Eureka…… it’s done!    No more hoses to move around!

All this California drought talk and Sue’s recent drip irrigation post inspired me to get off my butt and modify my old vegetable garden drip system for a growing collection of figs trees.  With a little help from my gardener, some new poly pipe and emitters, we are now in business.  

This year when repotting trees, I decided to bury them about 8” below grade.  We get a light afternoon ocean breeze here and last year I spent way too much time righting toppled top heavy trees or staking them.   Also, last year I had a couple inches of mulch around each pot and noticed, at repot time; lateral roots had grown out the bottom and helped anchor many.  So, with this measure, I hope to end the toppling plus give the roots a chance to spread underneath in old garden soil in search of water too.    

After consulting with the local farm and garden purveyor, I decided to take his recommendation and go with a “Spot-Spitter” or Spray Stake.   He claimed this was the standard all for nursery stock and greenhouse growers around here.  Affordable too..!   I’m running the system at 30 PSI, only because that was already in place, and that seems to work fine.   I would use 15 or 20 PSI regulators, if I had to do over.   What I like about these emitters too is, they are adjustable for pot coverage, just a matter of how far you insert into potting medium.    As of now I’m dealing with 3 & 7 gal pots so, the spotter covers the whole a pot surface.  Bigger pots, just add another spotter or two!

Also, because I’m such a klutz about tripping over exposed pipe, I buried the 1/2” drip lateral just under the surface so you see only the micro feeder tube to the pot.   Now I have free unfettered room to fuss with trees and hopefully harvest fruit.

System was just activated last week so; I’m still playing around checking output of emitter and run time.   I pull an emitter out here and there (beginning and end of lines), stick it in a ½ gallon milk jug for a gage.  I’m thinking the trees tell me plus weather will dictate the watering cycle and duration.   Not to foget my trusty moisture meter!     

Anybody need a few used garden hoses? ………..  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome Job. This is exactly how I do it in Michigan.

I really love your set up

Dan

Check this out.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/fig-orchard-irrigation-pics-5410087?pid=1269505834#post1269505834

Jack,

I use the Spot Spitters and love them. So flexible to use and simplistic nothing to malfunction. If they clog pop them off and back on. Remove a plant, just reverse the stick.  I have left my poly exposed as I move it all around and snake in different use almost every year, but burying like you did would be way to go on a permanent setup. Below is post on my setup last year with several inches of wood chippings to keep upright and it save me much time.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/my-figs-summerized-6894477?pid=1282747490#post1282747490

Jack ,

Very nice! How many pots can be watered on one hose?
I was thinking to do something very similar too.

Dennis…. Thanks, a nice set up you have too.  My lemon grove is a micro sprinkler system also and works super, good for in ground trees with large root zone.   For pots though, these spot spitters are the cat’s meow. 

Strudeldog……. Aren’t those spot spitters cool, few parts, very flexible, easy to install.  I see your trees are all in pots too.  Mine are all 3 and 7 gallon, I hope to keep in pots at least a few years until I can sample fruit and decide what to keep.  Luckily here, no annual shuffle or protection so, easy maintenance!

Igor…..  if connecting poly pipe to hose, I guess it would depend on your water pressure.  You could easily manifold ½”or ¾” poly to many zones.   The chart below should give you an idea, depending on size of emitter and pressure.   Surprisingly it’s a bunch…!

SPOT-SPITTER – Installation Instructions

BTW…. I used the brown emitter for 7 gal and grey emitter for 3 gal pot @30 PSI.  I’m getting almost too much flow or force and thinking of changing the regulators to maybe 20 PSI.   All of these drip systems are designed to perform best at reduced pressure, your house pressure is probably at least 65 PSI or higher so, those cheap little inline regulator (see first photo) are almost a must.    Unless you like making constant repairs due to blown fittings and emitters that is….. :-)

Thank you, Jack!
Those suggestions are quite valuable. I am sure I will make a few mistakes but hopefully not as many now :)

Great Job, Jack! This post came just in time for me since I have components of a drip system in boxes, and plan to install it this weekend.

Awesome setup. I'm looking to do something like that this year as well. Very nice work, thanks for the pics!

Sweet looking set-up Jack.