Suzanne D. wrote:
"jeff" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about micro irrigation (drip irrigation) for my micro
garden. I've noticed that leaving the garden alone for a few days
during the dog days of summer is not beneficial.
Any pointers om either equipment or technique?


It is good to get one of the little Raindrip brochures at your local
home improvement stores--it outlines the types of hoses, connections,
and outlets they offer, and helps you figure out what you need. If your
local place doesn't sell Raindrip, see if they have informational
brochures on a different brand.

I got started by buying a basic Raindrip kit. (I would assume other
brands have similar kits.) It comes with a sampling of their products,
and it's a good way to get acquainted with them. After you set up a
line or two, you'll start to intuitively figure out what you need and
can then go to the home improvement store and get specific supplies.
(NOTE: in places like Lowe's and Home Depot, this stuff is in the
Plumbing section rather than the Garden section.)

OK, the kits look pretty cheap, as cheap as anything these days!

I use 6' hoses and splitters to maintain lots of different lines all
over my yard. (You can't have too many splitters, as far as I'm
concerned!) This enables me to open just a few streams at any given
time, so I can rotate my watering.

I like this idea, instead of one serpentine line, that way you can
reposition the drippers easily as the garden changes. Are there valves
or adjustments to control the rate, or is it all done by time and fixed
rates? It looks like some timers have multiple controls.

The only caution I have is that you need to check on the drippers and
connections regularly, to make sure the drips are not clogged and that
the lines stay intact. There have been many times my pipes have popped
off of their main lines and deposited gallons of water all over the
yard. (Keeping a rather low flow helps to ease this.) The drippers
have worked pretty well for two years, but every now and then one will
get clogged and will need to be replaced. It's best to notice this
before the plant is affected.

I have a small enough garden to check all the plants.

If you ever want to talk about various configurations, let me know and I
will be more than happy to share some of my garden plans. I largely
operate out of rows of 3X6 foot raised wooden beds, but I've got all
sorts of other configurations too. Despite the occasional clogged
dripper or popped-out pipe, I find drip irrigation to be immensely
beneficial, and I highly recommend it.

Thanks. Let me get started and I'll take up your offer of advice later.
I'm a bit too ignorant at the moment!

Jeff

--S.