Drip irrigation is a great way to water your garden without an outside tap, as it involves setting up a system of tubes and emitters that deliver water directly to the roots of your plants. There are two types of drip irrigation: subsurface watering and underground irrigation.
To keep potted plants happy and hydrated, use drip irrigation kits, water storage pots, smart watering systems, or even watering cones. Soaker hoses, bubbler systems, and drip irrigation are three great ways to ensure that water is delivered where you want it when and how you want it, especially when you’re away for a week or two.
Deep root irrigation has become increasingly important due to drought in places like California, which has seriously impacted water usage. Water established trees and shrubs with overhead sprinklers, applying a deep watering over the entire root zone area until the top 6 to 9 inches of soil are moist. Avoid light watering as this promotes over or under-watering some plants. To provide adequate water to all plants without over or under-watering some, group those with similar irrigation needs in one zone (an area of the yard or a specific zone of the irrigation system) and adjust irrigation accordingly.
Mixed irrigation is the best way to achieve ultimate irrigation ease. Micro irrigation is the slow application of continuous drips, tiny streams, or miniature sprays of water above or below the plant. Spreading a layer of mulch over flower beds makes it easier for water to soak in.
Drip irrigation is beneficial for plants in desert environments and should run longer than sprinkler systems because they deliver water more slowly. Trees prefer infrequent deep watering, so watering the plants with a gentle stream for about an hour should slowly saturate the soil without creating puddles.
📹 Water Your Plants The EASY Way WITHOUT Drip Irrigation!
In this video, I share the easiest irrigation system you can possibly install: an all-in-one drip irrigation solution anyone can install in …
How to make a homemade water drip system?
To create drip irrigation for houseplants, drill a 1/8″ diameter hole in the lid of a plastic water bottle, fill it with water, tightly screw the lid on, dig a small hole in the plant’s soil, and insert the water bottle upside down in the hole. This DIY method is easy to follow and can be used to maintain or improve your home safely and effectively. Today’s Homeowner maintains strict editorial standards and carefully vets the advice and resources referenced in their articles. To learn more about their review process and earning money, click here.
How do you water plants without drainage?
To prevent the accumulation of excess moisture in the soil, it is recommended that water be applied only when necessary and that the soil be allowed to dry between applications. In the event that one wishes to plant in a pot that does not have drainage holes, it is recommended that the plant be kept in its original plastic nursery pot and then placed inside a decorative pot. Should one desire to disguise the presence of the plastic pot or achieve a more seamless appearance, the addition of a layer of moss may be a viable solution.
How do you improvise drip irrigation?
To create a slow drip watering system for plants, remove the label and clean a plastic bottle. Poke 5-8 holes in the cap with a nail, cut the bottom inch off, and dig a hole 4 to 6 inches away from the plant you want to water. Place the bottle in the hole, cap side down, and fill it with water.
A 2-liter bottle is the best for this process, but smaller ones can be used for smaller plants. Clean the bottle thoroughly with water and remove the label. This DIY drip irrigation system is a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution for those who don’t have time to water their plants frequently. Recycling plastic bottles is also a great way to support the environment.
How do you water hanging plants without dripping?
To prevent water from dripping from indoor hanging plants, it is recommended to water from the top, use drip trays, and utilize a diaper to impede drainage and prolong the retention of moisture, thereby necessitating less frequent watering.
What is the best way to water a row of bushes?
Drip irrigation is an efficient method for covering large areas and delivering water precisely where it needs to go. It is crucial to water trees and shrubs in the fall to ensure quick plant establishment and survival. The key is to provide the necessary amount of water at a gentle flow rate, preventing soil erosion around the roots and washing away valuable topsoil, compost, or mulch. Heavy, stiff streams of water can erode the soil around the roots and deliver too much water too quickly, causing the soil to wash away, making drip irrigation not the right way to water plants.
How to stop hanging baskets from dripping?
