Tell me about drip irrigation

[Joyfirst]

I have a small plot and have 7 3 by 4 raised beds. I am thinking about the drip irrigation, but there is so much information and choices out there. What do you use? What should I look for? Flat or round hose, timer, etc. Where to buy it?

[DoubleDogFarm]

We like to use 1\4 " soaker drip tubbing. They have 1\2 gallon pressure compensating emitters ever 12". The emitters don't open until the system reaches 10 PSI. We feel you get more even watering. If your beds are 3ft wide, we run 3 lines. One at 6", one at 18" and the last 6" from the other side. You are trying to get a emitter every square foot.

1\2" mainline can handle 480 1\2 gallon emitters.

Battery timer,, Orbit LCD Battery timer
Filter, Arkal Disc Filter
Regulator, Limit Valve regulator
Check Valve, Check valve or vaccum breaker

These are the basic pieces we use, all from Dripworks.com. They can also help you with layout design. Very helpful.

[Joyfirst]

Thank you, Eric. Which tubing do you prefer-flat or spagetti type(round)?

[DoubleDogFarm]

1\2" and 3\4" mainline is round. Then we branch off with the 1\4" soaker drip line (round). Don't have much experience with T-tape. (flat).

On the beds, each 1\4" soaker drip line has it's own in-line shut off valve.

Time for a new key board, the foward slash has stopped working. That's why the fractions look funny.

[tomf]

For your set up go with what Gary said. You will need to plan it out and run some main lines to each bed. You could even put valves on each bed if they need different levels of watering.

This is my timer, filters, back-flow preventer and pressure regulator.



[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/twistedtomf/garden_DSC0027.jpg[/img]

[Joyfirst]

Thank you guys! So addtional to fittings, I need filter, pressure regulator and a timer. They don't come with kits.

[tomf]

I think you can get a kit but the kit may not have all you the stuff you need.
Go to the store and see what they have then go home and make a plan, draw out all the lines and fittings, make a list and go back and get what you need. You will of course forget or not think you needed some parts so buy extra and bring them back if you do not need them.

I added an extra filter as I am on a well.

[hendi_alex]

I was intimidated by drip irrigation set up as well. Finally, I just went to Lowes where they have a big selection of components. I would recommend that you start out simple. Get one section of trunk line, half inch I think. Buy a coil of 30 feet of the small tubing that goes to the emmitters. Buy a couple of packs of the variable emmitters, get a pressure reducer, and buy a puncture tool. You will also want to buy a hose connector fitting and buy a few T's, elbows, and couplings. Before you go buy drip equipment, you may want to sketch you bed arrangement and decide how you want to run the trunk line. for your small bed it will easy to set up, and once you sit down and look at how the pieces fit together, it is literally a snap. I'm pretty handy with home projects. If building a compost bin ranks a 7 in handy man skills, then assembling a drip system is a one or two. Once you get past seeing that display with an overwhelming number of components, the process is really very simply.

Here are steps that I would suggest. Cut length of trunk line. Attach hose connector on one end. For straight line application, use end fitting to close the end of the line. Puncture holes where emmitters will go and then snap small adapter plug into the hole. Attach length of tubing to emitter, and plug emmitter in. After all emmitters are in place, screw pressure reducer on to faucet, and then screw drip hose attachment to pressure reducer. Turn on faucet, adjust variable drip heads to desired flow, and you are done.

pressure reducer:
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3536619634_9156d06dd3_o.jpg[/img]

hose attachment:
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2105/3536548536_86c0a08430_o.jpg[/img]

trunk line, adapter to emmitter tubing, emmitter tubing
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3536549124_2a5365cb4d_o.jpg[/img]

variable emmitter, screw/unscrew to change flow:
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2452/3535733589_1bc307ea13_o.jpg[/img]

All of these fittings and more are available at Lowes.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Yes, Kits are available, but usually lean towards the consumer end. We spend a little more on quality that's cheaper in the long run.
Local box stores push Rainbird, not my choice, but if you choose this route, go all the way. Their hose and fittings are smaller then commercial.

Plumbing is at least three trips to the store, it just is.

Dripworks has a design over view here.
https://www.dripworksusa.com/design.php?left

[txgrower]

In my experience Lowe's et al. are a lot more expensive than the many wholesalers online. I ordered from [url]https://www.dripirrigation.com[/url] and was very satisfied.

If you choose to use individual emitters in the 1/2" line (as opposed to the 1/4" "soaker" line), you typically don't need an adapter to attach your 1/4" line to the 1/2". Just punch the hole, stick the emitter in, and push the 1/4" line on the end of the emitter (assuming it's the type that has a 1/4" fitting on both ends).

[cynthia_h]

In Sunset's Western Garden Book, there's a section for new gardeners called "A Practical Guide to Gardening." The Practical Guide has several pages on tools, general guidelines to vegetable gardening, soils and soil conservation, and many other useful subjects, but the best for your question is "Watering."

It includes schematics of sample drip-irrigation systems, drawings of the elements of drip systems, etc.

The Sunset book is often available from local libraries; maybe you can take a look at that general orientation to get the global perspective and integrate the close-up detail you're getting here into that global...

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[DoubleDogFarm]

Here is our typical setup.

Water flows from top of photo to bottom.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02100.jpg[/img]

This set-up only works if your filter and regulator can stay under constant pressure. If not, timer goes to the top.

We also install a "Y" w\valves at the beginning so the customer can still hook up a garden hose.