Due to water scarcity, most localities across the country are battling to keep yards irrigated throughout the summer. If you live in an area where water usage is restricted, a micro water system is an ideal way to beat the heat. This system of drip tubing and small sprayers delivers water straight to the base of the plants, saving up to 50% on overall water consumption.
All you need to set up a drip irrigation system is a tap outside your house, a hose, and a few connections. It only takes a few moments of planning and two or three hours of installation to set up a framework.
Let’s start with the process:
Overview of the system:
Drip irrigation system consists of a hose fitted with plastic emitters, that permit water to trickle out at a controlled movement without stopping up. The tubing is laid around the plants and trees to get water into their roots.
You can go for pre-punched tubing with emitters already installed, or unperforated tubing, which you have to punch holes in and fix emitters in it. Unperforated tubing is useful for an irregular garden design or layout.
Sprays for covering a small area, foggers for anything that is hanging, emitters for root irrigation, and other accessories are available on the market. Plan your tubing according to your garden's layout and get the tubes and accessories you'll need. In the event that you are unable to plan your garden yourself, you may always contact a local supplier or manufacturer for assistance.
Connecting to an outlet of water:
Install the vacuum breaker to the pressure controller. This part will not let the hose water from rushing back into the main water lines.
Now assemble the filter into the pressure controller. Now attach the hose swivel to the open end of the filter.
Once you fix the hose swivel, fix your hose onto the barbed end of the hose swivel and tighten it properly to avoid water leakage. Screw the entire assembly to the hose bib.
Laying of the tubing in the garden:
Fix the hose or tubing into the hose bib. Use barbed connectors to connect the pipes together. Also, punch holes in the pipe and fix emitters in it.
Now, once everything is done, lay down the tubing near the roots of the plants. Try to keep a distance of 10 to 12 inches between the line of tubing.
Putting ground stakes to hold the piping:
Once you have laid down the piping in the ground according to your garden requirements, it is time to use ground stakes to hold the piping down steadily. Please check to see if all the hooks fall over the piping and not miss it.
Use connectors whenever 90-degree angles are required in the layout. Leave the ends of the pipe open so as to flush it later if required.
Tubing around trees and plants:
Position circles of ¼-inch tubing around the trees and plants.
Utilize a hole punch to puncture the ½-inch tubing where the circle will start. Add a little tee connector into the opening.
Attach emitters into the ¼-inch tubing and position it to one side of the tree. Then make a rope shape around the tree. The circle ought to be sufficiently large to stretch out mostly out to the edge of the tree's canopy.
Cut the tubing and connect the end to the opposite side of the tree.
Putting sprayers;
In the case of dense plants and shrubs, where it is not possible to place piping through them, use sprayers for ground coverage.
Pierce the main pipeline and attach the unperforated ¼-inch tubing with the help of a straight connector. Attach a micro sprayer into the other end for spraying water onto the plants and shrubs.
Fix the position of the sprayer with the help of a ground cover. The same method can be used for foggers also.
Closing and covering of the tubing:
Once the layout and placement are finished, let the water gush in for around 1 or 2 minutes to get all the dirt out of the pipes. Once the dirt is out, close the open end of the pipe with the help of a clamp.
Have a final check to see if there is any leak in the connections, emitters are not clogged, etc. Once checked, cover the piping with 2 to 3 inches of mulch to avoid unnecessary evaporation.
Also read Most Innovative Irrigation system.