To create a beautiful hanging basket, consider using a liner, such as moss or coir or fiber, which can help reduce drying out and prevent waterlogging. Line the inside with polythene or a plant saucer to prevent waterlogging. Solid plastic hanging pots and Easy-Fills do not require a liner.
A good multi-purpose or potting compost is ideal, but John Innes composts can be too heavy and strain on brackets. Container and Basket Compost is a multi-purpose product with water-retention gel and long-term, controlled-release feed, which can be added before filling the basket. Richard’s Container Magic contains three ingredients that improve plants growing in baskets: water-storing crystals, controlled-release booster plant food, and mycorrhizal fungi.
Plants are another important factor to consider when creating a hanging basket. Mixing various plants in a kaleidoscope of colors can look good, but sticking to a few or even one type of plant and a limited range of or single color can look better. There is no “magic” number for plant usage, but it depends on the style of basket and the type(s) of plants used.
For example, a person might plant up to nine plants in the sides of the basket and as many as can fit into the top. The more plants planted, the sooner the basket starts to look good, but they will need more feeding and watering in summer. Using fewer plants takes a bit longer for the basket to look full.
What is the best alternative to drip irrigation?
Drip tape is a lightweight, easy-to-use product suitable for row crops and raised beds, and is easy to attach to a garden spigot. It is suitable for small gardens and is a good alternative when drip irrigation is not possible. Irrigation systems are designed to distribute water uniformly and only when needed, applying water where roots can use it. There are various devices for watering, including watering cans, hose end sprayers, sprinklers, soaker hoses, and drip lines. Hand watering is essential, especially for small areas and containers. Shutoff nozzles with variable spray patterns can reduce wasted water and provide quick, easy moisture to specific plants.
Can you overwater a bush?
Over-watering can lead to root death, slow growth, yellowing leaves, leaf scorch, leaf burn, water-soaked spots, oedema, and root rot in plants. To prevent this, deep watering is recommended, allowing roots to reach deeper into the soil for cooler conditions. Watering should be done less frequently but for longer periods to promote healthier plants. Water-conserving drip emitters or soaker hoses can be used to conserve water, and adjustments should be made based on season, temperature, and rainfall. Overhead watering can also promote fungal disease. Additionally, ensure that leaking irrigation pipes or downspouts are not causing soil to become too wet.
How to make a self-watering device for plants?
A basic self-watering system can be created using a water bottle by cutting the bottom off and poking a hole in the cap with a skewer. The inverted bottle can be added to a pot or planter, and filled with water as needed. For more elaborate projects, a standard wooden box can be constructed, and a full patio planter can be built. To add self-watering capabilities, drain pipes need to be added. To customize the planter, use water bottles and string. Place one end of the string into the planter, covering it with dirt, and the other end into a filled bottle or jar. The water should travel from the bottle into the planter.
How to water plants while away for 2 weeks in the UK?
Watering plants with bottles is a popular method for watering plants while away, with PET bottles being common and glass bottles being more environmentally friendly. If you can’t find neighbors or friends to water your plants, there are various watering systems available for indoor plants, balconies, and flower beds. Some of these systems include watering plants with bottles, string, bathtub watering, hydroponics, and outdoor watering.
By following these tips, you can prevent stress and ensure your plants are well-watered during your absence. Additionally, consider using hydroponics for watering plants while away, as it doesn’t leave microplastics in the soil.
📹 Do These Drip Irrigation Tips And NEVER Water Your Garden Again!
Are you tired of spending hours watering your garden? Automating watering with drip irrigation is the solution, but setup can be …
If you enjoyed this article, please “Like” and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for perusal 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Why Drip Irrigation Is Better Than Overhead Watering 2:53 Tip #1: System Pressure Regulation 4:14 Tip #2: Dripper Flow Rates 6:39 Tip #3: Installing Shut-off Valves 9:16 Tip #4: Fertilizing Through Drip Lines 13:20 Adventures With Dale
I’ve never considered watering a “waste of time”. In fact visiting my garden is my therapy. With that being said, I absolutely love my drip irrigation. It has been a huge time saver and a garden saver for when I’m gone. For that alone I’ll never go back to manual watering. I get to spend more time inspecting and enjoying the garden.
