water Show off your Drip Irrigation systems!

Scuba_Steve

Scuba_Steve

I was going to post this in another drip irrigation post floating around, but figured it would be a better resource on its own.
 
So post pics of your drip systems so others can possibly copy your ideas, or learn from your mistakes!
 
Here is mine...
 
I start with this from Home Depot.
HD_irrigation_system.jpg

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rain-Bird-All-in-One-Gardener-s-Drip-Kit-GRDNERKTS/202078371?N=5yc1vZc5ss
 
Dug a trench from my faucet to my raised beds and ran solid main line tubing.
 

Trench.jpg

 
Then I used the main line tubing with holes in it to make a bottom watering grid.  I have a second one of these in the other bed, just not pictured.
 
Bottom_Irrigation.jpg

 
I attached this to this grid as well to hook my above ground system to.

Riser_Manifold.jpg

 
I then filled my beds full of dirt, and made sure the bottom system was lifted up inside the dirt a few inches.
 
I then ran a grid of 1/4" tubing above ground.  I poked a ton of holes using a thumb tack.  Again, I did the same on the second bed.
Bed_Irrigation.jpg

 
To automate the whole thing I installed a 4 output timer.  I have a near identical system on more sets of beds that belong to my wife's veggies.  That is where the other 2 hoses are going.
Timer.jpg

 
Also on one of the other veggie channels I installed a drip line to all my growing bags.
Bags_Irrigation.jpg
 
Here's my set up:
 
 
 
This is the incoming connection, in order from top to bottom is the hose, in line timer (set it to water 3x a week 3 hours each time), then a backflow stopper, 25 PSI reducer, then the last white part is the inline portion of my fertilizer injector. It uses water pressure differential to inject my ferts at a 1% solution from a 2.5 gallon reservoir.
IMG_8380-vi.jpg

 
Here's the hose. On the left is to the part above, and has an in-line particulate filter. I've since also added a clorine/chloramine filter since I use city water.
IMG_8381-vi.jpg

 
 
Here's a pair of the drip lines (row in the center is various 7Pots, and next to it on the right is Bhuts. Each red dot is a 0.5 GPH dripper.
IMG_8468-vi.jpg

 
 
And here's all 4 rows...
IMG_8471-vi.jpg
 
Awesome!
 
I had read about those inline fertilizer injectors and they definitely perked my interest.
 
How long/often do you run your system?
 
How long does the 2.5g reservoir last?
 
I run my system 3 times a week for 3 hours each time (so 9 hours a week, which is necessary given the south Florida heat). On average, the stuff I put in the reservoir lasts me about a month with the Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed fert, slightly shorter with my current fert, which is MUCH less expensive. (a 5 gallon bucket of the Neptunes runs about $150 and lasts two months, given I have to fill it up twice) but with the dry fert I use now, a single bag lasts ~2 weeks. So 4 bags at a little over $60, vs $150 for the bucket. The dry fert is 27-10-40 and has Calcium Nitrate & Epsom salt already included (along with a bunch of other micronutrients), but the Neptunes, I had to add cal-mag or epsom salt.

And here's a link to the in-line fertilizer injectors I use. For some reason, the one with the 2 gallon reservoir (actually 2.5 gallons) is cheaper than the 1 gallon reservoir: http://www.dripirrigation.com/drip_irrigation_parts/1230
 
Pretty much our entire state is running on drip systems. :rolleyes:   About 7% of my job at work is maintaining just the irrigation to the 40 acres of property.  Probably the same at home between my yard and the garden.  I'll post some stuff later in the week here as far as what I use but happy to answer questions to others just starting down the drip road.
 
Off the top of my head...  Don't rely on soaker hose or the pre made drip hoses for a garden unless using RO water.  They both start to clog from mineral build on day one and after 2 months here on city water they are under 30% of original flow rates.  Better to run 1/2" line for main trunk and come of of it with 1/4" lines to each plant with a flag type head of 1gph flow.  If one clogs its easy to clear or replace, can't do that with soaker hose.  Can get improved results using a good water filter before the pressure reduction but its not huge.  Bury it ALL even if just a little.  The sun is brutal on the plastics here but critters love to chew on the parts that water comes out of magically.  My dogs love to dig my irrigation lines up, rabbits and other rodents will do the same.  Do not share the same timed system with veggies needing more water or you constantly walk the tight rope of just enough water for the tomatoes without drowning the peppers etc.

SadisticPeppers said:
And here's a link to the in-line fertilizer injectors I use. For some reason, the one with the 2 gallon reservoir (actually 2.5 gallons) is cheaper than the 1 gallon reservoir...
Click to expand...
Missed the link...
 
Nuclieye said:
Pretty much our entire state is running on drip systems. :rolleyes:   About 7% of my job at work is maintaining just the irrigation to the 40 acres of property.  Probably the same at home between my yard and the garden.  I'll post some stuff later in the week here as far as what I use but happy to answer questions to others just starting down the drip road.
 
Off the top of my head...  Don't rely on soaker hose or the pre made drip hoses for a garden unless using RO water.  They both start to clog from mineral build on day one and after 2 months here on city water they are under 30% of original flow rates.  Better to run 1/2" line for main trunk and come of of it with 1/4" lines to each plant with a flag type head of 1gph flow.  If one clogs its easy to clear or replace, can't do that with soaker hose.  Can get improved results using a good water filter before the pressure reduction but its not huge.  Bury it ALL even if just a little.  The sun is brutal on the plastics here but critters love to chew on the parts that water comes out of magically.  My dogs love to dig my irrigation lines up, rabbits and other rodents will do the same.  Do not share the same timed system with veggies needing more water or you constantly walk the tight rope of just enough water for the tomatoes without drowning the peppers etc.

