by mecdave on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 18:23

Looks good! Now if only there was a way to add the proper amount of ferts with it......

I believe there is NECM. I have a hand held sprayer with a liquid fertilizer pot that has the needed 3/4" hose connections. Just need a short hose (or DIG parts) to make the connection (soon), then will just need to add a certain amount of MG to the pot once a week.

Waitin' for the the follow up pic with fert adapter!

Can I ask a favor from both mecdave & TomT? Which Orbit timer model did both of you use?

TIA

Mine is the Home Depot SKU # 558-026.
Edit: I just now realized mine isn't an Orbit. Doh! Oh well, I like it. :)

I believe Tom's has been discontinued, but I remember seeing it on Amazon.

Here's my fert sprayer. The adjustable spray pattern end unscrews in order to mount a wand, or in my case a hose adapter. Will post photos when finished, likely next weekend.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ace fert sprayer

This post was edited by mecdave on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 18:21

mecdave & chileman,
Orbit isn't available at HD, only Lowes and Amazon. They make two models, one for dual zone and a single zone, which I have many of. That's a nice set-up.
I wouldn't recommend using a fertilizer injection as it will stop up the emitters, and you'll be cleaning them out every week. Our water is mineralized enough to require that frequently. I just mix the MG by the bucket and do it once every two weeks, with Tomato Tone in between.Your mileage may vary...

Thanks guys!

Thanks for the input Tom. I'll give up on the inline fert plan.

I just now went out in the parking lot to pick up a piece of trash. It was an empty Orbit gum package. It's a sign! ;-)

a water soluble fertilizer diluted properly doesn't stop up my emitters, been running a few months now watering every day(over 200 gallons each emitter)...

i ordered my drip stuff from dripdepot.com, timer from amazon. i had to replace the batteries once.

i haven't had a problem with the plastic vaccum breaker yet.

tip: if you want to make sure joints don't leak use some of the plumbers tape on the threads.
tip2: i heard you need to dissemble the timer / breaker part near the faucet and bring inside for winter or it will get screwed up

OKgrowin,
Glad you had better luck than I did with the fert injection system. I can't count how many plastic vacuum breakers I've replaced until I got wise to brass.
IMHO, and after hundreds of plumbing joints, throw the Teflon tape away and use Rector Seal yellow with Teflon. Actually, the Orbit and DIG washers make a perfect seal if you don't over-tighten.
I always bring my eight timers in and drain'em for the winter, and remove the batteries too. I usually have to replace my batteries twice a season.
Elbows and straight connectors (1/2") will freeze in really cold weather and split if you don't blow out your lines with compressed air. I put a baggie with a rubber band over the faucet connector after I do that.

In researching this I found quite a few different emitters, so OKgrowin which do you use that don't plug up?

TIA

Was in Blowe's ;-) yesterday and saw a bunch of the Orbit timers.

Woohooo... I knew this was going to happen. Set up the drip system and now it's raining!

I had it on for 15 minutes while setting it up Sunday, and since that was plenty atm, decided to switch it off until the plants told me otherwise.

Looks like it's going to stay off for the next couple or three days at the least. Big Grin

Yep, we got 1.8" over the last few days. And a helluva lot cooler too...for awhile. Expecting more today...

i'm using the drip lines with the emitters pre-installed

https://www.dripdepot.com/category/529cbe7275eb51467e580700

called 1/4 drip line with 12" spacing

Used those too. Stopped up on me before the growing season was up. PITA...

So one member is having issues with emitters plugging & another doesn't. The only thing I can figure is:

1. Fertilizer brand/type
2. How fertilizer is mixed
3. Water, Tap or Rain
4. Tap, Hard or Soft.

I assume both are using tap, or maybe well, but I believe the hard/soft issue can influence fert dissolving & emitter plugging.

This post was edited by northeast_chileman on Sun, Sep 21, 14 at 13:29

northeast,
As I said before, I do have hard water, and I do get plugging from just the water with no fert. As fert is in suspension it tends to condense around the minerals already in the water.
I find it easier to fill a cut-down 55 gallon drum full of MG mix on a trailer and pull it around and fertilize plants.
A bucket never plugs up... ;-)