Simple homemade drip irrigation for a garden in the country: device, connection diagram, photo, video of making drip irrigation with your own hands.

In this article, we will look in detail at how to independently install a drip irrigation system, calculate the volume of the storage tank, the diameter of the pipes, select the right materials, and watch a video of drip irrigation in action.

Another interesting video: do-it-yourself drip irrigation.

But this method of irrigating a garden, in addition to its obvious advantages, also has its disadvantages.

The peculiarity of drip irrigation is that only a small area of ​​land near the plant is irrigated, the roots receive moisture and grow, but when they get into an unirrigated area, the roots dry out and are inhibited. You can solve this problem in the following ways:

Periodically, 1–2 times a month, completely water the area manually using a hose.

Periodically increase the intensity of drip irrigation and the amount of water for irrigating the area.

Watering is one of the hardest gardening jobs. It’s scary to remember how many ten-liter watering cans were dragged onto the beds. We are in the 21st century, but many people are still wary of irrigation systems - it seems that it is terribly complicated and expensive.

Liss1970 FORUMHOUSE Member

A lot of people come to our site, and I don’t understand people’s reaction: “Oh! How interesting! But we’d rather carry around with watering cans and then complain about back pain and drought!”

We talked about it at FORUMHOUSE. Today we’ll talk about how to make a drip irrigation system on your site - from the simplest, from what is at hand, to the serious, from normal components.

• How does a drip irrigation system work?
• Advantages of drip irrigation.
• Types of drip irrigation.
• How to make a non-pressure drip irrigation system.
• How to make a drip irrigation system cheaply using improvised materials.

Drip irrigation: drippers, sprinklers, micro-sprinklers

The drip irrigation system works like this: under low pressure, water is supplied through hoses to the required place on the site and through droppers it gets under each plant.

Drip irrigation will not only free you from running around with watering cans, this method has many big and bold advantages. The main thing is that with drip irrigation, water is slowly, drop by drop, supplied directly to the roots of the plants. Thus, the soil remains evenly moist throughout the growing season, the plants are relieved of the stress that occurs when the beds dry out, and water is significantly saved (on average, up to 50%). This system was developed for places with scarce water resources, for their most efficient use.

It is important that with this method only cultivated plants are watered, the weeds do not get any moisture. Simultaneously with drip irrigation, fertilizing can be carried out: fertilizers dissolved in water are better absorbed by plants.

Drip irrigation systems typically use microtubing emitters that are placed at regular intervals in the hoses. The choice of hose depends on the moisture-loving nature of the plants, soil type, and water consumption. As a rule, 3-5 droppers or a hose with built-in droppers located every 40 centimeters are enough for one fruit tree.

The photo below shows the irrigation system of FORUMHOUSE participant Vladimir:

Concluding the theoretical part, let us recall that there are several methods of drip irrigation:

• An irrigation system with drippers (described above and most popular among our summer residents) is good for watering vegetables in a greenhouse and small plants.
• An irrigation system with micro-sprinklers is good because it covers a large area with water. Used for watering hedges, bushes and trees.
• Irrigation system with sprinklers that creates dense fog. Such nozzles are used for watering large lawns, fields sown with grass, etc.

Gravity irrigation system for a garden in the steppe

Let's look at several drip irrigation systems used on the plots of FORUMHOUSE users.

Portal member Zyoma was dissatisfied with the results of one of the first dacha seasons on his site (former steppe with a complete lack of shade). There was no rain for two months, and one day it was not possible to go to the dacha for two weeks. During this time, half of the garden trees simply shed their leaves.

Zyoma User FORUMHOUSE

In general, I thought about a drip irrigation system.

Since there were no garden beds at the dacha, only the trees needed water; I didn’t want to waste it on steppe wild plants. Hence the first requirement - watering must be targeted. The second requirement stemmed from the high pressure (with significant surges) in the water supply system at the site, which could lead to the hoses breaking. This means that watering should be free-flowing.

