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President - GPC

I am wanting to install my ground system this weekend and thinking with the soaker hoses made from tires, and altering them into some type of closed loop system with quadrants I can energise as the plants grow. I was thinking about drilling additional holes in them cuz I also want to inject seeweed and fish and perhaps a bit of symbrew tea this way and dont want them to filter anything out. Anyone out there got experience with this? How far apart would you go and any design experience out there with this. I got lots of this hose and plan on hooking it up to the sprinkling system with all the valves and syphon stuff. PSI considerations? Need to get it going before the plants take off. Sq Ft area is 20'X20'. Thanks for the ideas in advance.

6/1/2006 9:23:30 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

I would recommend that when you water with the soaker hoses, you direct all the water there, and not to the sprinkler system simultaneously....and vice-versa when you use the sprinklers, have the soaker system off.
If you use a continous closed loop system for 400 sq ft, you might want to consider having both ends of it connected to a hose...so you have even pressure coming from both ends.
I'm using soaker hoses in a looping pattern going from one side of the patch to the other and with some incline/decline due to my garden(s) being on a slope, I found that the farthest section/ end of the line was not getting water to it, despite adequate water pressure. I connected a second hose to the end of the line, and the entire section is now soaking equally....my space is partioned into 500 sq ft sections, each with it's own seperate soaker system.
Hope this general info may help you a bit.

6/1/2006 11:17:07 AM

President - GPC

I was thinking of maybe a spoke system or a circular system with crossed spokes. I just not sure how much pressure it will need to be even. But I was going to cut and install tees in strategic places. I was thinking maybe cutting into two 200 ft sections. Dunno yet

6/1/2006 2:02:26 PM

Phoenix, AZ

keep me informed of how you do it. I am planning on doing this within a week or so. Need to get it set up for my cover crop.

6/2/2006 8:06:38 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

We experimented with drilling holes in our soaker hoses with no luck. Even when we buried the hoses and turned the water on lightly, water shot everywhere. We drilled holes the size of a 16 penny nail every foot. We also found that we can't go out farther than 100'. Ganging two 100' hoses together did not work for us.
So far, soaker hoses are working well without the holes. We have seven plants in and when we pass the 100' of soaker hoses we will add another 100' hose dedicated to a separate spicket. We are not putting our fish and seaweed through the hoses though.

6/3/2006 1:51:56 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

I use sprinkler hoses with the holes drilled out a little bigger. It works great for me. To use more than 100' of hose, I had to put another barrel at the other end of the patch & alternate my watering. One day I water from the barrel at the base of the plant, the next day from the barrel at the tip of the plant. The barrels are 3' off the ground to give them a little pressure. Hope this helps.

Phil

6/3/2006 7:20:16 AM

Deer Park WA

We take two 50 Foot soaker hoses and connect them with a y fitting in the middle, then use one soaker hose inside the 6X6 hoop house (a little goes outside) and the other 50' is placed in the pattern the plant will grow outside the hoop house (Christmas tree). This way you can shut off the outer hose until the plant gets much bigger, and the water flow is fairly even to all areas of the hose.

6/5/2006 12:47:43 AM

President - GPC

I finished the soaker hose and made a complete closed loop. I had different style hoses some dispersed quite well the newer ones were slower so they got the Drilled holes in them, I used a drill bit the smallest one I had about the size of a thicker needle. It sends water out in a small jet. I also added some 1/4 inch adjustable jets from drip works.com that are on 5" stakes. Working great. Check out some from My diary once approved.

6/15/2006 3:14:08 PM