You looked at installing a underground sprinkler
system on your property. And then stopped short when you realized the
thousands of dollars it would cost! How could plastic pipe and
sprinkler heads cost so much? Here is a lasting inexpensive water
irrigation system that is near maintenance free and will have your
neighbors wondering why they never see you watering your garden and
plants. You can claim yours to be an environmentally
friendly garden soaker system (or water drip system),
using the minimum amount of water to sustain your plants and
shrubs.
Get the water as close to
the plant roots as possible. Using less water is important to our
global environment.
Communities
now encourage water soaker systems instead of sprinkler systems.
Water applied near the ground will mostly be absorbed into the earth
where it is needed by the plant and grass roots. Water sprayed above
the plants and grass lands on the leaves and flowers before dripping
to the ground. This longer exposure to the air will cause much of the
sprayed or sprinkled water to evaporate into the hot summer air.
More than ever now communities control the watering of
lawns and gardens during the summer months. Sometimes you are
restricted to garden watering only - not lawns. An automatic water
timer system combined with a soaker hose system makes plenty of sense
in reducing the amount of water dispensed to water your garden plants
and shrubs.
So how can I make an
effective soaker system for my garden for under $500?
With some off-the-shelf components, you can have a
simple but elegant soaker system that with be automatic and near
maintenance free. With a simple water timer system, Y-connectors,
faucet multipliers, some 1 1/2" ABS pipe, quality 1/2"
garden hose and your choice of soaker hoses or irrigation hoses for
potted or hanging plants, border gardens, row gardens or (dare I
say) even lawn sprinklers. You now have the elements for a simple
soaker irrigation system for your garden. This do-it-yourself
automatic water irrigation system will ensure you water
plants at the best time every day; specifically, early
morning and late afternoon. As an added home security feature, when
you are away from home your garden will sustain its beauty and make
it look like someone is at home.
Here is the
material list required for your automatic garden soaker
system . (Note: there is a complete Picasa
image gallery of all the required components of this
inexpensive soaker system at
http://picasaweb.google.com/carl.chesal/GardenIrrigationSystem ):
1) Select your water timer
– I selected Orbit from Home Depot. Make sure it has a battery
timer so power outages won't alter your scheduled watering times. It
should allow for at least 3 watering zones.
2)
Select your main faucet multiplier (or
Valve splitter) that will attach to your outside water faucet and can
accommodate the 3-4 water zones plus a spare to allow for regular
garden hose watering. You can secure these special faucet multipliers
from garden centers or at Lee
Valley Tools.
3) Enough
1 1/2" ABS pipe (and glue) and 22.5 degree elbows
to run underground (6" - 10" depth). Use the 22.5 degree
elbows only to allow for easy insertion of the garden hose into the
ABS pipe. You can cut further costs by burying the garden hoses
directly underground. The ABS piping does provide added protection
from accidental puncture from aerators, pitch forks and other garden
tools. This ABS pipe can also serve double duty to run low voltage
wire or speaker wire to the remote areas of your garden.
4) Enough quality garden hoses
to run through the ABS pipe and connect to the soaker hoses in all
your garden beds.
5) Soaker
hoses for all your garden beds.
6)
Enough Faucet multipliers (Valve splitters)
to extend each watering zone with soaker hose as required.
Creating your automatic garden soaker system involves
more of a landscaping
effort than anything else. Here are 3 steps to
completing your eco-friendly automatic garden soaker system
(Note: refer to the Picasa
image gallery for details of component assembly):
1) Bury the ABS pipe
feeding the garden hose through it as you connect and glue the pipe
sections. Bury the pipe 6"-10" under your lawn or sidewalk.
Have both ends extend out of the ground using the 22.5 degrees elbows
so that the stiff hose can still be easily pulled through the
pipe.
2) Connect the soaker
hoses to the ends of the garden hoses and weave the
soaker hoses through your garden under plants and around shrubs.
Follow the installation instructions of the soaker hose
manufacturer.
3) Install the water
timer and water zone valves on the faucet multiplier.
Connect the hoses for each zone. Follow the installation instructions
of the water timer manufacturer. Do not set the water time for each
zone more than 20 minutes each. Set two water times – early morning
(around 6 am) and late afternoon (around 7 pm).
Maintenance of your Irrigation
System and Preparation for Freezing Winter
Temperatures:
1) Disconnect the [zone] hoses at
the main faucet where the Water Timer is located.
2)
Using a Shop Wet Vac, suck the excess water from each
zone hose . Use electrical tape to secure the vacuum
pipe against the end of the hose. Turn on the wet vac and let it run
for 10-15 minutes. Empty the water extracted before repeating
this for each hose at the main faucet. You will
extract enough water from the hoses so as not to incur any winter
damage to your hoses from freezing water.
3)
Tape a plastic bag over the ends of each of the [zone] hoses. This
will prevent little critters from getting in the hoses and clogging
them when you reconnect the system in the spring.
4)
Remove the water timer and faucet multiplier. Store them in a warm
place where they will not freeze.
5) Note: you
DO NOT need to disconnect and remove the soaker hoses. They should
last 4-6 years before you need to replace them. Check the soaker
hoses each spring for holes. You can patch these holes with
high-friction Silicone tape. You may also leave outdoors
all-year-round any valve splitters that were used to increase the
soaker hoses in a particular water zone.
You now
have an inexpensive water soaker system that won't break the bank.
You have saved thousands of dollars and can boast of being a friend
to our environment. You clearly are doing your part for
water conservation and the ecology. Nice going!
About the
Author:
Carl Chesal is a business
and channel development consultant, trainer, internet marketer and
professional photographer. His hobbies include Gardening and
Woodworking. He operates BizFare
Enterprise Inc , providing business, marketing, and internet
marketing consulting services. Bizfare Enterprise also operates a
number of secure on-line shopping sites, like Home And Body How
To
» left by Tom Braddock from Bandera, TX (262 days 15 hours ago.)
This article provided me with enough information to communicate my needs to a handyman who has the technology, skill and patience to carry out such a project. THANKS!!!
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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