To install a gravity drip irrigation system, the following was required:

1. Tank insert - 2 pcs.
2. Filter 1/2 – 2 pcs.
3. Connection 1/2 for 5 mm hose.
4. Microhose 5 mm - 100 m.
5. Tees for microhose - 50 pcs.
6. Adjustable droppers 0-6 l/h - 60 pcs.
7. There were already water containers - two two-hundred-liter oil barrels.

The barrels were placed on four pallets. For convenience, the hoses were pinned to the ground with wire staples. Droppers and tees were simply inserted into the tube. The entire irrigation system (80 meters of microhose) is assembled and disassembled in 10 minutes, and for winter storage it is placed in a plastic bag.

You can see in detail how this system works in the photographs.

These two barrels provided adequate watering for forty fruit trees and shrubs. The optimal watering intensity was selected for each plant.

Depending on the adjustment of the drippers, the water in two barrels with a total volume of 400 liters lasted, on average, 80 hours - that is, in the middle of the week I had to go to the garden and fill the containers. After installing this system, all watering work began to take 10 minutes - on weekends, which were spent at the dacha, the drippers were “opened slightly”, before leaving on Sunday evening they were “covered”. This is all.

Error Zyoma was that he chose transparent microtubes.

The hose for the drip irrigation system must be black.

Therefore, the tubes turned green, some droppers had to be opened all the way so that the water pressure would wash away the silt from the walls of the tubes.

Pressure irrigation is more convenient than non-pressure irrigation; it practically eliminates siltation. U Zyoma there was an idea to fully automate the irrigation system by connecting it to the water supply through a Chinese timer. The experiment ended sadly.

Zyoma

The pressure in our system is quite high and unstable (more than 4 atm sometimes), and it all ended with a pipe burst in my absence (minus 30 cubic meters of water on the meter, it’s good that everything is under the apple tree).

But in general, this irrigation system, although it has a temporary status, has proven to work well - despite the constant +40 in the sun, sometimes turning into +50, all the plants are alive. The next season, the irrigation system was improved - since for 40 fruit trees and shrubs one micropipe with a diameter of 5 mm was still not enough, a main hose of a larger diameter was laid, from which branches with a diameter of 5 mm were already made.

Pseudo-drip irrigation system for garden beds

Lukaed for cucumbers he created an irrigation system, which he called “pseudo-drip” due to the fact that non-core products were used in it. To manufacture the system, we purchased: a metal-plastic pipe and a meter of silicone hose that fits tightly onto this pipe, and six pharmacy systems, which were assigned the role of droppers.

Using a 3.5 mm drill, I drilled holes for the dropper tubes, and cut the tubes to fit the cucumber stem with a margin of 2-3 mm. I inserted the tubes into the holes.

Lukaed User FORUMHOUSE

The tubes should be cut at an angle, so it is more convenient to insert them into the holes.

I connected the irrigation system to a water tank using a connector and a piece of silicone hose. I secured the pipes with wire hooks.

Each one took six meters of pipe. This system does not comply with the basic principle of drip irrigation - moisture does not continuously flow to the roots of the plants; Lukaed opens the water for 30 minutes a day. But the plants felt good, and everything was in order with the harvest. And most importantly, the cost of installing an irrigation system for two beds was 700 rubles.

Lukaed

The metal-plastic pipe can be reused - unnecessary holes can be wrapped with tape or plugged with an M4 screw.

Automated drip irrigation system

Liss1970 made an automated drip irrigation system that works without any human intervention. Currently, this system has the only drawback - it is not equipped with a specialized sensor and does not turn off when it rains.

For this system, equipment was used from Israel (drip hose, external drippers, sprinklers, timers and quick connectors, timers; the filter and pump were domestic, and the hose was Chinese).