So, what are you doing on Saturday? You are cordially invited to my much smaller backyard to help me revamp my not-so-great irrigation system. Room & board provided! This is a great article tutorial. If you & yours are a no-show on Saturday, I will be implementing your tips to better irrigate my garden beds. Thank you for consistently providing valuable content in a concise & engaging manner.
I got a summer job working in Irrigation this year, mostly doing lawns but I have done a few drip systems. The fixed rate drip nozzles are the way to go. One greenhouse system I installed, the client wanted something very similar to those adjustable drip nozzles you showed. (They were like mini fountains, spraying a 360 around themselves rather than the small spider leg streams of water) We had to go back a week later and swap them out. They had the system running for 15 minutes per day and completely flooded everything. Simple is best.
I’ve found that drip irrigation for container gardens is a no-brainer, must-do. For my in-ground beds I find it more trouble than it’s worth for my rain climate, and I like the ritual/observation of watering the in-ground plants and paying attention to weekly rainfall. I notice a lot of things when I water.
Excellent tips on drip irrigation. I installed mine three years ago on my four raised bed garden, and it was the best thing I ever did. Really helps with the time-consuming watering chore as mentioned in the article. If you have a raised bed system, definitely consider drip irrigation to help you make a more consistent and fruitful. Well, done article!
Another great article… I have a trick for you today… I noticed in your cucumber article that you use those small plastic rings… I have a great tip for a way to use them… now is the time of year when my tomato plants are getting so big that they are falling over… they are vines, after all, and are not supposed to keep growing straight up… and I have them uppotted into trays of 6, from the trays of 12 that I use for seed starting… I gather all 6 of my tomato plants in the tray, and gently lock a ring around all 6 plants at once, a little better than halfway up the plants… they now stand straight and tall and makes them so much easier to move around and water and such… and its almost time to start hardening them off and I think this will even hold against a gentle breeze… it worked so well that I surprised myself, and I think it will surprise you too… those young tomato plants are so delicate and so sticky that this saves me so much time pulling them apart…
OMG! YOU’RE A LIFE SAFER! THANK YOU!!! 😅 I’ve watched some of your installation articles before and I FINALLY decided to just go for it and started by going to the sprinkler store and just buying some basic odds and ends (I wouldn’t have had a clue where to start if I hadn’t watched your other articles). Now I at least have SOMETHING going and trying to think through everything a bit more. If I could’ve watched this article like 2 days ago, I could’ve avoided a few mistakes (I have like 50 adjustable drip heads I’ll be changing out). The biggest help for me today is having links to all the equipment AND how to add FERTILIZER the system! I just can’t find the time to get to all of my plants otherwise. Now I need a fast hack on how to quickly add BONE MEAL to all my fruiting plants and trees! Especially after you recommend applying every other week… 😓
Just want to say thanks because you may be saving me a load of time, money, and effort. I was planning some wicking beds in a 50×50 sq/ft garden I’m currently building, but at the price per bed it was extremely costly. I unfortunately fell for the “don’t” in your article. not only are they finicky, but the setup process was multiple days for a 10×20 sq/ft greenhouse. not because of a complicated process, but because after a while my hands just couldn’t forced the small tube onto the barb fittings anymore (I’m 32 and live in South Jersey by the way). Long story short, this article got me rethinking my plans moving forward and I thank you for this. P.S. Your article on the trash can composter also got me thinking about easier ways of composting…… Because turning compost sucks the fun out of the grand scheme of “gardening”.
