Irrigation Systems

[vltaber]

I have been gardening on and off for years but have never found a really good irrigation system. I have some crops in blocks (lettuce, flowers) and some in hills (tomatoes, squash) but few in tidy rows that work well with soaker hoses. I am mostly overhead watering but I need something better. What are you using?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Well the beauty of a system is that it has many different parts.

One great, somewhat easy and very versatile system is a pvc pipe system that has different attachments/sprinkler heads for different situations. You can easily attach drip irrigation hoses to standard 1/2 or 3/4 inch pipe or a variety of sprinkler, bubbler or flood heads at different heights to achieve a desired affect. You can also extend your area this way by taking water to areas that normally don't get attention.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I'm already starting to worry about the watering situation for this summer. Last year I did waaaaay too much hand watering. It was not fun. :/

I found a pretty good summary of irrigation techniques here .

I had heard that drip tape irrigation is very efficient and had it recommended to me, but from the website that I linked I found out that if you have iron in your water, iron oxide can quickly clog the holes. Also the tape seems to require straight rows, which I will have nothing to do with (I think it makes gardening boring).

It looks like I will have to go with a more traditional drip system. Has anyone installed a drip irrigation system in their veggie beds? I've only used soaker hoses on landscaping before. How adaptable is a drip irrigation system to crop rotation? Would soaker hoses be a better idea?

 

[momofdrew]

I'm already starting to worry about the watering situation for this summer. Last year I did waaaaay too much hand watering. It was not fun. :/

I found a pretty good summary of irrigation techniques here .

I had heard that drip tape irrigation is very efficient and had it recommended to me, but from the website that I linked I found out that if you have iron in your water, iron oxide can quickly clog the holes. Also the tape seems to require straight rows, which I will have nothing to do with (I think it makes gardening boring).

It looks like I will have to go with a more traditional drip system. Has anyone installed a drip irrigation system in their veggie beds? I've only used soaker hoses on landscaping before. How adaptable is a drip irrigation system to crop rotation? Would soaker hoses be a better idea?

soaker hoses can roam around & they dont have to be in straight lines

 

[vfem]

Here's a good site to show you steps you may need to take for a simple drip system.

http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Drip-Irrigation.htm

We're going to try to do this system similar to one we saw here, next year though... we have to build the shed out in the yard for a good roof to catch our water for us.

 

[Texan]

Here's a good site to show you steps you may need to take for a simple drip system.

http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Drip-Irrigation.htm

We're going to try to do this system similar to one we saw here, next year though... we have to build the shed out in the yard for a good roof to catch our water for us.

That is a good idea about catching the water. We are on a couple of wells out here so every morning and evening when I water the well runs the whole time. I am going to have to look into that.

I can see me getting into something like this too.

 

[beak]

I've used that system in the picture for a couple years. The problem I had last year was that a couple of the solenoids went out and some rows went without water for a few days.

This year I'm going to use PVC pipe with solenoids like a regular lawn system uses. I can put 4 soaker hoses on each solenoid. I do pant in straight rows. know it's boring but it's so much more efficient. I'll put it on a 10 zone timer.

 

[HarlansHollowAussies]

Has anyone used the Mr. Soaker Hose brand, it looks like from the website, you can run it almost anywhere and utilise pvc pipe in between where you accually need the hoses.

 

[wifezilla]

I am using a soaker hose in the front. In the back, the lawn sprinkler gets my garden beds.