The irrigation system was made as follows: for each 60 cm wide bed, two lines of drip hose were laid out with a distance between the droppers of 30 cm. The hose was bent at an angle of 90 degrees and secured with U-shaped brackets made of aluminum wire. Thus, continuous watering of the beds was ensured. A Chinese hose acted as the supply line; the drip hose was connected to it with conventional quick-release connections.

Through a valve with a timer, the system was connected to a well pump controlled by KIV-1.

Liss1970 User FORUMHOUSE

The valve opened and the pump turned on. The valve closed - the pump turned off.

Plants in the garden require moisture. It will be better if it is supplied to the roots constantly and in measured quantities. For this purpose there is a drip irrigation device. Difficulties with installing the system in the future eliminate heavy and ineffective physical labor. This can be judged by numerous reviews from gardeners. Many people are happy with this kind of liberation from hard manual labor. In addition to watering, there are many other things to do at the dacha. It is tempting to replace difficult and painstaking work with relaxation.

There are many types of devices and irrigation systems. They can be made or assembled with your own hands, or you can involve specialists.

Pros and cons of drip irrigation

Drip water supply has many advantages.

1. The flow of water directly under the stem, which allows fertilizer to be applied simultaneously with moisture.
2. Saving working time and physical effort for the summer resident. Having installed the system once, you can avoid manual watering throughout the season.
3. Eliminating the possibility of soil drying out. Its humidity is always sufficient for the necessary plant growth.
4. The system can be used for any plant because it is universal.
5. Possibility of choosing the optimal option for irrigating beds.

Among the disadvantages, we can note the costs of the component parts of the drip irrigation device: fittings, hoses, tapes, dosing water pump, filter, etc. The system must be constantly monitored, dirt must be periodically removed, water flow checked, valve operation, etc. The installation is volatile and requires constant availability of electricity.

Drip irrigation: structure and principle of operation

The drip irrigation system delivers moisture directly to the roots, which saves water and prevents damage to the above-ground parts of the plants. Water flows slowly at certain periods or continuously, which allows maintaining a given level of soil moisture, which has a beneficial effect on garden crops.

Making drip irrigation with your own hands: where to start?

First, the drip irrigation scheme is drawn on paper, where all watering points, the location of the water source and containers are indicated. The spacing between rows of plantings is measured. Based on the finished dimensions, you can easily calculate the number of communications.

If a pump is installed, its location can be anywhere, but when watering by gravity, the container is installed closer to the plants.

Drip hoses or tapes are laid on the beds. They have built-in special droppers for supplying water to the plants.

Before assembling a drip irrigation system, it is necessary to have all the components for irrigation. If you have experience, it is advisable to choose them yourself, since watering kits are more expensive.

1. A container of water - a barrel or tank.
2. The main distribution manifold for water supply, from which it is supplied to the branches.
3. Drip hose or tape.
4. Valves connecting drip tapes to the collector.

Drip hoses

Hoses are sold in coils. Their feature is the supply of the same amount of water throughout the entire bed, even if the terrain is uneven. The maximum irrigation length is selected so that the unevenness at the beginning and end of the hose does not exceed 10-15%. For one season, it is enough to use tapes with a wall thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm for drip irrigation of the garden. They are laid only on top.

Thick-walled (up to 0.8 mm) will last 3-4 seasons. They can also be used for underground installation. The diameter of the tapes is 12-22 mm (common size is 16 mm). Hard tubes last up to 10 seasons. Their diameter is 14-25 mm.

Through one dropper the water consumption is:

• hose - 0.6-8 l/h;
• thin-walled tape - 0.25-2.9 l/h;
• thick-walled tape - 2-8 l/h.

To regulate the flow, a tap for drip irrigation is connected to the hose or drip tape.

On average, you need to take 1 liter of water per day per plant, 5 liters per bush, 10 liters per tree. The data is indicative, but is suitable for determining the total consumption. To be more precise, when drip irrigation is performed, 1 tomato bush requires 1.5 liters, cucumbers - 2 liters, potatoes and cabbage - 2.5 liters. 20-25% of the reserve is added to the result obtained and the required tank volume is determined.

