Worked out the cheapest, most compact and most simple automatic watering system for me. Uses 3 buckets, one float valve, simple barbed fittings and clear 1/2" tubing. There are no penetrations below water level and no alterations to planters. Top bucket only holds 5 gal, so you can hook up to larger tank if you desire. Use only clear tubing to detect any air bubbles. I am going to use Hudson valve to feed top bucket when away from home. Used 3 Lowe's buckets. Top Bucket - no alterations Bucket 2 - Cut off top below the expanded "ring" for spacer to lift top bucket up additional 2 3/4". Discard bottom. Bottom Bucket Installed 1/2" US Plastics #23136 float valve slightly above desired water level. Installed barbed elbow on float inlet. Installed clear 1/2" tubing from elbow over the top of top bucket to reach bottom. (Siphon action feeds float valve on bottom bucket) Ran 1/2" tubing from bottom of bottom bucket through side (above water level) to barbed connector. Ran 1/2" tubing from the barbed connector to barbed "Tee" at top fill pipe of first container. Ran 1/2" tubing from "Tee" to bottom of fill tube. Tubing runs from bottom bucket to "Tee" on first container, to "Tee" on second container, to "Tee" on 3rd, etc. (Last container doesn't have "Tee", tubing runs directly from last "Tee" to bottom of container fill tube. Primed siphon of container tubing by holding end of tube in bottom bucket to garden hose. Put top bucket into bottom bucket and fill. Primed siphon of top bucket to float valve. Note: Fill planting containers first, as the siphon action to the float valve only supports a small but adequate flow rate.

For most systems, capping off some sprinkler heads will make the operating water pressure higher. The right way to build a system is with a pressure regulator before the valves, but that can add almost $100 of cost so most people skip it. Without the regulator, pressure will depend on the flow. Most water mains exceed the recommended water pressure for sprinklers. Mine comes in at about 110 PSI. Sprinklers like to run around 40 or 25 PSI. The reason it usually works is there are so many heads on a zone that the valve restricts the flow and brings the pressure down. When you cap off some heads, the pressure goes up. Many valves have a flow control option and if yours does, you can adjust it to bring the pressure back down to the optimal level. If your valve does not have flow control, you can implement your own with a gate valve in series with your sprinkler valve.

Hi Gaetanol, I know HD has what you need or any sprinkler supply store. You need to check for hose-threaded connections versus pipe-threaded connections. Use a hose-threaded by pipe-threaded adapter off your hose bib then use pvc pipe to build your header manifold with each lateral using a pipe-threaded by 1/2" poly-tube adapter to transition to the drip system. Then use 1/4" poly-tube and drippers to each plant. If all else fails ask the guy next to you staring at the irrigation fittings in HD; chances are that person will know more than the store clerks. Hope that helps. I apologize for the comment about the store clerks.

I should add that all the 3/4" PVC horizontal laterals are lower than the ASV and AVB. Only the 1/2" risers extend above the valve level, leading to drip manifolds which are a mix of 2, 4, and 8-way to 1/4" emitter tubing leading to some stream (3-9 gpm) and some drip (2 gpm) emitters on the desert plants. So very little water used in this zone.