Here is the system that goes to the raised beds coming off of a faucet next to the greenhouse ...
I bought two of these timers, one for the greenhouse and one for the raised beds. This one works fine for the greenhouse, but I want one that will allow longer and more frequent watering for the beds. I'm going to order one of these instead (I need another one anyway for the terrace garden on the lake side of the house so this one will still find a home). After the timer a Y Filter is attached and then a 30 PSI pressure regulator followed by an Easy Loc Fitting (when Dripworks says that these are easier to use than compression fittings they are right!) Next the fitting is attached to the 1/2" tubing that goes to the beds. When we rebuilt the garden FitzGyver added water and power lines plus the 1/2" tubing to the beds ...
... Raindrip compression T fittings (here's a picture ... I bought mine at the local Ace Hardware) take the tubing from the main line to each of the beds where they are closed off and then attached to some 1/4" tubing (again, from Ace Hardware) using a hole punch and a barb connector...
... a 1/4" Vari-Flow Valve was then inserted ...
... allowing me to turn off the drip system to any of the beds that are currently not in use. 1/4" Emitter Tubing was then attached (I found some with 6" hole spacing at the McLendon's Ace Hardware in Belfair) and laid out on the surface of the beds. I'm using loop stakes to hold the tubing in place now instead of eye pins; I found it was easier to take the tubing up and then lay it back down when I amend and replant a bed....
A second barb fitting was used to attach some 1/4" tubing to the 1/2" line in the beds ...
... and then this tubing was run over to the tomato boxes and a 1 GPH Drip Emitter was attached (I will be burying these lines soon to eliminate trip hazards).
That's it for the raised beds ... now for the greenhouse ...
A timer was attached to the faucet and then a Y Filter followed by a 3 Way Hose Splitter.
A T fitting was attached to one of the hose outlets and then a pressure regulator and Easy Loc Fitting with 1/2" tubing going to the greenhouse bench.
Barb fittings attach the 1/4" tubing and drip emitters that go to the plant trays ...
Another pressure regulator and Easy Loc Fitting attaches a second section of 1/2" tubing ...
... and more 1/4" tubing with drip emitters are connected with barbs for each of the container plantings ...
... including the hanging baskets.
It really didn't take very much time or effort and I like knowing that I can leave for a few days and my garden will be automatically watered using a water saving system :)
Enjoy!
It all looks so great! We are on drip here, too, and like you, we are making a few changes here and there. Thanks for sharing - I didn't know about the 1/4 inch vari-flow valve - that would help out a lot with some of our areas that we plant late.
ReplyDeleteVery Nice setup. Our pressure is 70 psi. Can I hook up the regulator to drop it down? Or is 70 psi to high to reduce down to 30 psi.
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