The distance between the drippers depends on the frequency of planting and can be from 10 to 100 cm. Each of them has one or two outlets. The consumption may remain the same, but in the latter case the depth decreases and the irrigation area increases. Dropper spiders are installed on a bed in 4 rows with the distribution of up to 4 plants.

Droppers

Droppers can be installed on plastic pipes. They are produced in several types:

• with fixed water flow;
• adjustable - with manual adjustment of irrigation intensity;
• uncompensated - the intensity of water supply decreases towards the end of the bed;
• compensated - with a membrane and a special valve, creating a constant pressure during pressure fluctuations in the water supply;
• "spider" type - with distribution to several plants.

External droppers are inserted into a plastic pipe, in which holes are pierced with an awl.

Filtration

Special attention is paid to the purification of irrigation water. First, coarse filtration is performed, and then fine filtration. Dirty water quickly clogs the droppers.

Purpose of fittings

The system can be simply assembled using special fittings for drip irrigation.

1. Start connectors for connecting drip tape to plastic water pipes. They are made with a rubber seal or a clamping nut. Holes are drilled in the HDPE pipe using a wood drill with a centering spike and start connectors are tightly inserted with or without taps. Regulation of water consumption is required if certain zones consume it less than others or for alternate watering of different areas.
2. Drip irrigation fittings, angled or in the form of tees, are used to connect the tape to a flexible garden hose. They are also used for branching or turning. The fitting seats are made in the form of ruffs, which ensures tight fastening of the tubes.
3. The repair fitting is used in case of a break or to extend the drip tape. With its help, its ends are connected.
4. The plug is installed at the ends of the drip tape.

Installation from thin-walled tapes

Distributing polyethylene pipes with a diameter of 4 cm are connected to the garden water supply. This diameter is best suited for installing a start connector - a special tap for drip irrigation, which is used to connect a perforated drip tape to the pipe.

It is manufactured with a small thickness and assembled using reinforcement. The holes are made at equal intervals. The drip tape is put on the tap with tension, and then additionally secured with a plastic nut. The ends of the sleeves are closed with plugs, sealed or tucked.

The disadvantage is the low strength of the tape material, which is easily damaged by rodents and insects. In terms of other indicators, the system shows itself only on the positive side.

Installation of a system with tubes and built-in droppers

The system is highly durable and significantly longer lasting. It consists of a hose in which cylindrical droppers are built at regular intervals. The tube can be placed on the soil surface, mounted on stands, suspended on a wire, or buried in the ground.

Water under pressure disperses from the container throughout the system and is smoothly distributed, coming from small holes. It is important that the tank is located at a height of 1-1.5 m from the ground surface. The gardener is only required to fill it in a timely manner, after which the liquid flows to the plants under the influence of gravity.

How to water cucumbers?

In industrial systems, drip irrigation of cucumbers is carried out with water supplied to each plant. The depth of the roots is 15-20 cm and tensiometers are installed there to control humidity. For gardeners, improvised means made from plastic bottles are suitable. They are installed on the bottom or with a closed plug in the ground. The top should be open to fill with water.

1. First way. The dropper is made from a used ballpoint pen refill. It is washed with a solvent to remove any remaining paste and plugged at the end with a match. A puncture is made at the end half the thickness of the rod. A homemade dropper is inserted into a puncture made from the bottom of the bottle at a height of 15-20 cm. Then the containers are filled with water and placed near the bushes so that the moisture gets to the root.
2. Second way. Holes are made in the bottle along the entire height, departing 3-5 cm from the bottom. Then it is buried bottom down to a depth of 20 cm. The cork is unscrewed and the container is filled with water through the top. The bottle can be buried upside down, having previously cut off the bottom, through which it is convenient to fill it with water in the future. To prevent the holes from becoming clogged with soil, the outside of the bottles is wrapped with needle-punched fabric, which is used as a covering material for greenhouses.
3. Third way. Bottles filled with water can be suspended above the ground by punching holes in the lid.