Dale’s like, what just happened? I’ve not done drip irrigation yet as it seems intimidating and complicated. Thanks again for another informative article I may need to watch a few times, then check out the sites you mentioned for supplies. Saving time and water more efficiently in my garden will give me more time for other things, so it makes sense.
Your garden looks so nice!! I love your vids❤ I would like for you to share with your viewers how to design the garden from scratch! Such as the 4 by 4 or 6 by 6 post and how you install if by your self, or the landscape cloth, did you kill off the grass first or how did you do it? I may have to look more into your older articles, don’t mean to over step!! Thanks for all your tips!! ❤
Thank you for the great article . I just setup my irrigation . I am using the 1/4 inch tubing 6 in emitter spacing mostly for hydrangea and roses in containers . The emmiter is 1/2 gallon per hour . I have tried to do loop in most container . I am now stuck figuring out how long to run the irrigation everyday . Can you please help with that
I have been watering by hand for over 15 years now because I never had more than a dozen trees/plants. Now that I upped my game to over 50, the heat makes it unbearable to be outside that long, so I finally invested in an irrigation system that I am setting up this weekend, yay! I have several questions please… 1. For the fertilizer attachment, can you leave that on all season long? Does it affect anything when it’s empty? 2. I fertilize once a week by hand, should I continue to do that with the attachment, or do you suggest fertilizing daily at a diluted ratio? 3. Speaking of ratios, how do you determine how much fertilizer to use? Because with a drip system, it’s adding some water, but how do you calculate how much, based on the type of emitter used?
Nice hearing practical words saving us some trial and error. Water pressure in the system is so key. If you live urban, find out what the pressure from the street is for your system. We really like fish emulsion fertilizer, available anywhere. Fertilizer always is good but don’t over do it. Use a valve on that in line fertilizer accessory. My helpful tip is to use goof plugs/or a mentioned a line valve to stop watering empty space or using too much fertilizer.
Drip Depot has excellent kits. We haven’t set ours up yet, but hoping to start next weekend. Bought ours 2 weeks ago after perusal your previous articles. Cannot wait to get everything all set up. Edit: Kit came 2 days after ordering (live relatively close to company). The hold up on putting it together was due to our busy schedule.
Great article “Dude”! Drip is the only way to go when grow bag gardening in the warm sunshine of zone 9b here in South Silicon Valley. I use the 360 adjustable spray heads on stakes from Rain Bird or Orbit. I can regulate them very easily and I have never had a blow out because they are on 1/4″ tubing . I have mobility issues and so drip makes even more sense. Set it and forget it (or nearly so) and it is miserly with water. Even though we here are technically out of the drought, one really wet winter doesn’t cure all the water ills, so best not waste it.
QUESTION: for those of us living where the garden freezes during winter…. I assume the all the black irrigation system items will freeze and break. Is there a simple way to disassemble and re-assemble? A article on how to do that efficiently would be helpful. Or do we use air pressure to evacuate all the pipes???
Love your articles and looking forward to not murdering my plants this year. With a 4 way split watering timer: should there be one pressure limiter going into the timer/splitter, or does each nozzle leaving the timer/splitter need one? I’m worried about a lack of pressure if I do the regulator before the splitter – some of my plants are hanging and the hose will need to fight gravity to get up there. Thanks and keep ’em coming!
Thanks for the great gardening tips. I have a question… I understand that the drip heads are rated at 1/2 gph, 1 gph, etc. and I understand that I can determine how much water each type of plant gets by limiting the time my system stays on. What I don’t know is how much water is needed per day for each of my plants. How do I find this information? Thanks.
I’m glad you and Dale are okay! Must have been a bit of a scarey moment seeing that gator come out of the water like that! Thanks for the info about the drip irrigation. As a new gardener we have very basic drip irrigation installed but I wasn’t happy with it at all last year so we are chaning from drip tape to drip tubing. Love the fact that you installed the knobs in each bed to turn each one on or off as you need. That’s a good idea. We just have zones set up with three beds on one zone. We are putting in additional beds this year and that will make our zones much more complicated. I will have my husband watch this and hopefully he will get some ideas!
