Watering plants

[RSKY]

Have spent the past month landscaping in the front yard. Two pallets plus of blocks, small patio, bunches of plants. I am using soaker hoses to water and I am tired of watering between plants, breaking hoses, etc,

Has anybody tried using PVC pipe to make a watering system? I may try this in one section. Lay down pipe and drill a couple holes at each plant. Then cover with mulch. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Larro Darro]

The black poly pipe can be fitted with small side tubes going to each plant. If your trees or plants are not the same size, you will want some way to control flow.

 

[JPRambo]

Many yea5s ago I installed irrigation. I used these in delicate areas. just drill a small hole in the pvc and screw them in.

 

[Larro Darro]

I saw fifty foot of half inch poly pipe on New Egg for $16.45.

Here is a link.

Raindrip .50in. X 50ft. Black Poly Drip Watering Hose 052005P - Newegg.com

 

[RSKY]

Wow, instant replies! Thanks for all the info guys, I'm taking a day off tomorrow and then I will see what I can find locally.

My idea was to drill multiple holes at the larger plants but I see several better ideas.

Thanks again.

 

[MossRoad]

Wow, instant replies! Thanks for all the info guys, I'm taking a day off tomorrow and then I will see what I can find locally.

My idea was to drill multiple holes at the larger plants but I see several better ideas.

Thanks again.

Go to Lowe's or another big box store and look at drip irrigation systems. They are not usually in the lawn and garden section, they are in plumbing by the other in-ground sprinkler systems. You can get a starter system for cheap, and then add on to it over the next few years, or, you can buy the whole shooting match at once.

Anyway, I ran a flexible poly pipe all the way around my house and also tee'd it off several times to flower beds, deck, patio, etc....
From the poly pipe you have a little poker tool that pokes a hole in the pipe with your hand. You push in a connector, push a small rubber hose onto the connector, run the small hose next to your plant, shrub, flower pot, etc.... and put a head on the end of it. I use adjustable drippers. Dial in the amount of water you want coming out and off you go.

I have mine on a cheap battery operated timer, so my flowers get watered for 20 minutes once a day and my garden gets watered for an hour.

Anyhow, I have about 100' of poly pipe, 200' of the small rubber hoses, 50-60 heads of various drip and spray, and another 200' of poly pipe burried out to the garden. I spend about 20-40 dollars a year adding more to the system, always expanding it. It waters my flower beds, shrubs, hanging baskets, flower boxes.... heck I even have it filling my bird bath daily.

Here's a link to Lowe's stuff, but its available at many other places. Its worth checking out.

Shop Drip Irrigation at Lowes.com!

 

[MossRoad]

For my timer, I bought one of these on sale for under $50.00. It has four zones cpability, but only comes with two valves. I currently use two. One for the flowers and one for the garden. I also bought 2 additional valves for future use. It runs on two AA batteries. I like it because it came with the 4 port manifold. I put a spare short hose on one end for manually filling buckets, watering cans, etc... and keep another long hose on the other manual port for washing cars, applying plant food, etc...

Amazon.com : Orbit 58872N Complete Yard Watering Kit : Orbit Timer : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Again, you can add on as the years go by without breaking the bank.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Here is another good source for irrigation supplies. Berry Hill Drip Irrigation

Drip Irrigation - DripWorks Drip Irrigation Systems & Supplies

 

[RSKY]

I'm going to check out the systems at Lowes today. Sounds like a better idea than my rigged up one with holes drilled in PVC pipe.

The idea with the pipe was that after they were placed and covered with mulch they would be there year round. Blow the system out in the fall and forget about it until next year.

Do you mulch over the drip systems and do you leave the pipes in place over the winter?

 

[MossRoad]

The beauty of the pipes is that since they just lay on the ground in the flower beds, you can just spread mulch over them and nobody sees much of them. When you shut off the water, the lowest head acts as a drain and the entire thing pretty much drains out with gravity. If you're not sure, you can put the end into the bottom of a hole filled with gravel and put an automatic drain plug on it. It pressurizes and closes with water pressure and opens and drains when the pressure drops. Just a few bucks. I have that in the line that runs to my garden. I put it in a tee in the lowest spot of the run and put some landscape fabric around the gravel to keep it from silting up. Been several years now since I burried that line. I only run one sprinkler in my garden on that line. Works great.

I've never drained mine and just left it lay all winter for many years now. The only thing I do is take in the battery operated timer before it freezes and remove the batteries for the winter.