Bottle drip irrigation of cucumbers is convenient due to its cost-effectiveness, since there is no need to spend money on materials. The disadvantage is the difficulty of installation over large areas. The process of filling with water is troublesome, and the holes are often clogged with soil. Despite this, you can be convinced of the advantages of the drip method. Reviews indicate that it is quite effective in small greenhouses.

It is more convenient to fully water cucumbers in large greenhouses through a centralized system with branded drippers.

Drip irrigation devices: automatic

Automatic watering requires funds for equipment, but as a result, a lot of time will be saved and the harvest will compensate for the costs. The most important component of the system is the controller or timer, which does not require human intervention. The latter sets only the frequency and duration, which can be electromechanical or electrical. The controller can set an irrigation program, which takes into account the pressure in the system, sets daily watering cycles and takes into account humidity and temperature.

For simple systems, the drip irrigation scheme requires a single-channel device, but in a complex scheme, the number of channels may be required. Judging by the reviews, experienced gardeners prefer to use several simple timers that work according to separate programs.

In order not to depend on the energy source, it is advisable to purchase devices that run on several AA batteries.

Automatic drip irrigation from a water supply often requires a pump. Its power must correspond to consumption. The mechanism should be simple, not very noisy and resistant to chemical compounds, which are often used in the system as fertilizers.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that surface irrigation is the most common, the lack of sometimes favorable conditions for it, water shortages and energy savings lead to the need to use one or another drip irrigation device. The choice depends on the climate, landscape, types of crops cultivated and other factors.

It is important to properly design and install a drip irrigation system to reduce the likelihood of failures and avoid wasting time on repair and maintenance work.

In today's episode, we will look at the drip irrigation system. All gardeners know that plants need moisture for normal growth. Yes, of course... you can run a hose into the greenhouse or garden beds, but such a procedure requires additional time and money.

By the way. About greenhouses and the variety of greenhouses

Now, during a period of unstable economic situation in the country, people are trying to maintain their family budget and reduce all kinds of expenses. Saving not only in order to make a watering system from scrap materials, but also, above all, in order to save on water and as a result get a rich harvest.

That is why you can take care of the crop using drip irrigation. And to be honest, this is a new trend!

The system can be made independently, and it will not require large financial expenses. In addition, installation is quite simple, so any summer resident can easily cope with this task.

If you do not properly supply water to a plot of land, you may encounter uneven distribution of moisture. Water will be absorbed, mainly only by the first plants due to the pressure in the hose.

A significant advantage of this system is that only the roots of the plant are moistened, while the soil and leaves remain dry, which helps avoid sunburn. In addition, such watering prevents the rapid growth of weeds.

Experts note that gardeners can save up to 80% on water consumption. At the same time, all plants receive a sufficient amount of moisture necessary for normal growth.

To make such a system on your site, you need to place a container with clean water on a flat surface at a height of 1 m. After this, install the necessary elements and begin irrigation.

Irrigation system maintenance:

• If possible, the container should be filled only with clean water.
• Clean filters regularly.
• Before surveying work, flush the pipes.
• To avoid clogging the system, it is recommended to use only liquid fertilizers.
• With the onset of autumn, dismantle all drip irrigation parts.

If you follow these simple rules, the system can be used for several seasons.

How to make drip irrigation with your own hands without high costs?

The system of such plant watering was developed in arid regions in the last century. Today, manufacturers offer expensive and complex irrigation systems. Therefore, not every gardener can afford to buy it. But you can do it yourself. In this case, the system will perform fewer functions compared to industrial analogues, but if used correctly, it will effectively water the plants.

The easiest option is to use a flexible hose for each plant. First of all, you need to install a barrel or canister with a volume of more than 100 liters. The container must be installed at a height of at least 1 m. If you install drainpipes, the container will always be filled when it rains.

