Drip irrigation

The main condition for agricultural technology is regular irrigation of grown plants. Drip irrigation will help to facilitate this work for summer residents, which is easy to organize with your own hands from improvised means or using the factory installation.

Pros and cons of drip irrigation

The proposed irrigation system has many advantages. Therefore, if it is possible to equip drip irrigation, you should use this.

Advantages of the method:

• water is supplied to plants, regardless of the time of day;
• irrigation is uniform;
• savings are observed due to dosing;
• the ability to use water of any quality.

The summer resident no longer needs to monitor whether the soil is wet or not. Thanks to the drip irrigation system, the gardener can devote the free time to other work on the site or indulge in rest.

Drip irrigation

It is fed exclusively under the roots, so moisture does not get on the foliage and fruits, which avoids many diseases. At the same time, the soil is not washed out, as is often the case with manual watering. A crust does not form on the surface either, because the irrigation pipes supply water to the upper layer of the dermis.

Drip systems are equipped not only with the opening of the garden. Almost every greenhouse is equipped with similar installations equipped with timers. In this way, you can also water house plants by installing a mini indoor unit. Here, a medical kit for droppers will be in place.

Drip irrigation

Thanks to this type of irrigation, weed control is minimized. Drip systems allow you to combine irrigation with fertilization. In this variant, the nutrient components are delivered to the plant faster if it was done in another way.

Minuses:

• factory installation requires money;
• control of the liquid in the tank is required;
• drip tubes are often clogged and fail;
• the hose is a good bait for rodents.

These disadvantages are isolated and easily eliminated. If a factory production system is too expensive, you might consider doing drip irrigation yourself. Then the cost will be less tangible. Fortunately, you can find a set with all the accessories on sale.

It is not difficult to control how filled the barrel is with water. Knowing the approximate fluid consumption, you can always fill the gap in time.

Components

A drip irrigation system is not just a reservoir of water and hoses laid out on the ground (or in its upper layer). To equip convenient watering on your site, you will have to complete the system with a large list of components.

What is included in the drip irrigation kit

To be able to supply liquid fertilizer, an injector is connected to the system. Suction hoses are attached to it.

Device and principle of operation

Microdroplet irrigation is easy to provide. The simplest device of the system may look like this:

• at an elevation of about 1 m from the surface of the earth, a reservoir with water is installed (large barrel, trolley, cistern, etc.);
• in the lower part of the tank, an outlet valve is mounted, to which the main water supply (pipe, hose) is attached;
• branches are formed from the central tape by means of droppers and starters;
• droppers-knitting needles are connected to the pipes running along the rows for each bush in the garden;
• there are plugs at the end of the water lines to prevent water from pouring out.

The principle of the system is that moisture is supplied directly under the plant. It does not matter what the composition of the soil is - the system will provide good harvests in any conditions.

If the other end of the central line is connected to the top of the tank, a closed process will result when the system operates under its own pressure. In this case, the pressure force is regulated by the selection of the height of the tank location.

Correctness of the end of the tubes

A pump can be installed in the system, which will replenish the liquid in the tank, taking water from a well, well or reservoir. It is better not to connect the system to the central water supply without a pressure regulator - not all parts will be able to withstand the pressure.

Fittings purpose

Without these elements, it is impossible to mount the system. Drip irrigation fittings are a set of angles, tees, adapters, couplings, fittings, etc. Some provide branches from the main line, others allow you to change the angle of rotation, and others to lengthen the lines. Using fittings, the hoses are connected to the taps.

Drip Irrigation Fittings

To ensure that the irrigation system is reliable, and no water leaks anywhere, the connecting elements made of metal are selected for the diameters so that the fit of the parts is as tight as possible.

There are several types of drip fittings:

• automatic irrigation controller, sensors, valves and other elements for lawn installations;
• droppers, filters, lines for irrigation of the site;
• sprayers are gardening.

The summer resident will decide which type to choose, based on the main purpose of the irrigation system.

Drip irrigation systems overview

If it is possible to purchase a factory-type irrigation unit, you need to choose based on their technical characteristics. The best option would be automatic systems that do not need to be monitored. Below is an overview of the already popular drip irrigation devices.

Popular drip irrigation systems

In order not to be mistaken in choosing a branded original and to have a quality guarantee, it is better to purchase system settings through online stores. Each manufacturer has a distribution network.

For example, you can look at the official site of Leroy Merlin, “walk” through the catalog and choose what you like. Here you can really order ready-made kits for installing the system or pick up components for self-assembly.

Installation of drip systems

If the summer resident decided to equip the irrigation system himself, first you need to decide on some technical points. Be sure to pay attention to the place where the container with water will be installed - it must be even. The line diverges from the reservoir at a slight slope.

It is important to pay attention to drip tubing for irrigation:

• It can be a tape with drippers built into it with a gap of 100-400 mm. It is limited in length and requires minimal terrain gradients. The droppers are uncompensated, so the garden in different areas will receive different amounts of water;
• Compensated tubes of different thickness are available. This allows you to dose the water supply at your discretion. Therefore, a tomato or tree will receive moisture in the amount that they need. The dosage is not influenced by any terrain changes, or by pressure, or by the length of the line.

The pipe system, in contrast to the tape system, can be used on multi-tiered beds. It is easy to unfold and bend in the desired direction.

Installation steps

When starting to collect the drip irrigation system, the home craftsman acts according to the following scheme:

• mounts adjustable knots, placing pipes parallel to the beds;
• puts water mesh filters at the inlet of the nodes;
• if the site with landings is inclined, then a pressure reducer is also mounted;
• lays a highway from the distributing nodes to the water intake point;
• using special tees, it connects the pipe lines with the main line by means of flexible hoses;
• the central piping is directly connected to either the plumbing system or to the water tank.

When creating an irrigation system, they decide how the water supply to the plants will be carried out: with a garter to a specific bed, laying on the ground or mounting under a shelter.

Dacha is always a joy if you save yourself from the tedious duty of running around the garden with buckets and watering cans. Drip irrigation makes it easier to care for crops and allows you to visit the site less often than usual, relying on a reliable system.