Drip Irrigation Experiment 3

The second drip irrigation barrel was easier and less expensive to make.

I drilled a 7/8” hole near the bottom and forced an old ¾” hose bib in. It took a lot of force to start turning that hose bib, but once it was in, no leaks, and no need for a washer or even a nut or fitting to hold it in place. The same went for the 2” PVC fitting used as a fill spout. Cutting the hole just slightly too small made for a tight fit and no fitting on the inside to hold it in place.

This bed is not as wide as the other, so I used two emitter pipes rather than four. I drilled 1/16” holes approximately 12” apart. It takes about six hours to empty the 50 gallon barrel, which means, I hope, my irrigator will water our garden plants for six long hot hours each day this summer.

I used a product called “Liquid Tape” to seal the 1/8 inch holes on my first effort, and re-drilled on the other side of the pipe with the 1/16” bit.







Comments

  1. How has this system worked and has it been used every year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It worked for a couple seasons. We moved the garden, began focusing on mulch, and eventually abandoned the beds and barrels.

      Delete
  2. How do these barrels get filled with rainwater? I don't see any structure or guttering filling them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Rick. They weren't designed as a rainwater system. They were simply a way to more efficiently water the garden plants.

      Delete
    2. If it didn't work well enough to continue it, why not take down this pic? It would save other newbies the expense of making it.

      Delete
  3. These are simply raised beds with a little irrigation system. They worked like raised beds work. We planted in them a couple seasons. Make yours any way you like and use them as long as you please. Take pictures and post them on your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  4. how long do you assume it would work if you didn't stop using it?

    ReplyDelete
  5. A professional drip irrigation system for your garden or nursery requires quality fittings to complete the picture. Install and manage sprinkler systems with drip system tubing and drip fitting. Check our products here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm confused. You drilled a 7/8" hole and had to force a 3/4" hose in? This seems backwards. 3/4" is smaller than 7/8".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The outside diameter of a 3/4 garden hose measures slightly over an inch!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Drip Irrigation Experiment 2

Improvised Shelves for our Frigidaire Refrigerator