To avoid dirt getting into the hoses, they are installed at a height of at least 5 cm from the bottom of the container. Before this, you need to do the wiring and decide on the locations of the droppers.

It is impossible to make accurate calculations, so it is recommended to make the number of holes in the hose and the length with a small margin. If they are unnecessary, they can be easily disabled.

At the next stage, you need to make the wiring and install the taps, the number of which depends on the characteristics of the system. It is enough to purchase the simplest options; they will be enough to perform basic functions.

How to perform IVs?

To do this, you can use one of the methods:

• Buy a special sleeve from a farm store with holes.
• Heat the nail and make the required number of holes.
• Insert small bends, up to 30 cm long, into the main hose. A rubber or plastic hose is suitable for this.

Make holes using a drill to avoid ragged edges. And preheat the main hose in hot water.

After this, you need to connect all the elements into a complete system, then make the first launch and check its effect.

Drip irrigation from plastic bottles?

Using ordinary plastic bottles with a volume of 1.5-2 liters, you can make a simple watering system. Several holes must be made in the lid of each vessel, the diameter of which should not exceed 2 mm.

Small holes can be made using a heated nail. You can also purchase special pegs that fit onto the neck of a plastic bottle.

Cut the bottom of the plastic bottle to avoid evaporation of moisture. Then dig a hole to a depth of approximately 15 cm and insert the bottle there at an angle of 45 degrees. At this stage you need to be careful not to damage the roots of the plants.

Fill the container with water, which will flow to the root system through the holes made. In addition, using drip irrigation with plastic bottles, you can fertilize plants with liquid solutions.

This simple system will feed the sprouts for several days. This method is suitable for summer residents who do not have the opportunity to water their garden daily.

Drip irrigation from polypropylene pipes

Unlike metal pipes, polypropylene analogues have great advantages. In addition, the material is quite cheap and suitable for assembling a drip irrigation system.

Before assembly, you need to prepare the following:

• Container with a volume of 100 l. The water will heat up under the influence of sunlight, which has a beneficial effect on the plants.
• Ball valve.
• Filter for water purification. Otherwise, the system will quickly fail.
• Container for nutritious fertilizers.
• Pipeline
• Bends made of polypropylene pipes or special tapes, which are connected using special tees.

To determine the size of the materials, you need to mark the land. To water 1 m2 you will need about 30 liters of liquid per day, depending on the type of planting. You also need to calculate the number of taps and the distance between installed droppers.

To ensure the required pressure, it is recommended to install the container at a height of 1-2 m. This will be enough to provide irrigation of 50 m2. The container is installed on a strong and level support.

The tap is installed in a hole made in a container of water, at a height of 10 cm from the bottom. On the other side, make a connection to the country water supply. To ensure that the container is filled to a certain level, it is recommended to use a valve with a float.

Special scissors are used to cut polypropylene pipes for bends. You can also use a construction knife or a hacksaw.

Pipes can be secured to fittings by cold welding, soldering or crimping. The most reliable option is soldering; for this you will need a special tool with attachments.

Polypropylene material is connected to the main line on the surface or at a depth of 75 cm. The filter is installed directly to the tank. Make a plug at the end of the main pipe.

The next step is to make IVs. To do this, make the required number of holes in the outlet. It is also necessary to install a plug at the end of the outlet pipe.

At the last stage of assembling the system, you need to connect the water supply to a container with water, fill it, and start drip irrigation.

Or is it better to buy a drip irrigation system in an online store?

As you can see from the examples above, making your own watering system is not at all difficult. But if your financial condition allows, you can order it in the online store. Today there are many companies that sell components via the Internet.

In this case, you can purchase a ready-made kit at a price of 1,000 – 4,000. The cost depends on the functionality. If the system operates in automatic mode, then the summer resident can practically not participate in the watering process.

Therefore, each person chooses for himself to make the equipment with his own hands, and he will need to buy the necessary components or take advantage of the offers of online stores.