Hey Anthony, have you considered making a fig tree with many different varieties grafted onto it? I think it would be a very interesting article or series. I’ve personally started grafting multiple varieties onto one tree. They are MBVS, Figo Preto, Yellow Long Neck, White Madeira, Martinenca Rimada, and Paratjal Rimada. I think there’s something extremely aesthetically pleasing about seeing the contrast between black, yellow, green, red, and stripes. Looking forward to any updates on the fig breeding project!
Last year was my first garden. I made the mistake of buying those adjustable ones. I turned them on for the first time this year and half of the red tips broke off and water spirts were everywhere! Now, I’m going to buy the ones you said. Also, I was wondering if I can use the 1/4 in tubing with the 1/2 in I’ve been using? I know I’ll need goof plugs
Hi, I just found this amazing article and subscribed right away. Can’t wait to start perusal more. This is my first time putting this in the garden. My question is about TIP # 1…. I have 8 Rubbermaid bins of Red Wigglers, I use lots of castings, and make lots of Teas, use lots of water in the summer. I’m excited to be using this drip irrigation this summer . I put a RV Water Filter on the hose faucet. Then screw the hose onto the Filter. I need the chlorine and everything else out of the water, to keep castings alive. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. lol Do you think the Filter will slow the water down enough so nothing starts popping off. OR Will I still need a Pressure Regulator ? My plan is putting a splitter at the end of the garden hose to run 2, 50′ straight lengths of 1/2″ hose, then the 1/4″ tubing running off the hose with drips, Adjustable Drips 😕to the plants. Now I’m going to bin watch some of your articles ☺ ☺ Cheers from Toronto Canada
I enjoy watering but once summer comes and it’s over 100 degrees and you have to water twice a day, it stops being fun. I would really like to try and get some drip irrigation lines set up. I still would have to do some supplemental watering when its really hot but overall it would really cut back on watering. Also, that fertilizer system is really cool. When its not hot I dont mind watering and fertilizing by hand, I have plenty of time so if it takes awhile its not a big deal, in fact I rather enjoy it. But its just those hot summer days where its in the 90s or even 105 or higher, that’s when I know i’m going to want to have this set up.
Drip irrigation. It seems that people either love it or hate it. I set up a basic drip system back in the day and loved it. These days in the community garden we have our veggies in shallow trenches and slowly fill the trenches. Perhaps a hybrid approach between drip and overhead. Spot on about disease from overhead watering, although that is mostly done early in the morning by blowing dew over the plants and in the evening putting them to bed wet. If schedules allow, which often they do not, I try to water overhead in the heat of the day to avoid these disease issues, and it helps to cool the plants too. Watering is harder than many think though as there is often a narrow band between not watering enough and overwatering.
My friend! Help me out! I’m going to do this thing. I’ve had enough of 2 hour a day watering. I’m looking at the kits. I feel like using the kits first will boost my confidence to get it done, but I’m sure the individual components are cheaper. I’m seeing different set ups for containers versus in ground or raised beds. Do you think if I knock out my containers with kits I’d be able to figure out the other areas of my garden using individual materials, or should I get some raised bed kits, too? Is there a big difference in how they’re set up? Oh, I hope you see and respond to my comment. (I’m scared, lol.)
Since I try to limit paid city water, I have ~17 rain barrels and have been watering using a watering can or a bucket for a number of years. To my dismay, I have spent most of my time in the garden watering. Physical limitations have finally gotten me off my butt and planning my drip system. Because of the locations of the barrels and the topography of the yard, I’m going to have to invest in a couple of sump pumps and work on daisy chaining the barrels together. Gonna be an interesting summer.
