I am absolutely loving having a garden. I usually spend the last part of my day, down in the garden watering everything.
However, the problem with this method is that it depends on my being in town to water every day. Also, it dispenses a large amount of water over a short duration of time. Which means that it typically pools at the base of the plant and then runs off away from it.
So instead, I have now installed a drip irrigation system that dispenses a large quantity of water but over a long duration of time. Mine runs for one hour.
This way of watering allows water to be absorbed down deep into the soil, which motivates the plant to establish deeper roots to reach the water. It’s also a far more efficient way to use water.
Let me give you an overview of my system, and then I’ll show you how I installed it.
Things I Used in This Project:
- ISOtunes Ear Protection: http://amzn.to/2pEjNtv
- Drip Irrigation Kit: https://amzn.to/2TwE1mX
- Hose Splitter: https://amzn.to/2ZtlxaJ
- Irrigation Filter: https://amzn.to/3gdE54I
- Water Regulator: https://amzn.to/2TueTxh
- Teflon Tape: https://amzn.to/2XjOYtf
- Irrigation Tubing Hole Punch: https://amzn.to/2WWlulW
My watering source is my Rain Water Collection Tank. Then there is a pump that pumps the water back uphill to my spigot.
From here I filter and reduce the pressure of the water and then direct it to the beds in the solid tubing. This runs along the back of every bed.
From there, a piece of solid tubing runs down the middle where a few links of drip hose are plugged into it.
This hose is smaller in diameter and has spaced out perforations that will allow water to drip out of it when the system is turned on.
You can find a kit with these hoses and fittings HERE. Now let’s get into how to put it together.
Starting with the spigot, let me give you a breakdown. I have a splitter because I still want the ability to be able to walk up to the spigot and be able to turn it on.
Then there is the filter to filter out sediment. There is also a timing device to tell the water when to kick on. A regulator, which reduces the pressure of the water down to 25 PSI. And then also a splitter, which directs the water left and right.
Once you decide how you want your system to look, take it all apart and apply a few layers of teflon tape to each of the threads to help prevent leaks.
Next I’m going to run the main water supply line through the back of each bed. I drilled a hole through the back of each planter, which will feed the main supply lines to each bed.
At the center of each bed, there will be a T fitting, which will direct water down the center of the bed to drip fillings to dispense the water.
This is a valve that will allow me to turn the water off to a particular bed if I dont have anything planted at that time to water.
The drip hose has holes punctured through it to allow water to escape out of it. On one end, we’ll put a valve, which will go into the main water supply line. The other end will receive an end cap.
So let’s punch some holes in the main water line to connect the two components. This little guy punches holes in the side for the drip system.
You can place the drip lines at the spacing you like. I made all of mine the same and placed them with 4 per bed.
Now you can take the drip irrigations lines and place them into the holes that we made in the main irrigation line.
The drip hose can now be staked down into place. There are plastic holders you can buy – and I did actually. But after I ran out, I grabbed bailing wire and made my own by rounding over the top and sticking it into the ground.
I positioned the drip hoses so that the outlets were closest to my plants. Also, don’t push them all the way to the ground. Keep them standing up just a bit so the holes are less likely to get dirty and clogged.
Once the entire system is in place, the last thing is to turn it on and check for leaks. Water should only come out of the perforations of the drip hose.
Your climate and what you are growing should determine how long you should let you system run. I have mine set to run for one hour at 4 am every day. Now that it is summer, I might have to run it a second time.
It’s so cool how well this system works. My garden is just looking fabulous. So if this is on your to-do list, it’s actually a very quick and easy process.
If you’d like to see how I built these gardens, check out these links:
- Walk In Garden project: https://wilkerdos.com/2020/02/enclosed-walk-in-garden-with-raised-beds/
- Plans: http://bit.ly/3b3msSu
- Center Raised Beds here: https://wilkerdos.com/2020/04/diy-raised-garden-beds/
- Free Plans: https://bit.ly/2VXNXX8
Thanks for watching! I’ll see you on my next project.
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(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me in this way.)
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