Water dissolves the nutrients and trace elements contained in the soil and fertilizers and makes them available to the plant root system in the form of a soil solution. Moisture is part of plant tissue: many crops consist of 95-97% water.

When gardening, you cannot rely only on precipitation, especially if it is not regular. A prolonged lack of moisture suppresses plant growth, provokes diseases, and leads to death. The lack of natural moisture must be compensated for by regular watering.

Industrial technologies are good in large greenhouses. There, automation allows you to continuously control temperature, humidity, duration of watering, illumination, application of fertilizers and nutrients.

liquids. At a summer cottage, you have to do all this work yourself. And a summer resident is quite capable of facilitating such a task with the help of a drip irrigation system.

To organize drip irrigation, you need to create a branched line from special hoses equipped with drippers. Drippers have a fixed capacity, which allows you to maintain the necessary soil moisture and at the same time save water.

DRIP IRRIGATION FROM A BOX

A simple drip irrigation system can be easily and quickly installed with your own hands.

To understand the principle of operation and feel the intricacies of installation and configuration, you can start with assembly

WATERING

ready-made systems. Today it can be purchased in almost all stores selling garden supplies or in online stores.

A basic set for watering an area of ​​up to 25 m2 costs approximately 900 rubles, 50 m2 - 1300 rubles, 100 m2 - 1600 rubles.

The main elements of a drip irrigation system are a water source, special droppers and hoses transporting water. Auxiliary elements include all kinds of plugs, controllers, adapters, tees, hydrants, sensors, taps, etc.

Drip irrigation device

DRIP HOSE

To supply water to the beds, you can use metal or plastic pipes, and then use adapters to create

a line of hoses with built-in droppers. Our kit uses 0 16 mm drip tape. The droppers are located in increments of 15-30 cm, which depend on the type of tape. The wall thickness of drip tapes varies from 0.125 to 0.4 mm.

Tapes can be seamless or glued. Glued tapes are a cheap option and usually last for one season, while seamless tapes, although more expensive, have a long service life.

Light-stabilizing additives used in the manufacture of the tape not only protect it from ultraviolet radiation, but

and make it resistant to the chemical effects of pesticides and various fertilizers used in the process of growing plants, increasing their service life.

INSTALLATION OF PLANT DRIPPING WATERING SYSTEM

With a certain amount of skill, you can assemble a finished system on a pre-prepared site in an hour.

First you need to decide on the size of the bed and draw a diagram of the location of the HDPE tube and drip lines.

The HDPE tube and drip tape must be unwound and left in a straightened position. This must be done carefully to prevent damage, and during installation to avoid kinks and ensure effective watering.

To prevent foreign particles from entering the tube, when installing the system on a garden bed, it is recommended to plug all holes. This can be done with a thin plastic film, securing it with rubber bands. These temporary plugs should be removed immediately before installing the drip tapes and hose.

Drip tapes are not a closed circuit, so a plug must be installed at the end of the watering line.

WATERING FROM A BARREL

The recommended pressure in the system is no more than 1.5 bar (1.5 kg/cm2). To ensure normal and trouble-free operation of the irrigation system from the water supply, a water pressure regulator must be installed at the inlet of the irrigation system.

To supply water to the site, it is better to use plastic pipes, since metal ones quickly rust from the inside, which is bad for drippers, which fail when clogged. In addition, plastic pipes have less weight and price, and are more technologically advanced during installation.

Our drip tape has a pitch of 30 cm, pouring 1.2-1.6 l/h per dropper. You can use a suitable container as a source of water. For example, a 100-liter barrel will be enough for an hour of watering, if you take 25 m of drip tapes on which 80 droppers are located.

The water reservoir should be located on a hill, for this you can create an artificial hill or a structure from improvised means.

To prevent water from blooming, it is necessary to cover the container and choose opaque hoses for installing the system: in transparent ones, water quickly blooms.

