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Wichita, KS

I searched the site and didn't find it already up (I probably wasn't looking in the right places), but I have always been confused about drip irrigation. I have a feeling that I am over-watering my plants every year.

For a 1000 sqft patch**

* how far apart do you spread drippers on a drip line
* how far apart do you spread the lines
* how many gph's should each dripper drip
* how many minutes should you water the patch per drenching
* how many drenchings per day

** for maximum benefit to your patch without over/under watering?

This is for my back yard garden using city water. I have a mostly clay soil and around 6 weeks in the late summer with 3 digit days. I know there are smarter-than-me people out there who know what to do here, so I am calling on your wisdom. (o:

3/5/2007 12:15:05 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Give DripWorks your plans the will come up with correct diagram.

3/5/2007 1:07:41 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

I set up drip irrigation last year and found it very successful. I spaced my lines 18” apart. My tape is rated for a maximum pressure of 8 PSI, so I the length of time I run the irrigation depends on how much water I put on. I ran it every other day for the first half the season and everyday during the second half. I water in the evening to avoid evaporation. I applied about 50 gals/plant/ day. This would take about 1 ½ hours/ day. If it rained I would skip that day and perhaps the next. All water is preheated for at least a day.
I hope this helps
John

3/5/2007 1:27:05 PM

Montoursville, PA

I have been at 18" using T-Tape from Dripworks of California. They suggested closer placement but they were not experienced with high percentages of organic content like many of us maintain.

I am into my fifth growing year of using the original T-Tapes. Again I feel our pumpkin canopy blocks UV and possibly gives us more use time than average. In my case I hoe them under about three inches of soil and or mulch.

My one thousand square foot patch gets one hundred gallons of water in about an hour and a half operating at about five pounds of gravity feed.

The Dripworks online catalog has lots of layout and planning help as well as a good all needs product line. Their assistance factor is far above average.

3/5/2007 6:37:57 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Doc, how many feet of elevation from supply to start of T-tape? Thanks....Peace, Wayne
PS...I have approx 200 gals. approx 8' above top end of patch which is slightly downhill. Wondering if this will give me adequate pressure.

3/5/2007 6:43:24 PM

Montoursville, PA

Figure you get one pound of gravity generated pressure per each two feet of height above the patch. This includes the height of the tank or barrels. With eighteen inch spreads over one thousand square feet I can deliver one hundred ten gallons in an hour and a half. I have about five pounds from my eight foot tall water tower.

3/6/2007 3:31:14 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks doc...Peace,Wayne

3/6/2007 4:01:29 PM

Wichita, KS

Hmm. I guess I could set up a low pressure system, I have the barrels and it would make it simple to fertigate, but I don't really want to because of the liability it **might** create for my wife who is doing childcare from our home... the county probably won't appreciate a water tower 40 feet from the swingset.

SIDE NOTE: For all time up until 5-10 years ago, no one would have cared that my wife was babysitting a 4 year old girl... grrrrrrr. The government is in my life TOO much. Every day I get closer and closer to converting to a Libertarian--but not quite yet. Neil Bortz still bugs me too much. I just can't stand big government in either of the Republican or Democrat flavors. Big government sucks: I am ready for a revolution. Ok, complaining is over. Back to "Fertilizing and Watering."

18" between lines. Got it. The rest of the question focuses on dripper spacing (18" again?) and the kind of dripper... 1/2 gallon per hour, 1 gallon per hour... what do you guys use for AGs? And how long does the timer run? I am guessing Dripworks is going to give me a plan that is adequate for regular garden vegetables, not for thirsty monster squash. Am I right?

3/7/2007 1:23:46 PM

Wichita, KS

PW
I found this explanation of pressure and elevation on the dripworks site:

Variations in elevation can cause a change in water pressure within the system. Pressure changes by 1 pound for every 2.3' change in elevation or roughly 4 pounds for every 10' of vertical change.

Its almost the same thing docgipe said, just a little more specific.

Sprout

3/7/2007 2:47:26 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Mr. S,...my patch also falls almost 12' from upper to lower end. Any idea if this will cause "too wet" prblms on the lower end...??? Thanks for the input. Peace, Wayne

3/7/2007 6:46:33 PM

Montoursville, PA

The answer Peace that all you have said so far adds up to about ten pounds. Because is is close to the top design limit the tenths add up and make your elevations an OK system if using T-Tape.

Your elevation changes will not cause runoff unless you or you and mother get to much water in there that the organic content and clays will or can not not hold. This is exactly why we say there are no two patches just exactly the same.

When I estimate I use one pound for each two feet of elevation. I do not even worry with the right on numbers because the window of operation is for 2 to 10 pounds of gravity feed servicing over different elevations in the plan. The system is pretty forgiving and puts out even water in spite of factors that are not quite perfect.

3/7/2007 7:23:02 PM

Montoursville, PA

Timer???? No timer here. If you are feeding that system with a garden hose you will need a pressure reducing valve to get you under ten pounds. Dripworks will help you with that. I am totally gravity fed at about five pounds of pressure. Your water delivery will have to be figured for your patch and what water it will hold the way you want it maintained. Sometimes for that job simple observation and a bit of practice will give the best answers.

3/7/2007 7:31:27 PM