gravity fed watering spike

[Beetroot Bob]

some time last year a read a post where some people were reccomending a ceramic spike connedted to a line to water thier toms. I think it was from a German company but I can't for the life me find them now.

Can anybody help please

I think they were about £40 for a set of 6.

[Alison]

Can't remember what they're called but have a feeling I've seen something in the Two Wests and Elliot catalogue which would be worth you looking at.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I have been looking at these kind of watering systems for some time and trying to figure out how to do it for minimal cost.

This year I going to try with silicone tubing as used for aquarium air supplies 6mm x 5 mtrs £2-99. Plus they do all the 'T' joints valves etc you could need.

The idea is to plant a piece of 15mm plastic pipe with holes drilled in it into the pot and then drip feed into that. The rig would be supply by a standard 4/10 gallon plastic tank placed on my bench.

The only problem I have at the moment is the connection into the tank itself.
If anyone has any ideas?

Colin

[sandspider]

I did this Colin, but didn't bury the tubing or pierce it - I just got multiple valve assemblies of aquarium tubing and ran a single pipe from each valve to my plant pots. It worked, but was fiddly to adjust all the valves to get an even distribution of water. (I alwasy seemed to end up doing it last minute before I went away, so got a flooded windowsill or floor several times). It should work with a bit more care and time setting up.

For reservoirs I used a couple of 2L coke bottles, and I just drilled a hole in the cap of each bottle and stuck the aquarium tube connector in with araldite. Didn't leak from there at all. You may want to try it on something else before drilling holes in your water tank - if I got it wrong on a bottle cap it really wasn't much of a problem! (Not that it was tricky, but just in case...)

[Bigmallly]

There is a thread here on that subject.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...now_47677.html

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks for that people.

Me being tighter than the ducks perverbial I have thrown out the idea of using a bought tank. and am now going to use 5lt plastic containers, ex washing liquid etc.

Priced up the rest and the cost comes in at less than a tenner.

Colin

[bazzaboy]

There was a related discussion last Spring coz I recall singing the praises of the Easy2Grow watering system, see
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ood_49790.html
I'd still sing their praises as, although I haven't tried with toms, last year I had the best crops of chillies, peppers, cucs and aubergines I'd ever managed and wholly down to regular watering. The only catch is they're a bit pricey (now on eBay) but for PTD and others of the duck persuasion (fair enough, me too whenever pos) the PRINCIPLE of the Easy2Grow is one worth considering...

Most of the equipment is pretty straightforward... there's a tank of water that is higher than the trays which it feeds by gravity... the plants sit in large pots in the trays and so draw water upwards... Simples! (so far!). There are two clever bits....
1. is that something like small gravel and weed suppressant fabric is used at the bottom of the pots so that roots cannot get into the trays, water can get through it but roots can't....
and then
2, the really clever bit, a little valve arrangement that ensures the water in the trays stays at a fixed and fairly shallow level.

The trouble with any drip feed system is controlling the drip (drips too fast and you get overflow and an empty tank, drips too slow and plant is not watered as required....). It shouldn't be that difficult to invent a valve that works, partic if you're familiar with the old fashioned ballcock valve on a WC tank... as it fills it reduces the flow to a point where it stops completely and the WC tank is full. That's it! A floating cork on a fixed hinged arm, as the cork rises the supply is reduced. There may well be something you can already buy that's smaller than the trad ballcock arrangement that does that efficiently (because of course water will always find a way) but of all the gadgets I've tried to assist watering this one has been, by far, the most useful and effective. Hope that helps. bb.

[chris]

Rather than having to adjust all the valves in a series layout, why not run multiple feeds? You'll not have to mess around with altering the first in the series then - each time you alter the ones further down the link?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Good idea Chris,
SWMBO arrived home today with 2 10ltr plastic containers these have been well cleaned and rinsed and are now drying. I have bought some of the other stuff so should have a prototype by the weekend.

Colin