Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: Jimmi on April 15, 2009, 15:29

Title: Irrigation!
Post by: Jimmi on April 15, 2009, 15:29
Hi,

Can anyone give me advice on building a irragation system from a hose pipe that would be fed by a water butt.

Please help!

James
Title: Re: Irragation!
Post by: peapod on April 15, 2009, 15:50
Hiya Jimmi, nice to meet you

Ive moved the post here for all the clever building people to help you out
Title: Re: Irrigation!
Post by: mumofstig on April 15, 2009, 15:55
Have alook here got all the bits for gravity system
http://www.allotment-garden.org/greenhouse/Garden_Hosepipe_Water/s-drip_water_system.html (http://www.allotment-garden.org/greenhouse/Garden_Hosepipe_Water/s-drip_water_system.html)
Just attach pipe to but, and place drippers along pipe where you need them :)
Title: Re: Irrigation!
Post by: Kristen on April 15, 2009, 16:36
If you are going to use drippers and thus a timer I believe that only some types of timers are suitable - most need the mains pressure against the valve to make them work (I have never understood why!) whereas there are a few that will work with the very low pressure of supply from, for example, a water butt.

I think that Gardena make ones that work with a water butt, and (from memory) that the Hoselock ones won't work
Title: Re: Irrigation!
Post by: Jimmi on April 15, 2009, 21:19
Thanks everyone for the good advice but i was wondering if it possible to make one by drilling holes in a hose pipe. I read this somewhere but it was only very brief and needed more insructions.


Thanks
James
Title: Re: Irrigation!
Post by: goose on April 15, 2009, 22:58
i tried this with the shop bought kit with drippers.  the area i was watering was only small and i used a timer from my hozelock system.  even with a decent sized waterbut, i only got two days out of it and it really wasnt that effective due to the lack of pressure.  the end of the 'line' so to speak, hardly got any water.
 :(


Title: Re: Irrigation!
Post by: Kristen on April 16, 2009, 09:32
"i was wondering if it possible to make one by drilling holes in a hose pipe"

I think the Drippers are supposed to provide a constant rate - i.e. as the pressure falls down the pipe you still get the same amount of water out.  Haven't tried it though.

I suppose if you make holes in hose pipe you could make bigger holes, or more holes, near the end of the pipe.

I have used lay-flat plastic tubing for irrigation of trees.  Its cheap :) and I just unrolled it on a route that went past each tree, then made a couple of holes next to each tree. Get something narrow-ish bore (1" to 2" diameter) otherwise the effort of filling the tube is more than that of getting it to spurt out!

But for a short length, such as a greenhouse, I expect that method would be pretty pointless.

Leaky hose is the other option.

I have bought lay-flat tubing and leaky hose form Plastics by Post
Title: Re: Irrigation!
Post by: goose on April 28, 2009, 19:24
following on from my rubbish drip feeder from my water butt, last year i ran an underground irrigation system from my outside tap around all my pot plants and under the lawn to my veg patch and greenhouse.  used the hozelock system with a timer.  it is expensive to buy all the bits and bobs but is so easy to install.  i spend many days away from home at a time and its great to know that my plants/veggies are getting watered whilst im away, also that i dont have to run around with the hoze pipe the minute i get back.....well worth the investment if you ask me.

however, on my allotment, i dont have such luxury and am planting things there that dont need too much water/care and hope mother nature also helps me out. :wub: