Folks:

I would like to install an automatic sprinkler or mister system for my trees
so I don't have to impose upon my buddies to water my trees while we are
away from home.
I have seen misters used, while others have used sprinkler heads. I can
store my trees under an arbor in my yard while we are away. I wonder if a
mister system installed 6 feet above the trees would be enough. Would the
Oklahoma winds blow most of the moisture away? OTOH would a sprinkler system
be overkill?
I don't want to use individual soakers as the number, types and location of
trees would frequently change.

I would appreciate if any of you would share your experience with me,
including type of timer, hose, sprinkler head or mister head, etc.

Thank you all in advance.

Peter Aradi
Tulsa, Oklahoma

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Ken Rutledge++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Peter:

I have a full irrigation system setup on my deck with everything from
drippers to misters (about 70+ plants). I did my system for the same
reason AND to be my safety net for daily watering chores in the hot
windy area I live in. My concern with your plan is the distance from
the emitters to the plants (6-feet). I won't go into plants that don't
like their leaves wet but I will say using a mister at 6 feet with any
wind won't work. You won't have to worry about the wind drying the
plant because the wind will blow the mist before it ever hits the plant.

I use mostly mini-misters from the Dripworks catalog (dripworks.com). I
use them on stakes in the soil for each pot and I even use two on some
larger plants. I found with the fast-draining soil I use that using
drip or other non-misting emitters simply made one line of water
straight through the soil and out the bottom without soaking the soil.

You can setup for cheap a system that is flexible and still one that
waters each plant individually. With a main line (1/2") and 1/4" lines
to each plant you can vary the emitter type and amount of water and
still guarantee no plants get omitted on a windy day. Lines can be
added and removed as necessary and emitters changed as necessary and you
can even have groups of plants that have a patterned emitter that hits
them all at once.

I have smaller emitters for my mame-size, then larger misters/emitters
for my larger plants , and even emitters to water our hanging baskets
and window boxes. They all run at the same time of day and for the same
length of time and the emitter is used to control how much water each
gets. I have several zones that I can turn on and off as necessary, and
even shelf 180-degree sprayers that I turn on during vacation and our
house plants sit in a line under each one. You can have multiple zones
on one main (1/2") feed line with simple on/off valves or even multiple
main-lines with separate timers so you can water at different times with
different timers. You are only limited by the amount of water pressure
you have, in fact I am running out of pressure in my system but it's
pretty huge so that would not be a problem for you, and even if you do
run out of pressure you can add another timer and water that main-line
and zones at another time.

Maybe this is too much information but the bottom line is you can build
an easy, cheap and effective system that has lines to each plant or
spray zones and it is actually FUN to do. Don't risk your plants on an
overhead misting system

I'd be happy to answer any question you (or anyone else) may have...

wmcorcor

== -----Original Message-----
== From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On
Behalf
== Of Peter
== Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 4:08 PM
== To:
== Subject: [IBC] Automatic Watering System
==
== Folks:
==
== I would like to install an automatic sprinkler or mister system for
my
== trees
== so I don't have to impose upon my buddies to water my trees while we
are
== away from home.
== I have seen misters used, while others have used sprinkler heads. I
can
== store my trees under an arbor in my yard while we are away. I wonder
if
== a
== mister system installed 6 feet above the trees would be enough.
Would
== the
== Oklahoma winds blow most of the moisture away? OTOH would a
sprinkler
== system
== be overkill?
== I don't want to use individual soakers as the number, types and
location
== of
== trees would frequently change.
==
== I would appreciate if any of you would share your experience with
me,
== including type of timer, hose, sprinkler head or mister head, etc.
==
== Thank you all in advance.
==
== Peter Aradi
== Tulsa, Oklahoma

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Ken Rutledge++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Peter:

I have a full irrigation system setup on my deck with everything from
drippers to misters (about 70+ plants). I did my system for the same
reason AND to be my safety net for daily watering chores in the hot
windy area I live in. My concern with your plan is the distance from
the emitters to the plants (6-feet). I won't go into plants that don't
like their leaves wet but I will say using a mister at 6 feet with any
wind won't work. You won't have to worry about the wind drying the
plant because the wind will blow the mist before it ever hits the plant.

I use mostly mini-misters from the Dripworks catalog (dripworks.com). I
use them on stakes in the soil for each pot and I even use two on some
larger plants. I found with the fast-draining soil I use that using
drip or other non-misting emitters simply made one line of water
straight through the soil and out the bottom without soaking the soil.

You can setup for cheap a system that is flexible and still one that
waters each plant individually. With a main line (1/2") and 1/4" lines
to each plant you can vary the emitter type and amount of water and
still guarantee no plants get omitted on a windy day. Lines can be
added and removed as necessary and emitters changed as necessary and you
can even have groups of plants that have a patterned emitter that hits
them all at once.

