Watering a garden

[Tigershark]

We planted a large garden about 100 yards away from our 1 acre pond. We have no other water source. the difference in height is about 5 ft where the pond is lower. I have a generator and was thinking about buying a harbor freight pump to pump water to the garden, carrying 5 gallons jugs stinks. Does anyone know if a 1/2 pump with a decent lift can pump through a garden hose 100 yards ? I have a Honda 2000eu generator so I could run a pump, I have a trash pump but think that is kind of overkill. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated . The pumps I am looking out do between 2-6k gallons per hour for the 1/3 to 1/2 hp. Pond is super clean so I don't think I would have to deal with much sediment

Thanks

 

[Gunny]

If you've got a trash pump, why not just get a couple of sprinkler heads and water with that?

They'll put out a lot more water and cover a larger area than a small hose pump and it won't take as long to get it watered in.

I'd also put a good strainer on the suction end of any pump you might wind up using.

 

[FlowRoll]

I am not sure how large your garden is but you could buy plastic barrels and connect them in parallel or you could buy a larger plastic tank and pump water into every so often with a trash pump or use a level gage and a small pump using solar power.

 

[Tigershark]

We went with a 1/3 hp pump from HF 4 100ft hoses and my wife is very happy she can water the entire garden except the corn. the garden is around 3/4 acre I told her to limit the watering to 3 times a week if it doesn't rain. Pump pumps 2000 gallons an hour so trying to limit how often we pump so we don't drain the pond down. We are in the process of building a second pond above the first one so it should feed into the existing one. once it is completed and filled we won't have any issues using the pump all the time.
I run the HF pump off my Honda EU2000

 

[boggen]

increase the hose / pipe diameter between pond and garden. from 1/2" up to 1" (inside diameter). that in itself with reduce pressure loss.

any sump pump, to trash pump will work, but if you are gong to use a trash pump. you need a larger diameter hoses. so crud does not get hung up inside the hoses. and at fittings. most trash pumps can pass X size solid. sump pumps on other hand tend to not handle moss, small fish, little rocks, and mud very well and will clog up quickly.

most sump pumps and trash pumps are not really rated for continuously running. and can and will over heat and spew oil out of them, or end up shocking you as electrical connections come un-done. while the pumps can run for some time. they are not made, to run non stop all day long most of the time. they are better suited for running a few minutes to half hour at a time, and then having an hour to cool off. then run again. (granted that may be extremes for some pumps, but trying to get notion across about utility rated pumps),

to note it 2 to 6K GPH (gallons per hour), seems like way to much pump. your talking a 2" maybe even a 3" pipe feeding them and coming off of them. your going to drown the garden. and i am going to guess the small generator may not even handle the pumps, as far as AMP ratings. i may be wrong. back it down to couple hundred gallons per hour. at say 40 PSI at around 10 to 20 feet of head of water. maybe up to 60 PSI. and you will more likely feel like you have a "garden hose" hooked up to the house water supply.

make sure you pay attention to AMP ratings, of the pumps. so you do not go over your generator max amps for 110v plug.

in order to get trash pump and/or suction hose out far enough into pond, so you are not sucking in weeds, fry/ small fish, and dirt. your going to need some sort of "float" trying to toss suction hose or trash pump onto end of rope and "fling, toss" it out into the pond, (shakes head no) just asking for clogged up pump with mud.

hard board insulation, to pvc pipe, to milk jugs, to old LP 5 gallon or smaller gas tanks, can be used as floats.

keep the end of pump or suction off the mud/ bottom by a couple feet if possible. if not any sort of sprinkler head will get clogged up quickly.

if you want to make a "custom" diy spray bar / sprinkler. take say a 1/2" to 1" pvc pipe, cut a V grove into a 2x4, and then clamp pipe into V notch, then use a drill press, to drill a row of holes, 1 or 2 rows, start with smaller size bit first and see what it like and if need be go with larger holes.

if you are pulling the pump in/out each time used. then some sort of telescoping pole helps. example a manual "pole saw" that reaches 30 to 40 feet up for cutting a branch, just take blade off, and use the pole to push/pull hose end in/out of pond.

if you are going to install hose for good, "block poly" pipe, is what i call it, comes in "rolls" 3 to 4 feet in diameter. most local hardware stores have it outside some place. tends to be cheaper. you could still use as a temporary hose above ground, it will want to coil up and lay ugly, if you leave it out in the sun un-rolled, it should heat up enough in a days time, to lay flatter.

 

[mapper]

I irrigate my garden with soaker hose down each row, it puts the water only where it's needed and tends to cut down on the weeds as well since the soil surface in the pathways stays dry. Most soaker hoses have a cap on the end so you can flush out the big trash, if your water has super fine particulates it could plug up the soaker hose.

 

[Tigershark]

my 1/3 hp HF pump is working great, 4 100 ft hoses and my wife is very happy, hopefully we will get some rain so I don't drain my pond but everything is good so far. I put the pump in a pool skimmer netting attached to a pole so it doesn't sit on the bottom, our pond is very clean and clear except when our labs go swimming. I estimate with the lift we pump 1500+ an hour so we try to limit watering to 2-3 times a week for an hour. Not enough pressure to run a sprinkler so she just walks around with the hose. It is all good
thanks for the advice

 

[sidemouse]

I told her to limit the watering to 3 times a week if it doesn't rain.

