Big Drippa

[Nicky]

Has anyone used a big drippa system before and if so how did you get on with it?
I've just installed one in my greenhouse to water the tomatoes but I can't seem to get the drips to go slow enough and there seems to be leakage where the pipe joins onto the drippa nozzle.
Any ideas would be appreicated as I was trying to get it all sorted out before I go away and have someone come and water the grenhouse and plot for me.

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Nicky - is that the bag system or the pipe system.

I tried the bag system a couple of years ago, but found the heat in the polytunnel just made the water stream out too quickly. Can you hang it outside the greenhouse to slow it down? You can turn the nozzles upright a bit and that stops the water gushing out too quick.

I've just installed a drippa system in the new greenhouse, but again like you it is working, but in places providing too much water around leaky bits and others not enough.

Sorry this isn't probably much help. Let us know which system it is.

[Sue]

Nicky
I had the one called Big Drippa and couldn't get the nozzles right, the tubing kept twisting around and I'd get one sorted and the other two would go awry, such a pain, stopped using it.
Perhaps I've got a jinx as I can't get those nozzle things you use with plastic bottles to work properly either...
Sue

[JennieAtkinson]

Me neither Sue (the nozzle things I mean)

[Protea]

I bought 3 big drippa packs last year - completely useless! Not only does the bag empty in a matter of hours, the water gushes out of the drippers nearest the bag, and hardly any comes out of the end ones. The drippers were really hard to control, once i'd got them dripping instead of gushing, i'd go to check them 20 mins later and nothing was coming out!!

I got them to help me out in the greenhouse, but they actually took more time to organise than filling the watering can so i gave up. I would install a proper mains run system if i had an outside tap, but i'll make do with my watering can this year.

[tattiefritter]

That doesn't sound promising, I got some to try to make my watering easier, especially as I'm going away for a week next Friday.

[xspye]

you could try leaky or soaker hose pipe. that way you can control the amount of water by turning the tap and it will be a constant supply. if thats not an option i guess you will have to speak nicely to the neighbours or friends!

[poozie]

Mulching around plants with a thick wedge of newspaper covered in mud will keep moisture in. Last year I kept my beans going on the height of summer like this and although we did water a few times during the week it was never a proper soaking. The ground stayed moist under the paper it kept the weeds down. You could drip the water under the paper.

[Nicky]

Hmmmmm.... it's the big drippa kit. I've one with just 3 nozels on it, soon to be added to and one with 9. The one with 9 does empty out fairly quick even though I've got it tied up so that it's lowers than the first nozzel.
I've tried tightening them up, some work, others don't and if it does stem the flow I find it leaks out the joints between the pipe and nozzel.
Problem is I don't have access to a hosepipe other than for a few minutes each night as it's anallotment. I've bought a tap that I can fit to a waterbutt when I get one hopefully to run all but the drippers off for the plants that are on the floor - I was going to keepa dripper bag for the stuff I have on shelves.
I don't think I could use a dripper/seaping hose as I need to get the water into pots and grow bags.

[seasprout]

I had one of these bag things.. waste of time, could not regulate the 'drip' It emptyed very quickly, then the outlet in the bag blocked up, as far as i know it still is as I have left it in the shed this year.

[Phreddy]

Drip watering

I am very interested in this system and did a Google. Came up with lots of Africa related stuff which included a build-your-own cement tank using cement over grass matting and run a hose with holes in from that.

The comments that poozie made are a good idea, I am using poor quality cardboard boxes and covering with compost. Paper was too fiddly.

Phreddy

[clareg]

Hi,

I tried to use the Big Drippa system this year and had the same problems, came out too fast on some and not at all on others. Sorry, but they are complete rubbish.

Clareg

[moggssue]

When I was away a couple of weekends ago I used the upside down water bottle idea (a tiny hole in the bottom of the bottle means the water just slowly seeps into the pot) and it worked fine - but it was only two days and not a whole week, I dont know that it would last that long Nicky but if all else fails ....

[Greentoejoe]

Hi I used a Big Drippa to handle feeding 4 plants for 3 months. It is the most wonderful drip system I used even tho it may be tricky to set up. One of the troubles people have is the nozzles are tight and tough to set at a reasonable drip rate. The trick is to tighten it as tight as it can be (without damaging the nozzle) and ever slightly open it in just loose enough so it drips at the rate you want. If you loosen it and too much comes out retighten and try again. The way the line works is the closest nozzle from the bag will have more pressure than the last nozzle on the line. What I suggest is , tighten all nozzles closed. Start with the last nozzle on the line get it to the drip level then move to the next. Im not sure if the company made any improvements on the nozzles but I noticed they have no washers. You can line the thread of the nozzle with a light layer of seran wrap , it helps and also helps controll the drip rate too. Play with it it works great and so simple.

Edit: Forgot to mention I had it set for 4 plants and would require refill every 3-6 days... deoending on what stage of growth my plants are in.

[bazzaboy]

Some of these "micro-irrigation" kits they sell in garden centres seem to me to be the quickest way to a mental breakdown... argh, how do you regulate the flow, which bit does what etc...? I find the cheapest (i.e. free) easiest end of the market is an inverted plastic bottle (with a watering spike or even just a hole punched in the cap) inserted near the roots, tied to a supporting cane, the bottom cut out so you can get the water in.... Regulate the flow by adding earth, gravel, pebbles, sand etc to slow it down.... The word "drip" is misleading because you don't want a "drip" at all but a "wick" so that moisture is drawn in as the plant dries the soil adjacent to its roots... It takes a few trials to get it right but you'll manage it over a few days (so if going away give yourself ample time to experiment...). Larger bottles obviously last longer! (And of course mulch the exposed surface of the pot/growbag with horti-gravel or bark chippings or cardboard etc to reduce evaporation.)

If you don't mind some costs the one commercial gadget I've used and would be happy to recommend for "special" plants in the greenhouse (works out too pricey for all plants...) is the "Easy 2 Grow" system sold, for example by Lakeland:
Easy 2 Grow Kit - Lakeland, the home of creative kitchenware
This is basically a large reservoir and a fairly simple system of filter mats and a flow valve that ensures constant moisture - at least this one does what it says it will do and is virtually maintenance free! Although as the name suggests each basic system is only for 2 plants/pots there's also an extension kit that extends it to 4 plants/pots. Inventive folk could take the idea and endlessly adapt it to serve more plants/pots....

But I s'pose best of all (and really money-saving!) is a watering can and cancel your hols.... bb