FIRST WATERING OF PLANTS

Before starting operation, you must completely flush the watering line. To do this, remove the plugs from the drip tapes and supply water into the main, preferably under pressure. Then you need to plug the ends of the drip tapes - and you can start drip watering the plants.

Experienced gardeners advise cleaning the highways at least once a season, and in the event that any section of the highway had to be repaired.

CARE OF YOUR DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

The weak point of the drip irrigation system for drip plants is that they must be protected from clogging: mechanical, biological and chemical.

To prevent mechanical clogging from suspended particles in the water (sand, dirt, rust, scale, small insects, etc.), mechanical cleaning filters are used, the condition of which must be monitored.

Biological clogging occurs as a result of water algae, when algae, mucus and other biological debris form, clogging the drippers. Regular washing of barrels, drip irrigation systems and a high-quality filter at its inlet will prevent biological clogging.

Chemical clogging is caused by adding fertilizer to water (fertigation), as well as if the water itself is hard. In this case, special additives are used to purify water to regulate the acidity of the water.

AUTOMATION

A drip irrigation system is easy to automate. It is enough to install weather sensors that respond to the temperature and humidity of the air, soil, as well as general weather conditions, and the automation will independently regulate the watering process. You can limit yourself to a programmable timer, which will, at the owner’s request, allow and prohibit the supply of water to the system. The price of such a timer is almost twice the cost of the entire irrigation system for beds for 25 m 2.

Therefore, if the financial issue is important, then it is quite possible to engage in this creative process yourself, turning the watering on and off with the tap.

Water can be taken from the water supply or pumped into tanks from a well or well with a pump.

SYSTEM CARE

To determine the effectiveness of irrigation, it is necessary to estimate the size of the water spot created by the dripper. If the spot has a diameter of less than 30 cm, it means that the dropper is clogged and it (or the entire line) needs to be cleaned or replaced. If instead of a stain, puddles form due to mechanical damage to the droppers or the tape itself, then you can replace part of the tape. In this case, it is necessary to turn off the water, cut the tape at the point of damage and connect it with a special bidirectional connecting element.

In the fall, the drip irrigation system for plants must be dismantled. The system is washed with clean water, disassembled and stored. Sensors, timers and controllers must be disconnected and stored in a room with above-zero temperatures.

Expert advice:

Install taps on each branch of the irrigation main, which will allow you to repair the damaged area without interference and turn off the desired branch during agricultural work or after harvesting.

You can make a stand yourself by securing a plastic holder for pipes 0 16 mm with a screw on a wooden peg. If the wood is treated with a protective antiseptic or used machine oil, then such a stand will last for more than one season. It will turn out cheaper, and you can choose the height of the belt suspension and the depth of the peg yourself, based on the properties of the soil.

Assembling drip irrigation with your own hands - step-by-step photos

A set of materials for assembling a drip irrigation system in a garden plot is packaged in a convenient cardboard suitcase.

Inside the drip tapes there is a turbulent flow emitter, which, according to the manufacturers of the product, creates a more accurate dosage of watering, protects the drippers from clogging and facilitates the supply of water over long distances.

Each dripper in the drip tape has two watering holes.

HDPE tube coil (low-density polyethylene)

Using a 3.5 mm drill or an awl, we make holes in the HDPE tube at a pre-selected distance between the drip lines.

We install plastic plugs at the ends of the HDPE pipe.

We insert the start connectors into the holes with force.

We install a 16 x 19 x 16 mm tee into the gap in the HDPE pipe to connect the water supply hose.

The 6 mm starter connector for 16 mm tape is a simple but reliable fitting for connecting a drip irrigation hose up to 12 m long.

To plug the line, we fold the end of the tape three times and fasten it with a screw with a wide flat head to a wooden or plastic side of the bed or a peg.

We put a drip tape on the start connector fitting and fix it by turning the nut. The reverse operation will allow you to remove the tape from the fitting without extra effort.