Duration (length of time) is way more important than frequency (how often).
Longer watering times gets more soil penetration.
The best way would be drip irrigation with a soaker hose, your system may not allow for that.

 

[DFB]

I would just do it with the trash pump. Seems redundant to use a generator to run an electric pump for water transfer.

I do this all the time. Get yourself a 300ft roll of black poly pipe cheap 1" will be ok 1- 1/4" be better but much more expensive. 2" thread reducers and the some barb to hose and pipe thread fittings. But its your investment.

As long as it just water transfer and your not trying to do sprinkler heads you can move water that distance easily its the head rise that is more important just like the suction lift is.

 

[Tractorable]

How about a wind turbine water pump? Free power and beautiful to look at. Ranchers have been doing it for over a century.

 

[RSKY]

Duration (length of time) is way more important than frequency (how often).
Longer watering times gets more soil penetration.
The best way would be drip irrigation with a soaker hose, your system may not allow for that.

I agree. I have a cheap timer I got at Sams Club last year that allows you to water for a certain time, say an hour, at a rate of five minutes on, five minutes off. That is the best way to water.

 

[MossRoad]

Several years ago I converted all of our watering to a drip system. Garden, landscaping, flower boxes, hanging baskets, etc... everything but the lawn. Here's what I have.

For the control, I use a battery operated Orbit 58872N 4 zone controller that I picked up for about $30. It came with two solenoid valves. I bought two more for about $10 each on sale.



I mounted that on an outdoor spigot. It programs easily and the two double AA batteries lasted 2 years (brought inside during winter and removed).

I ran a 5/8 inch black poly pipe underground to the garden, about 200'. That stuff is very inexpensive. In the garden, I ran the black poly above ground in a loop through three rows of beds.
Then it was a matter of just poking a hole in the pipe anywhere I wanted an emitter, adding a tap and short length of hose, and plugging in an emitter of the style I wanted for the particular plant. Some are 1gpm drippers. Some are adjustable flood. Some are misters, etc...

I ran a 2nd zone to all the landscaping, boxes, pots and hanging baskets in the back of the house and did the same thing. Then a 3rd zone to the front of the house for the front landscaping.

Heck, I even have it fill my birdbath automatically! :thumbsup:

Every year I add on to it by about $20-$30. So its cheap to get started and economical to add on to.

I use an assortment of stuff from Lowe's. Usually its Mister Landscaper products, but I've added others.

You could easily connect it to a large tank up on 4' legs that would provide adequate pressure for ground based drippers/heads. Just fill the tank from a source with your pump.

Mine's connected to our well, so I have good pressure to water the hanging baskets.

I think I currently have 7 hanging baskets, 6 large pots, 2 four foot tall flower boxes, 70' of cana lillies using about a dozen spray heads, 5 six foot flower boxes, 40' of snap dragons and zinias, about 100' of landscaping bushes, shrubs, flowers and ground covers, a center island with myrtle and a bird bath, and about 50 heads in the garden.

I highly recommend it.

I'd start with a small kit, and add on from there.
Shop Drip Irrigation at Lowes.com

 

[Sonny580]

The bad thing about drip, or soaker is that the water has to be filtered super clean. thanks; sonny580

 

[MossRoad]

The bad thing about drip, or soaker is that the water has to be filtered super clean. thanks; sonny580

I have no filter on mine. No problems.

 

[mapper]

The bad thing about drip, or soaker is that the water has to be filtered super clean. thanks; sonny580

I use flag type emitters they are easy to take apart and clean. So far the strainers in the system have been more than adequate. I have yet to have an emitter clog up.

 

[Tigershark]

Progress report. The harbor freight pump is working fine. I bought a foam pool noodle and a small net ad zipped the net to keep the pump off the bottom. Works great with our Honda generator. Picking around 40 zucchini and squash on a daily basis now

 

[mapper]

Progress report. The harbor freight pump is working fine. I bought a foam pool noodle and a small net ad zipped the net to keep the pump off the bottom. Works great with our Honda generator. Picking around 40 zucchini and squash on a daily basis now

If your not selling them at the local farmers market your neighbors are going to start locking their doors when they see you coming:laughing:

 

[Tigershark]

We eat a lot but give a ton away every day the good thing is we have tons of folks that want them

 

[mapper]

Used to grow zucchini for my wife, my ability to consume it is very limited. This year she didn't want any. I am however getting a lot of grief from her about my cucumber production, I have six plants in the greenhouse that are producing 2-3 12" cucumbers every other day, but we too have neighbors
They are also getting a steady supply of tomatoes as well.

 

[Tigershark]

We have everything from squash, zucchini, 30 tomato plants, probably 40 pumpkin plants , 10 of the giant ones and some of the baking ones, lots of watermelon plants, cantaloupe, sunflowers, sweet corn and some other things. I don't water the sweet corn it would drain the lake LOL
I have a 210 gallon tank that I keep on my trailer that I pull out to our farm and water from, I can pull it right up close and get tons more pressure from it. it will last for about 30 minutes then its time to refill. This 90 degree heat with no rain is sight is making us working more than I wanted to. a friend of mine has a 500 gallon tank on wheels so I am going to pick it up and take it out there and use it. I don't mind using the lake water but it is getting pretty shallow and muddy where we put the pump in and I also have to treat some vegetation with an herbicide so the lake will be off limits for a couple of weeks and I treat the weeds in the lake. Hopefully it will rain soon