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Old 30-11-2007, 12:24 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
doofy doofy is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2007
Posts: 268
Default Drip irrigation, not pressurized

Frank Miles wrote:
On Wed, 28 Nov 2007, doofy wrote:

Anyone know of the feasibility of a drip irrigation system feeding out
of some 5 gallon buckets into some tubing?
If I get this community garden space, I only want to go to it once a
week because of the distance.
Do you think some 5 gallons buckets, maybe 3 feet off the ground,
could supply a weeks worth of water? Mostly, do you think the drip
mechanism would work without the city water pressure behind it?



Ahhh... I'll use these stupid "imperial" units.
1 5-gallon bucket, absolutely full, has 1155 in^3 of water. If you water
only 1/2" deep, that's barely over 4' square. As far as pressure... water
has a a density of 62.4 lb/ft^3. At an elevation of 2 ft, that's a
pressure
at ground level of ~125lb/fit^2, or less than 2psi. Enough for only the
leakiest of soaker hoses.

This may explain why you haven't seen more people doing this. You need
'way more buckets, and probably 'way more elevation.

Good luck!

-f


WEll, I wouldn't expect one bucket would be enough, but each bucket is
going to have the same pressure problems. And I don't expect to be
soaking the entire square footage of the garden, but just right at the
plant (drip system).

This is just right, but I have to order it from Australia:

http://www.wateringsystems.net/