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Danville, CA (petman2@yahoo.com)

I want to be sure I am ready when spring comes. I know it is a long way off, but..... Anyway, what watering systems do most use? Would like to know peoples methods from the intricate to the simplistic. Also if anyone knows for example what the heavy hitters use or saw something cool on a patch tour, please chime in.

I am considering the following:

18 inch diameter circle of soaker tube around the stump with soaker pipe then running the length of the main just off to one side. When the pumpkin is set I will put a piece of solid tube a couple feet before and after the pumpkin and then continue with soaker. This will have a solution of seaweed, calcium or ??? whatever the soup du jour is.

Rainbird behind each stump for general watering/ferts of secondaries and for cooling. Then a whizzer every 10 feet or so. I might go with just the whizzers so that I can run more off the same valve. This will also have the seaweed, calcium, etc. etc.

Experiment then with a second run of tubing with fogger/misters under the canopy for more foliar ferts and cooling. Not sure how well this would work with ferts though due to clogging.

I am trying to make this relatively self supporting so that my job can be focussed on weeding, insecticides, vine management, etc. (as unkadan said it, trying to maximize EVERY step) I saw the yellow plastic whiz heads at Home Depot and wondered if they are good and last or do they start to stick after a short while like cheap rainbirds. Also saw brass whiz heads on eBay but they are like $7 each vs $3 for the yellow plastic at HD.

Open to any and all commentary and ideas.

12/26/2006 1:23:40 PM

President - GPC

Yo Petman,

Depending on your patch, one could intergrate you hoop house with you watering system. If planned you wont have to till around the underground pipes. Check out dripworks.com as they can help you design and plan. They are one stop shopping and they will send you a catalog. I used a overhead rain wobblers, misters and soaker hoses. Check it out:

Misters:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=54051

Soakerhoses:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=49973\

HoopHouse:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=56698

What I found when pulling up the vines is where the roots coincided with the soaker hoses they were twice the size and huge. I would run a soaker hose right along with the main vine. And with the secondaries, but you wont know exactly where they will be. Also at the beginning the entire system does not need to be presurrized so include bypass valves to save water and energize your zones.
Automation is good. Saves time and money later on. Include several cheap rain gauges to tune up your system. Fertigation also takes planning so you disperse your ferts at the proper dilution rate, or you will be wasting your product.

I will be adjusting my system this year adding a few more misters and enlarging the system a bit more. I may even find the energy to make the Wizardnator V2 over my other patch at home. This one would be a entire hoop house and a bit easier.

12/26/2006 3:43:16 PM