drip irrigation system
drip irrigation system
has anyone got any ideas on how to set up a small drip irrigation system. the water pressure (if you could call it that) will be a siphon from a 44 gal drum raised just high enough above the veges.
G'DAy Nick,
Sorry, I really haven't done much with drip irrigation
Nev
Sorry, I really haven't done much with drip irrigation
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
-
hedgewizard
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 1415
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:26 pm
- Location: dorset, UK
- Contact:
You need to have the water high enough to push the water through whatever you're going to use. For proprietory stuff like Leaky Pipe that's 6 meters, but I see a drip tape in my catalogue that works with just 2 meters. If the beds aren't big you could use a 16mm hose or tubing "backbone" with an end-cap. Using a punch or bradawl you make little holes in the hose and push microtube (5mm) branches in, stake or tent-peg them in place and cut to length, and put a suitable dripper on the end of each piece. They're not too expensive and that sort of thing works with only 1 meter pressure. Tips-
Sideways creep (by capillary action) depends on your soil type - 50cm for clay but as little as 30cm for sand. You can always add more drippers later. Water loss is less if you put a little mulch over the whole thing when you're done. Don't use cheap hose as you'll lose a lot of pressure that way, but if you're ever likely to use a higher pressure system, use a pressure regulator or all your microtubes will pop out!
Personally I'm running 16mm backbone around my plot with bits of Leaky Pipe for large bits, pressure-regulated drippers straight off the pipe for fruit trees, taps to determine which bits are active, and a length of ordinary hose for watering the beds.
Sideways creep (by capillary action) depends on your soil type - 50cm for clay but as little as 30cm for sand. You can always add more drippers later. Water loss is less if you put a little mulch over the whole thing when you're done. Don't use cheap hose as you'll lose a lot of pressure that way, but if you're ever likely to use a higher pressure system, use a pressure regulator or all your microtubes will pop out!
Personally I'm running 16mm backbone around my plot with bits of Leaky Pipe for large bits, pressure-regulated drippers straight off the pipe for fruit trees, taps to determine which bits are active, and a length of ordinary hose for watering the beds.