micro irrigation

[jeff]

Hello,

OK, I've laid out the backbone 1/2" line to run along the edges of the garden. I think what I'll do is run taps with valves for each section. Each section will have about 4 or 5 emitters and a max length of 10'.

I suppose since the backbone runs along the garden path also, I'll tap off for a few other plants, the roses have taken a beating...

I have a hard time believing that those 1/4" taps on the 1/2" line don't leak. Everything I've ever done with plumbing leaked! That's why I'm trying to minimize the taps.

OK, I'll do the hand watering here. I pulled a carrot from the edge of the garden a while back. Although it was almost an 1" in diameter, it wasn't much longer!

I've got a pressure regulator and more tees coming from Drip Depot.

I've shopped at 4 different Home Depots and a Lowes looking at drip supplies. Amazingly none of them had the same parts. It's almost like one shipment got divided between 5 stores! I did find some 1/4" vinyl line made by Mister Landscaper that looks like great stuff.

Raining again...

Jeff

[Suzanne D.]

Might as well. It's just a couple of extra lines and drippers. You may find that you start to go a little crazy once you get into it. More lines! More emitters! What else can I water??

By "taps" are you talking about the holes and the connectors that go in them? I've had a few leaks among my 50 or so holes, but for the most part they stay pretty tight. They might deteriorate after a few years; I haven't had them long enough to know.

If you have clayey soil, that'll be pretty common. I always try to grow long ones, and they just look stupid. It's best to plant the shorter varieties--that way all the energy can go into filling them out rather than making them long. Next year mix a little sand in with the carrot soil--that might loosen it up a bit.

I've noticed that too! Seems like I have to go to two different stores to get the full range of what I need. Weird.

--S.

[jeff]

OK. I've got it "wired"! The one thing I've noticed is that I seriously underestimated how much 1/4" line I would need! I've used it up 80' watering 16 plants with a max of 4 plants per line (with a 60' 1/2" backbone). No line left for the roses.

Drip Depot from Oregon to Atlanta priority mail took 2 days, I'm impressed!

I'd like to get a timer as I'm often away for a few days. I notice that they have water cycles from about a week to every hour. Who waters every hour? Or even every 8 hours?

My thinking is that I should be watering every day or two depending on how hot. Perhaps with the deeper drip irrigation I can lengthen that. The cukes are the problem child seeming to need water in the heat of the day.

With the drippers under the mulch does it matter as much when to water or should I aim to water after sunrise but before it heats up?

How close to the base of the plant should I put the drippers? An inch or two?

Jeff

[Suzanne D.]

If someone is trying to get seeds to germinate and live in a very dry area, they might want to mist every hour or two to keep the soil damp.

--S.