Thanks for the links. You make setting up irrigation sound easy. Can you tell me where you got the small white hoop over the bed in background @1:56? I LOVE that set up, and hope you will share where you got it. BTW, Love your tapes. Water pressure on wells is a real issue, thanks for touching on flow rates and low pressure at the end of the line. QUESTION: Do you pack up all those hoses in winter or leave them out? Also I have a tip for fertilzer. I use a small submersible pump in the barrels and time each bed so they all get the same amt. (saves time without risk of contaminating your watering system) The fertilizing system you have seems complicated. Thanks for the article (liked and subs)
Just got done moving everything inside as we are expecting frost up here near Raleigh, hopefully the last of the season! Was just thinking that it may soon be time to setup drip irrigation and up shows this article! Will probably see how painful this summer is and maybe over winter work on getting it setup for next season.
I am just getting back into gardening… I love this automated gardening… Thinking of starting to finally setup a RWH system, and gravity feed to containers this year… then build more gardens next year… love your setup! I am curious, can I put an inline RV filter from the house water line? I would like to cut down on the chlorine going into soil… where would you recommend putting it… after the the backflow preventer or after the pressure reducer, before the Y joint for barrel/house junction? TIA… love the tips…
I recently planted potatoes in bags as shown in one of your other articles. Do you water those through drip irrigation as well, or do you just water with the hose/watering can? Thanks so much for these articles/tutorials! I watch all your articles and search through them every time I have a question! You are so greatly appreciated!
I saw that you buried the water supply’s main line from house to garden but the rest looks still exposed to the sun. I thought you would had buried or at least munched all those lines before running water to your plants. I would had thought the Sun beating down on them would cause the water to get warm if not hot before reaching the further plants, as well as the raised zone that runs off the ground. If those supply lines can handle the NC sun (96 degrees are I type this) and not have the water get boiled before exiting the Drippers, and I don’t have to bury a ton of lines underground, I’m all in on drip. I would think I would only be able to drip in the early cooler AM, or have to pre-drain and refill the lines with fresh cooler water if I was to turn it on in the middle of the day. I’m curious how long and what time you are running these? 24/7? I have a 300 gallon rain barrel and can barely keep water in it to hand water a fairly small garden with this draught in my area. Love your articles, especially since I’m just west of you in Lake Norman, NC.
Hello neighbor… I just bought a townhome in Little River, SC (how far away are you?) and I’m in the process of building and designing my garden. Because of the lack of space and reduced sunlight this is becoming quite a chore. Since you are in this same general area of zone 8a, I figured you could give me some advise on crop choice. Crops that will do well in this area in dapple shade. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Greetings Garden Yoda! LOVE your articles! DH Bobby has been doing drip irrigation for several years and has gotten new ideas from this one. We have also started to cover everything in weed cover due to excessive amounts of ground ivy and bindweed (the latter ties the whole garden in knots) and purchased MANY garden bags. We are old (Bobby 78 in 2 weeks, me 72 in July) so simplifiying garden is a must and you have been tremendously helpful. We do have a major problem that we are hoping you have some suggestions for. We live in southern CO, 11 miles from NM border, eastern side of the Rockies, 8,000+ ft altitude and our last frost is anywhere from end of March to 1st week in June, first frost ranging from mid-Sept – late Oct with little warning on either end. We are also usually in drought conditions with high winds. We tried greenhouses – heavy snow caved in one roof and wind beat one up even though they were round. Any ideas on how to time plantings? We are both from the east coast (been in CO 20+ yrs now), gardening all our lives and this climate is very discouraging – in VT you drop a seed and stand back LOL. Thank you for your informative and amusing articles. Hugs to you & Dale from me (Lory), Bob, and Hooch!