I have smaller emitters for my mame-size, then larger misters/emitters
for my larger plants , and even emitters to water our hanging baskets
and window boxes. They all run at the same time of day and for the same
length of time and the emitter is used to control how much water each
gets. I have several zones that I can turn on and off as necessary, and
even shelf 180-degree sprayers that I turn on during vacation and our
house plants sit in a line under each one. You can have multiple zones
on one main (1/2") feed line with simple on/off valves or even multiple
main-lines with separate timers so you can water at different times with
different timers. You are only limited by the amount of water pressure
you have, in fact I am running out of pressure in my system but it's
pretty huge so that would not be a problem for you, and even if you do
run out of pressure you can add another timer and water that main-line
and zones at another time.

Maybe this is too much information but the bottom line is you can build
an easy, cheap and effective system that has lines to each plant or
spray zones and it is actually FUN to do. Don't risk your plants on an
overhead misting system

I'd be happy to answer any question you (or anyone else) may have...

wmcorcor

== -----Original Message-----
== From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On
Behalf
== Of Peter
== Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 4:08 PM
== To:
== Subject: [IBC] Automatic Watering System
==
== Folks:
==
== I would like to install an automatic sprinkler or mister system for
my
== trees
== so I don't have to impose upon my buddies to water my trees while we
are
== away from home.
== I have seen misters used, while others have used sprinkler heads. I
can
== store my trees under an arbor in my yard while we are away. I wonder
if
== a
== mister system installed 6 feet above the trees would be enough.
Would
== the
== Oklahoma winds blow most of the moisture away? OTOH would a
sprinkler
== system
== be overkill?
== I don't want to use individual soakers as the number, types and
location
== of
== trees would frequently change.
==
== I would appreciate if any of you would share your experience with
me,
== including type of timer, hose, sprinkler head or mister head, etc.
==
== Thank you all in advance.
==
== Peter Aradi
== Tulsa, Oklahoma

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Ken Rutledge++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Peter:

I have a full irrigation system setup on my deck with everything from
drippers to misters (about 70+ plants). I did my system for the same
reason AND to be my safety net for daily watering chores in the hot
windy area I live in. My concern with your plan is the distance from
the emitters to the plants (6-feet). I won't go into plants that don't
like their leaves wet but I will say using a mister at 6 feet with any
wind won't work. You won't have to worry about the wind drying the
plant because the wind will blow the mist before it ever hits the plant.

I use mostly mini-misters from the Dripworks catalog (dripworks.com). I
use them on stakes in the soil for each pot and I even use two on some
larger plants. I found with the fast-draining soil I use that using
drip or other non-misting emitters simply made one line of water
straight through the soil and out the bottom without soaking the soil.

You can setup for cheap a system that is flexible and still one that
waters each plant individually. With a main line (1/2") and 1/4" lines
to each plant you can vary the emitter type and amount of water and
still guarantee no plants get omitted on a windy day. Lines can be
added and removed as necessary and emitters changed as necessary and you
can even have groups of plants that have a patterned emitter that hits
them all at once.

I have smaller emitters for my mame-size, then larger misters/emitters
for my larger plants , and even emitters to water our hanging baskets
and window boxes. They all run at the same time of day and for the same
length of time and the emitter is used to control how much water each
gets. I have several zones that I can turn on and off as necessary, and
even shelf 180-degree sprayers that I turn on during vacation and our
house plants sit in a line under each one. You can have multiple zones
on one main (1/2") feed line with simple on/off valves or even multiple
main-lines with separate timers so you can water at different times with
different timers. You are only limited by the amount of water pressure
you have, in fact I am running out of pressure in my system but it's
pretty huge so that would not be a problem for you, and even if you do
run out of pressure you can add another timer and water that main-line
and zones at another time.

Maybe this is too much information but the bottom line is you can build
an easy, cheap and effective system that has lines to each plant or
spray zones and it is actually FUN to do. Don't risk your plants on an
overhead misting system

I'd be happy to answer any question you (or anyone else) may have...

wmcorcor

== -----Original Message-----
== From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On
Behalf
== Of Peter
== Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 4:08 PM
== To:
== Subject: [IBC] Automatic Watering System
==
== Folks:
==
== I would like to install an automatic sprinkler or mister system for
my
== trees
== so I don't have to impose upon my buddies to water my trees while we
are
== away from home.
== I have seen misters used, while others have used sprinkler heads. I
can
== store my trees under an arbor in my yard while we are away. I wonder
if
== a
== mister system installed 6 feet above the trees would be enough.
Would
== the
== Oklahoma winds blow most of the moisture away? OTOH would a
sprinkler
== system
== be overkill?
== I don't want to use individual soakers as the number, types and
location
== of
== trees would frequently change.
==
== I would appreciate if any of you would share your experience with
me,
== including type of timer, hose, sprinkler head or mister head, etc.
==
== Thank you all in advance.
==
== Peter Aradi
== Tulsa, Oklahoma

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Ken Rutledge++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++