Micro Irrigation - Tips? [Also Hozelock v's B&Q?]

[maillme]

Hi there,

Im obsessed with gadgets and automation, and when i seen an electonic water timer in lidl for £12.99 - I had to buy it!

I have:

a) a Standard Greenhouse, complete with 12 Chilli Plants, 3 Pepper Plants (Growbags), 3 Tomato Plants (Growbags).
b) A 30sq m veg patch - which next year will have various crop (onions, carrots, lettuce etc)

I seen the micro irrigation systems on various websites, and took a trip to B & Q - And seen they have their own brand to compete with the hozelock equivelant. - I'm now overwhelmed with info - and have no idea what i need? But i would like to hae all my crop to be watered via this.

i would like to keep my plants with sufficient water at all times - but there is so many bits and bobs to these systems, therefore i have the following questions for anyone that can help:

a) Hozelock or B & Q (is there any real diff?)
b) Do i need 7mm or 16mm - E.g. can you connect them direct to the pressure regulator that goes on the tap?
c) Drip Feed or Mist Sprayer? - How many?
d) 90, 180 or 360 degree's


So many questions! - Im Such a newbie!

many thanks,
Neil

p.s. - new to gardening this year!

[Stacey Steve]

I use Hozelock in the garden and it has been a God send as we always used to forget to water the hanging baskets.

This type has a pressure regulator as I think even if you could reduce down from your tap size to the 16mm, that the pressure could be too great.

Basically the 16mm pipe acts as a manifold in that the 7mm tubes that run in our case to the baskets "plug" into the 16mm and the droppers or sprays would then plug into the 7mm tubes.

If you are going to use droppers, then I would recommend using adjustable ones.

The sprays I have never used but as with all systems, you need to plan out what you are trying to acheive with each part of your system.

If you want to damp down a whole area of say a greenhouse, then strategically placed 360 sprays would seem best, whereas if you wanted to spray individual plants then a restricted pattern would seem best.

What ever brand you use, you will have to plan out first.

[Kristen]

Couple of thoughts:

The pipe is more rigid than garden hose, so won;'t go round (tight) bends, and thus you will need elbow joints.

If you have hard water the misting things may be prone to clogging up. Getting some less-mist more-jet nozzles might be better. I don't have mains water to the greenhouse, but I would love to have a line of misters along the ridge.

I would suggest running a pipe round the greenhouse foundation (on the inside) and spur off that for each plant. Taps are available for the 7mm tube, so you can add those next year early in the season when some of the places in your greenhouse have not yet got a plant to be watered, and if you are generous with the length of the 7mm feeder-pipes they can be manoeuvred to wherever the plant is.

I agree adjustable drippers. Stick a tin under it and see how long it takes to fill, and adjust the dripper / timer accordingly.

[Alison]

The B&Q stuff is fine, it's pretty much the same as the more expensive brands. It's worth trying to reduce the head loss along your system, for example a 90degree bend has well over twice the losses of 2 45degree bends. Bascially, try and avoid too many restrictions to the flow otherwise your pressure will be all over the place. I've found that the adjustable drippers are fab as you can open them up further when they're further along the system thereby coping with changes in pressure. Mind you, I only have mine running off a water butt on a purely gravity system so you may be different if you're using it via a pressure reducers on the mains.

[Kristen]

"I only have mine running off a water butt on a purely gravity system"

What brand / model of timer are you using Alison? I gather that a special type of valve is needed, as the normal kind actually need high back-pressure [from the mains]

[Alison]

"I only have mine running off a water butt on a purely gravity system"

What brand / model of timer are you using Alison? I gather that a special type of valve is needed, as the normal kind actually need high back-pressure [from the mains]

Not as far as I know, my timer was just the cheapest one that B&Q sold, it's a battery operated thing that opens the valve for the time set for whatever duration I've gone for. Mine is pretty simple and opens once a day for a set time but some are more fancy. Don't see why pressure would come into it but there may be different types. Not quite sure of the exact one but it's something like this - Hozelock Cyprio Aqua Control Timer Yellow/Black, 5010646018029

[NOG]

"I only have mine running off a water butt on a purely gravity system"

What brand / model of timer are you using Alison? I gather that a special type of valve is needed, as the normal kind actually need high back-pressure [from the mains]

I have a dripper system that is connected to the water butt..cost £5 in £streacher. works lovelerly

[Kristen]

"Don't see why pressure would come into it but there may be different types"

I can't remember exactly, but I think there are two types of valve:

One rotates, so that the bore is blocked, or has a hole to flow through.

The other has a ball bearing, and a spring, and I think it is this type that requires more than 1 bar water pressure to push the ball out of the way for water to flow.

[nick nack]

Tesco were selling a micro drainage system for around £5/£6, went in the store the other week and they were £1.25 so I picked up 5 boxes. Won't need to worry about the watering next years holiday

NN