From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ontario, Canada.

What to use for best flow rates? What type of tube or hose do you use and what is the Gallons/hour?

11/2/2003 9:53:47 AM

Tipp City, Ohio

Used T-tape on my field pumpkins this year. Only had to use it a couple times since we had more than normal rainfall. Try dripworks.com

Tom

11/2/2003 2:36:43 PM

Wood River, Nebraska

T-tape works great, This year I want to automate by using soil moisture sensors. Anyone have experience in this and a source for the sensors?
dave

11/3/2003 9:23:50 AM

Montoursville, PA

I used so called T_Tape with the original intent to place it 12" underground. Wet weather prevented placemtent so we hoed it in at 4-5". The header was 12" soft plastic the T-Tapes were every 18" along the header crossing the entire patch. With this arrangement it worked really nice although we had little use for it this summer. My water was from a tower, gravity fed. It would place 110 gallons of water in one hour and ten minutes without washout. My patch was 1000 sq. ft. I ordered my stuff all from DripWorks in California. Nice people to deal with. My diary show the elements going in with comments and tower picture to finished.

I will eventually go down a foot so I can rotatill over it. This year I had to pull my system due to shallow placement.
I am absolutely certain going down a foot will work even better. That will give the ground time to warm and slight temperature difference water to ground as it wicks up to the main root zones. Once damp the system will provide excellent moisture maintenance with just a little checking by the user. Expected life of plastic tapes and soft plastic pipe is three years on top of the ground and five to eight years under cover. Under cover reduces or eliminates UV break down from the sun.

11/3/2003 10:00:33 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Thanks guys. I'm still trying to get a good sense of direction on this topic. I called the Rainbird rep. today.
They can supply me with 1/2" tube and emitters spaced 12" apart and recommended rows 12" apart. they come in .6gph and .9gph. For a 600sq ft. patch that is a lot of tube. I have narrowed out my valves to either Rainbird or Hunter and controller is Rainbird. I am planning to leave it on the surface seams to be much easier to me. The frost will heave it to the surface in the spring I believe.

11/3/2003 5:49:12 PM

Walkerton Ont

Russ, you could always set the system up in the spring. I will help you end of april or in may

11/3/2003 6:50:17 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

If you plan to feed fertilizer through the drip tape, check out whether it's likely to clog. A friend ran into that this season !

11/3/2003 7:52:35 PM

Deer Park WA

Kahuna1,

I tried a similar system (tube and emitters), I had problems due to he jacked up pressure from my well, and the nozzels plugging from all the liquid ferts. I used 1 gph nozzels, the system worked ok for a month or so then I went to overhead watering and didn't notice any difference in plant/fruit growth...

Gerry

11/3/2003 10:14:31 PM

Montoursville, PA

I used Agro-K ferts both in gravity feed and overhead misting system with no problems this summer.

11/3/2003 11:08:22 PM

Commack, NY

if you use t-tape, the ground must be level. If it isnt the water will settle to the low spots and not work correctly. found that one out the hard way! If you're pressure is to high for drip, you can use a pressure regulator to help out.
Scott

11/4/2003 8:15:54 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Guys, What is t-tape? Is there a link you could point me to.

11/4/2003 6:09:03 PM

Okla

http://www.dripworksusa.com/content.html

11/4/2003 6:57:49 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

If using t-tape above ground be careful with the tillers. Worst case scenario would be catching the tape with a tine and wipping it around at 100 mph slicing the vines and leaves as the tape is bound up.

11/4/2003 8:57:31 PM