I noticed a visual difference in what the emitters seemed to be putting out (head end vs tail end), so I wanted to verify my drip system. How I did it: I got a homer bucket and used a sharpie to mark off the levels for each gallon (1 through 5). Then I let a drip emitter run into the bucket for an hour to see what they were actually emitting for my water-pressure, line lengths and layout. I did it twice for the first emitter in the system and the last. So after running the bucket test, I then knew with confidence what my system could put out and I adjust my timer accordingly. Caveat — if you have hard water and/or are injecting water soluble fert, you can expect to get a mineral buildup over time that can impact your flow rates and it could be a random selection of emitters that show a slow down. That is not an issue that should steer you away from drip irrigation, but is something to just be aware of and monitor. Drip irrigation is relatively *cheap* so, when you buy emitters and line, just buy some extra to have on hand.
Question about pressure regulators. Will they increase pressure also? We’re on a well. The well sits at least 40 feet below where our garden will be and our pump, currently, is only 3/4 horse. So, not much pressure. Beyond replumbing with a higher horse pump, fairly low pressure is what we have. We don’t even have enough pressure to make the massaging shower head work. Thoughts? We also live in the PNW and usually get a lot of rain. Drought for the last couple of years, but we’re catching up. We could easily have several rain barrels to capture the water. I’m not sure how to calculate how much water we would need during the dry months to gauge what size barrels we’d need. Rains a lot in the spring, and then totally dries out end of July to beginning of September (that window is getting longer with climate change). Almost no rain in August, so we’d be working off of the well …and last year it was so dry neighbors had to call well diggers to deepen them because they’d run dry. Conserving toilet water and all other water from mid July through almost the end of September. That’s not right for where we live, but it’s been the norm for the last 4-5 years. Ideas?
My drip irrigation uses well water that wreaks havoc on the fittings. most of my 12×4 bed is soaker hose buried about 2 in down. I always know when they get clogged and need to be replaced. All the containers still get watered by hand because all the pots are different sizes and plants have different water requirements. I’m curious to know how you get that miracle grow in the box to dissolve well enough to run it through your rain barrels. I bought several boxes and while it’s great fertilizer it always leaves a pile undissolved in the bottom of the watering can.
Do you have a backflow preventer at the faucet ? I have the Mister Landscaper micro sprinkler system for my raised beds with a programmable timer. It a real time saver and so convenient. I don’t have to worry about being too busy with other matters and forgetting to water. And It can be so tedious sometimes.
I didn’t see the drippers in your amazon store. Most of the drippers I’m seeing have a pressure range of 15-50 psi (or 5-50 psi). If I’m at 1 or less psi will I still be able to get water to drip out? If so I’m sure it would affect flow rate, which would lead me to believe the higher gph flow rate dripper would be better. Also do you not use drip tape because of psi requirements? Was considering it but not sure the rain barrel water pressure would allow it to function.
Another great article, thanks for the content! I have a question for you. Can I run a main line(regular hose) out to my raised beds then add a splitter to 2 short lines to split between beds, and at the end of those short lines a pressure regulator to the drip lines? I’m sorry if that doesn’t make sense, I’m happy to send a picture if you want me to email 1. I have to figure out a vacation plan besides having my 74 yr old mom come and water everything. TIA
excellent articles .. I am learning a lot.. THANKS … question i am in NASSAU COUNTY NY and am gonna order drip depot … winter time can i leave all the stuff i install outside or do i have to take it down and put it back up after last frost .. I have about a 50 -75 5 gallon container garden and getting bigger with grow bags hopefully . Your knowledge is much appreciated .
I have the same fertilizer injector you show in your article, but I don’t know how to calculate the amount of fertilizer to add so that I’m not under or over-fertilizing my container garden plants. Do you have a formula for figuring that out? I’m boggled by this, so I just end up mixing up the fertilizer in a watering can and hand-watering. Kind of defeats the purpose, eh?!
