From: erickson@Ingres.COM (Rod Erickson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: drip irrigation from a bucket? (summary of replies)
Summary: Email responses summarized
Date: 6 Oct 92 00:21:27 GMT
Reply-To: erickson@Ingres.COM (Rod Erickson)

As promised, here's the summary of email responses to my query
about temporary drip irrigation away from hoses.
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In <1992Sep28.231906.8462@pony.Ingres.COM>, I asked:

Any references on a temporary, easy way to irrigate from a container of water?

I'm moving to a sunny, dry climate (Healdsburg CA), and want to get some vines
started for visual screening.  When starting out, they'll need water at least
daily; a drip system would greatly improve their chances of survival.
The location doesn't permit keeping a hose in place.
One day's storage capacity is a minimum; 4 days' would greatly expand our
options.  Water conservation isn't a big issue, since we're on a good well.

Is there an easy way to feed drip emitters from a container (bucket, barrel)?
Does this actually work?  (Low/variable pressure, etc).
--------------------
Aside from the postings you all saw, 3 email messages were received.
(My comments are delimited by "E: ")
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Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 18:09:26 PDT
From: fiddler@dobbs.Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix)

Go down to your friendly local hardware emporium, wander into the
plumbing/irrigation area, and look for RainDrip (or local equivalent) stuff.

If you're moving to Healdsburg (I lived about 40 miles southeast of there
in Angwin for 6 years), you should be able to find an Orchard Supply store
either there or in Santa Rosa.  I think.

>Is there an easy way to feed drip emitters from a container (bucket, barrel)?

Sure.  Install a fitting at the bottom of the container, hook up a
connector (RainDrip has a boatload of different types) downstream of some
sort of shutoff valve, and run your line from there.

>Does this actually work?  (Low/variable pressure, etc).

If you have to move the water tank/barrel/bucket out of the way, you might
want to put in something like Gardena quick disconnect couplings so you can
hook in to the installed drip lines when you move the container over, and
disconnect when you move it away.

Easy to set up...we have our garden distributed over 9 4'x8'x1' raised
beds, all plumbed for drip.  The initial design isn't perfect (devised
originally for flower beds), but the Mk. II system is going in this
winter and will wrok even better for row crops.

I like drip...and it's simple enough for software types to put in.  :}
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Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 08:30:47 pdt
From: Tom Bruhns <tomb@lsid.hp.com>

I've thought a bit about what you suggest, as a way to water plants on
my deck when we go on vacation.  However, I haven't actually tried it.
I figure that you need a bit of elevation, to get enough pressure to
overcome surface tension in the forming drops at the emitters.  Also, if
you have very many emitters, you will want the first one the water gets
to to be the highest one, so that there will be some pressure remaining
at the subsequent ones; with very low delivery pressure, there will be
so little back pressure from the first emitter that very little would
remain for the rest of the system.  Anyway, it seems to me that the
recommended pressure is about 15 psi.  If they will operate on 1/3 that,
then you could operate them with about 10 feet of elevation to the
supply bucket/jug.  I'd do it as a syphon, from a 5 or 10 gallon minimum
container.  I'd use very small emitters so I wouldn't have to refill
the container very often.  If I could get down to about 1/2 gallon/hour
total flow, I'd still be stuck with figuring out some sort of timer
valve on it, though, for vacation watering...and that's what's kept me
from spending more time trying to actually get it working!
--------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 12:34:15 -0700
From: gere@umunhum.stanford.edu (Susan Gere)

> Water conservation isn't a big issue, since we're on a good well.

You will think differently when you and your neighbors have lowered
the water table far enough. It used not to be an issue in the Owens
Valley.

Look around for what grows wild, for large scale landscaping.

E: I spoke more broadly than intended.  Compared to my previous, very frugal
E: urban house on aqueduct water, conservation is less of an issue.
E: But I'm still taking measures like a low-flow showerhead and drip irrig.
E: There will be less than a dozen vines, watered for a matter of months
E: while they get established.  Once I get around to larger-scale plantings,
E: native and drought-tolerant will predominate.
--------------------
Thank you all for your replies (email and posted).
	Rod Erickson  		(510) 748-2505		erickson@ingres.com
Newsgroups: rec.gardens