Irriagating my gardens! Wow

15 years ago

I just had to share with someone that would appreciate it, how I spent yesterday. I irrigated all my gardens. What fun, and the satisfaction was beyond belief. I went to an irrigation store (RAINBIRD) and purchased 400 feet of flexible tubing and the small 1/4 tubing, stakes, emitters and spray heads (some for 1 gallon per hour and some for 1/2 gph. Having no idea exactly what I was doing, I used common sense as my guide. I had help straightening the large tubing and putting it in place. Then from that tube, we used the 1/4" tube to connect our choice of either 180 degree spray heads OR the emitters for individual plants. Useing emitters for roses, hygranges, and other plants that like the water and the spray for general overall watering. Took all day but using a TIMER, I will save a lot of time hand watering with the hose. I spend at least 2 hours every time I water and I'm going away for a 6-8 weeks and need to know my babies will at least get some water. Very easy job once we got going and didn't cost much at all. A lot less than replacing all these plants. Thanks for listening.

Kaaren

Comments (4)

nannerbelle
15 years ago
Sounds like fun!! I need to rig something up for my new beds I'm installing this year. I only have a small veggie garden, and 2 small beds with a handful of plants but it takes me close to an hour of hand watering. I'm even considering soaker hoses and Y connectors to get this setup where the actual beds get the water. I'm going to have to check the options here. Have you ever installed irrigation before? Trying to judge how difficult it would be to do a similar system for my beds. Thanks!! :-)
lsst
15 years ago
I have had such bad luck with soaker hoses. The soaker hose holes split and shoots water everywhere .

What size was the 400 feet of flexible tubing? Your irrigation system sounds like a great idea!

How did you know exactly what to buy?
DYH
15 years ago
I learned by watching a professional crew lay irrigation and saw how easy it was. When we created new beds where we wanted irrigation, we bought all of the materials at Lowe's (they do carry Rainbird emitters and such, too).

The trickiest part is having another person help hold the tubing down to the ground until you can put a landscape pin over it to keep it in place! We used a variety of emitters and spray heads.

You can go back again and add a T-connector in the middle of existing tubing to branch off. Good, clean cuts help when connecting ends. Be sure to buy a punch for punching holes in the tubing to attach the emitters.
ncgardner
Original Author
15 years ago
This system is above ground. The tubing (about the size of a water hose) is the 400 ft part. It comes in 100 ft rolls for $27. wholesale) Where I had to cross a walkway or path, I ran the tubing through PVC pipe (to protect it from lawymowers) and dug just enought to hide the PVC and then covered it with mulch or sod. Used metal hairpins to keep in in place and used the punch (as Cameron said) to put the holes in the tubing. If you put the holes on the side of the tubing instead on the top, it will be much easier to cover with mulch. The only visable part is the small black "stakes" that hold the 180 degree spray heads (about 4-6" tall). The large and small tubing are covered with mulch. The nice part is you can add or take away emitters at any time. The tubing is commercial and MUCH thicker and better than the ones at L or HD's. My neighbor has had his setup for 15 years with the same tubing. I find commercial grade is always better. I will be GLAD to help anyone interested to buy the supplies wholesale. EMAIL me: kanmd4now@yahoo.com Please just be sure to put Garden Web in the title line of the email. I don't open emails unless I know where they originated. I bought the timer at Lowes. Rainbird has a store in Raleigh.