This is genius, I just have to find out the parts and persuade my dad to help me install the drip irrigation system. This beats a hose and gives me lots of time for other things. Especially helpful for thirsty plants such as tomatoes! Edit: Please make a article on how to keep birds away from plants,they are the bane of my garden. The only way to keep them from eating seedlings is with nets, they eat seedlings as soon as they sprout
number one reason why people dont get drip irrigation installed is not knowing how it’s meant to be set up (regulator, mainline, driplines) and all the confusing parts at stores…where even if you had a drawing, they will not help you enough that you feel confident you’ll get all the right parts. i purchased a drip kit from USA and very happy with it, as it’s simple with driptape instead of a thousand parts. the other thing that made it possible for me, was when i got rid of raised beds, so have simple runs of driptape whole rows.
IN FACT, once your IRRG system is up and running you need to keep a steady eye on it as at first you need to determine if you have the water amount set right. Not too much. Not too little. THEN, you need to keep an eye on it for a hose to pop off its feed connection or a dripper to clog or your controller to get unplugged, WHATEVER, dont wait until your plants wilt before taking action as they may NEVER recover. !
completely ignorent of this. Can I run one line and run a row set up that turns into a container? I need to run hose all the way to the back of my little lot. to the ally where I have rasberries in a row and 4 tires planted in front of them with zucchini and tomato’s, rubarb. Have another row of tires to the side of my yard and later want to add some high raised beds. im horrible at watering though…. and fertilizing. I never know how much and forget to water. can I add a timer in and have it run its self?
How does the fertilizer taste in your drinking water? Tip: don’t use a fertigation system run through your garden hose unless you have a reduced pressure backflow preventer on the line you are irrigating from. Without one, you risk contaminating the water in your house with fertilizer. If you get a backflow, make sure it is stamped “LF” for lead free.
So glad I ran across your article. I purchased a system last year and was about to lay it out and connect. Valuable info about a shut off valve for different beds. It is definitely an Ah-ha moment and I will be adding shut off valves to my vegetable beds. Also great explanation on different emitters. I’m a newbie to drip and your info explains so well. I enjoy hand watering as well, but don’t have the time. I find that watering would exhaust the time I have leaving no time for planting or caring. I also like to travel So a drip makes a lot of sense. No one else will water my plants the way I do.
I don’t know if you take into account that a lot of gardening is conducted by women at home or amateurs I should say. Not all of us know how to just rig up an irrigation system if they don’t already have one you know what I mean? For instance I have an irrigation system you could maybe tell people how they could use their standing irrigation system to this application or if it isn’t doable but to just assume everybody is able to afford all of this stuff is insane
Drip irrigation is a pain in the neck. You need the tubing, connectors, a pressure regulator, a filter, shut offs etc. Different company’s sell different parts. The tiny drip holes can clog and the next year the configuration of the system does not fit the new garden. I just use drips hoses. I run the hoses around the plants and I am done. The hoses come in 25, 50 and 100 foot lengths. Your comments that spraying a garden causes disease etc. is complete nonsense. Rain would do the same thing. I’ve lived through many periods of severe downpours when the garden plants were covered with particles of soil. None of the plants were ever harmed. As a matter of fact once the sun cam out the plants thrived.
Why does every generation think they have the answer for watering, and it always comes back to the original ways with new material. Drip has been around since i was a kid in the 70s, mandatory in California since the mid 80s, now millennials think they solved it and what i know about millennials they haven’t solved anything just rebranded it. My other favorite thing about you tube experts, is this country is big and diverse and how you water is in no way like we do it in the 2nd driest state. Plus our water is so hard it comes out in bricks and destroys anything not made for it. Plus our water for outdoor watering is secondary straight from a lake, and is toxic to animals and kids and all sprinkler lines have to be black and all connections have to be rated for dirty water, drippers last about 3 weeks and then are trash. So yeah you stuff works in a humid clean water area, in mine drip is very hard, and as much maintenance as holding a hose. Yes we use rain water but it only rains from Feb to May so my six barrels if not cracked from high freeze winters last me until next week June 15th. I grew up in a landscape family grandfather on down to when i ran away to college after my heat stroke, i know landscape and plants.