Missed the link...
Click to expand...
I guess I have been lucky with rodents eating stuff.  My wife's garden has been up for 2 years and nothing has visibly touched it yet.
 
Also, in case this was pointed at me instead of just being general advise...  My watering system is setup so the tomato beds get watered much longer than the peppers.  Same days, but longer duration.  I have mine setup to water every other day btw.
 
Scuba_Steve said:
I guess I have been lucky with rodents eating stuff.  My wife's garden has been up for 2 years and nothing has visibly touched it yet.
 
Also, in case this was pointed at me
Click to expand...
 Wasn't aimed at you for anything...  Out here the ground squirrels, pack rats and kangaroo rats just love to chew it all up.
 
I don't have pics of my drip system per-say but took a few pics of the garden after I cleaned it up the other day. All 1/2 mainline with misc fittings along the way. 1/4 drip whips with 6-9" spacing, 1-2 gph drip immiters for other sections. Also runs to several mis sprinklers around the yard to flower beds and a few misters on my pergola. 
 
I had tied up all my smaller lines so I can till the beds, though I still caught the occasional one in the tiller and found a few the damn rabbit had chewed on. I got plenty of spare parts and tubing to fix what needs it. 
 

 

 
How it looked last spring
 

 
And toward the fall
 

 
 
Nuclieye said:
 

Missed the link...
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, edited the post just as you posted your reply up since I also realized I forgot the link
 
D3monic said:
I don't have pics of my drip system per-say but took a few pics of the garden after I cleaned it up the other day. All 1/2 mainline with misc fittings along the way. 1/4 drip whips with 6-9" spacing, 1-2 gph drip immiters for other sections. Also runs to several mis sprinklers around the yard to flower beds and a few misters on my pergola. 
Click to expand...
 
Great looking grow space/drip system!
 
Same question: How long/often do you run your system to your peppers? 
 
Scuba_Steve said:
I guess I have been lucky with rodents eating stuff.  My wife's garden has been up for 2 years and nothing has visibly touched it yet.
 
Also, in case this was pointed at me instead of just being general advise...  My watering system is setup so the tomato beds get watered much longer than the peppers.  Same days, but longer duration.  I have mine setup to water every other day btw.
Click to expand...
 
Not me, damn rabbits eat everything, they ate my blueberry... well everything that wasn't an evergreen down to nubs over the winter. They eat all the flowers we plant. quite annoying. I try to keep them out the yard but even with 2 dogs and me fixing all the holes they chew through the fence it barely deters them. I've killed a few but not enough to make a difference. We need more coyotes. 
 
D3monic said:
 
Not me, damn rabbits eat everything, they ate my blueberry... well everything that wasn't an evergreen down to nubs over the winter. They eat all the flowers we plant. quite annoying. I try to keep them out the yard but even with 2 dogs and me fixing all the holes they chew through the fence it barely deters them. I've killed a few but not enough to make a difference. We need more coyotes. 
Click to expand...
 
 
You're not alone. Had a hornworm infestation occur a ween or two after I took the photos above, and the 7pots got the worst of it :(
 
Scuba_Steve said:
 
Great looking grow space/drip system!
 
Same question: How long/often do you run your system to your peppers? 
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, I just built it all last year. Backyard was just mud and grass when we moved in. 
 
I overwatered last year . I ran 10 min morning and night. This year is going to be mostly peppers so I will reduce my watering regimen. Probably 10 min a day with flow reduced to pepper beds so they don't water log. The yards at an angle so the beds drain and dry easy. 
 
D3monic said:
 
Not me, damn rabbits eat everything, they ate my blueberry... well everything that wasn't an evergreen down to nubs over the winter. They eat all the flowers we plant. quite annoying. I try to keep them out the yard but even with 2 dogs and me fixing all the holes they chew through the fence it barely deters them. I've killed a few but not enough to make a difference. We need more coyotes. 
Click to expand...
Next time you kill a few, hang their carcasses on stakes around the garden!
 
Scuba_Steve said:
Next time you kill a few, hang their carcasses on stakes around the garden!
Click to expand...
 
lol the dogs would love that. I got rabbit fencing all around the veg garden now. Doesn't keep the voles out though. They was digging all over my raised beds last year. I trapped 12 in a single day before switching to poison pellets. I since realized that's a bad idea because they take them underground and die releasing those chems into the soil. This year it's going to be mouse traps again. I'm going to make a box frame and line it with rabbit fence to keep the birds and stuff out the traps this year. I tried one those live traps and the only thing it ever caught was a toad who desiccated and died. 
 
D3monic said:
 
lol the dogs would love that. I got rabbit fencing all around the veg garden now. Doesn't keep the voles out though. They was digging all over my raised beds last year. I trapped 12 in a single day before switching to poison pellets. I since realized that's a bad idea because they take them underground and die releasing those chems into the soil. This year it's going to be mouse traps again. I'm going to make a box frame and line it with rabbit fence to keep the birds and stuff out the traps this year. I tried one those live traps and the only thing it ever caught was a toad who desiccated and died. 
Click to expand...
Just spit-balling an idea here, and this would require you to dig up your whole garden...  Could you put chicken wire fencing under your beds?  You know, like line it like you would use weed fabric...
 
Wouldn't work, I already have heavy weed tarp down. The only thing the chicken wire would do is get caught up in my tiller. They had surface tunnels in all the beds. If they can't go under they will go over. The only damage they really did that was noticeable was the digging and fckrs kept chewing through my melon vines right before they was ready. I'm just going to keep up on the traps this year. i'm sure at some point they should all get killed off. 
 
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