Raised bed watering system

[bly]

What works as a cheap, versatile, efficient, trouble free watering system for raised beds raising vegetables all four seasons? It rarely freezes here. Has anybody used the buried plastic bottles method?

[applestar]

I think soaker hose is pretty easy and inexpensive. Especially with fixed dimensions and generally limited planting schemes like raised beds, you can cut and join soaker hoses for laying out in the beds with sections of regular hoses to bridge the paths so water is not wasted on the paths (I use the garden hose repair kits). A good timer -- either mechanical turn on and run for x hours/minutes, or electronic timer variety -- and you are good to go.

You just need to experiment until you have a good watering schedule. If you use Y's with lever valves, you can also adjust the amount of flow to different beds.

[nickolas]

I use wicking beds. but they need a lot of materials to start

[imafan26]

The buried plastic bottles work as root watering method. But filling them didn't save me much time.

I have used the garden soakers and turned them with the holes facing the ground. That way, I get water at the roots and not all over the leaves.

I have also used old garden hoses. Use a small nail to drill holes into the pipe at intervals. fewer up front and more at the end. Be careful start with only a few holes first. The water pressure has to last to the very end. You can either use a hose end cap or hose clamp at the end.

PVC pipe works for this too, but it is rigid. I like to be able to move my system out of the way when I am working the bed.

[albopepper]

Here is my design of a raised box that is on legs, up off the ground:



You could use this concept to make a sub-irrigated bed that is at ground level. It would be easier and cheaper to construct. It would retain what little rain water you may get, while providing good aeration. Top irrigation could be implemented along with this.

Here in PA, this box has been going strong for years & it still has the ORIGINAL potting mix!

[imafan26]

This is more like a giant earth box. It should save water. By bottom watering you should reduce some of the water losses especially if you mulch. You may encounter the same problem I had with my self watering container though. The plants do o.k. but the soil in the bottom of the pot will be anaerobic, you will be able to tell by the smell. I did have some fungal growth on the roots if I did not clean out the earth box after the plant died.

[ElizabethB]

I use flat soaker hoses. I like the flat ones better than the round ones. Much easier to manipulate. My boxes are in the back yard so I have to haul the hose to the back for watering. My flat soakers are easy to weave in and around the plants - close to the base of the plants. I found the round soakers more difficult to manipulate. They also wasted more water.

[tjapplegate]

I have raised beds (waist level) and experimented with soaker hoses but the problem I have is the water works its way straight through the soil and drips out the bottom of the planers without soaking the entire surface plant surface. Any ideas how to get a better soak?

[Asica]

In your area you could also try Olla pots. You put them in the ground and fill them in with water twice a week. The roots will grow around the pots. This is great for hot areas. I cover my bed with mulch and the soil stays wet. Try one and see how you like it. They also have smaller one for pots if you want to try that first.

[imafan26]

To get a better soak with the drip system. Make sure the bed is evenly moist first and if your soaker have emitters 18 inches apart, try to get the ones with emitters 12 inches apart. If you plant where the emitters are, it may not matter that all of the bed is not getting soaked. BTW drip systems are low flow, low volume so you need to run them a long time to soak everything. Evenly moistening the soil to start with and once in a while will help with capillary action and avoid channels in the soil.

[applestar]

I have raised beds (waist level) and experimented with soaker hoses but the problem I have is the water works its way straight through the soil and drips out the bottom of the planers without soaking the entire surface plant surface. Any ideas how to get a better soak?

It sounds like you have planters that are raised above the ground level? Something like that will dry out much faster. You may get better moisture retention if you mulch the surface of the potting mix. You can use organic mulch or plastic mulch that are tucked in along the edges like Earthbox.

For my DIY sub irrigated planter last year, I found that re-purposing the heavy plastic bags the potting mix came in worked out well.

I've also used a mixed layer of finished compost, used coffee grounds, grass/weed clippings, and shredded leaves for my patio planters and window boxes. All in all, for regular planters, I prefer organic mulching material that can leach nutrients into the soil as they break down.

[James Brennan Hawaii]

Rather than using soaker hose you might have better luck with 1/2" drip tubing such as that made by Netafim. This handy poly tubing has built in, uniform flow rate emitters at even spacings. It's manufactured in 12", 18" and 24" typically. 12" or 18" are likely good spacings for vegetables. The tubing is also available with various flow rates. Choosing a low flow rate (0.6 GPH or less) would likely be best in your situation as this would allow the water to be delivered more slowly with more time for the water to be absorbed. Alternatively you could modify you soil to be more absorbent but good drainage in a raised bed is often very welcome so I'd suggest trying the low flow drip tubing. Good luck with it.