Polytunnel Watering

[JennieAtkinson]

How do other folk water veg etc in their polytunnel?

Most days I water with a spray from a tap I managed to get put on from the main just outside the polytunnel, but it takes me ages. When we go away I use the overhead watering system on a timer, which is quite effective, but I find later in the year the water just sits on the leaves and doesn't get to the ground.

Was wondering about perforated pipe on a timer - anyone tried this?

Also is it better to water every day or a very heavy dose twice a week? I noticed even yesterday with the sun out for a bit the temperature was up around 25 degrees in the polytunnel (was b****y freezing outside with the wind chill!)

Grateful for any advice, or what works for others.

[nick the grief]

Someone I know uses the spray nozzled that are on a spike about 6" above the soil. This gets around the problem with the leaves. As to good soaking against a spray, it depends on your crop JA. Tomatoes shouldn't be allowed to dry out else they start spliting, but you don't want to give them too much either.

I think the best advice is to see how you get on in the area where your tunnel is, no two are exactly the same so you have to adapt acordingly. Bit of a cop out I guess but I think that would be the best plan.

If you were to really push me I'd say give a good drink 2 or 3 times a week.

[andrewo]

Perforated pipe or drip pipe would be okay, I would worry about any water getting on the leaves in the heat of summer and causing fungal problems. As long as the watering would get to the roots. I have seen this done before, I have also seen growers dig in mini canals or trenches and filled these up from a water butt, water collected off the sides of the tunnel (some tunnels can have guttering fitted), allowing plenty of water to get to the roots.

[pigletwillie]

I use 2 1000litre IBC containers to water my tunnel, one per side. They are sat on 3 pallets to give the water a bit of pressure and from the tap 14mm pipe goes along each bed with individual drippers to each plant. Each plant has an upturned pop bottle planted next to it so the water drips into these and strainght to the roots. I just use the tap to vary the flow and will just increase it a bit if very hot weather is forcast for a few days. It drips about 50 litres a day per side but as this system is new it may get turned down depending on how the plants are. With this method I can go up to 10 days or so without having to physically go and water the tunnel and it makes life easy for neighbours to look after it.

[JennieAtkinson]

Great ideas chaps - thanks.

PW - what do you mean by a "pop" bottle. See Andrewo refers to one elsehwere too.

[sewer rat]

Jennie
Pop is what some of the more southern grapes called fizzy drinks such as coke so I assume they mean the smaller coke ' irn bru type bottles, not the 2 litre ones that can be cut up to be used as single plant cloches.

[andrewo]

No any fizzy drink is referred in this area of the North as a Pop bottle, it is a generic term from the noise they used to make when they opened before screw tops. I use the big pop bottles

[Jaxom]

JA, Ginger bottles would do to See I know a bit of Scots too.
[After me messages I sometimes get a piece to sit at me windy with.]
Jax

[JennieAtkinson]

Ah - thanks SR.

Jaxom - was that said with a Welsh accent?

[Jaxom]

Jennie. OK, I know the words just dont have the accent A bit like the seven times table, I know the tune but not the words.
Jax

[Berr]

Jaxom, yer heid's nippin, wee man.

Piglet,
I'd appreciate some more info. re. those water containers: material, source, etc. They look the biz.

Berr.

[Caithness Gardener]

I bought two of the perforated irrigation hoses from Lidl - might be some left in a store near U