Gravity fed water delivery system

[ChanellG]

I've been looking at some different ideas for how to deliver water to the plants in garden #3. There's a rainbird sprinker system in place, but it was ineffective even before I started redesigning the garden. I have the two risers in with arugula and I am almost done redoing the small raised bed. I decided to make a cement block tower at one end (think strawberry pyramid) and raise the front end of the bed a bit higher by adding another row of cinder blocks.

This is the area I am currently working on:

Not sure if you can see the hose in the upper right corner. It's laying on the ground by the black plastic just past the cinder blocks. I'm going to either re-route it for the arugula, or put it through one of the blocks in the corner to deliver water to the pyramid.

This is a simple bucket system. I like this idea, though I'm not sure how far a 5 gallon bucket's worth of water would go in providing water. (Especially for plants like parsley.)

There is also the issue of needing to fill the bucket daily (in hot weather) in order to deliver the water. Not exactly "set it and forget it."

This is it on a larger scale:

The open part of the bed is probably going to hold tomatoes and a makeshift olla - basically a terra cotta flower pot that's been plugged in the bottom like this:

Of course I will be using more than one of them -will be a set up like in this propagation box

So I'd like to learn from each of you what has worked best with drip irrigation and soaker hoses and what has not worked. It's a small area, but I'm going to be doing a lot more vertical planting. I'd originally wanted to put low growing herbs like thyme and oregano in fence board towers like this:

Thoughts?

 

[CanadianLori]

There are so many great ideas out there. I suggest you get a Y bracket and have a hose to each pail. Turn on the main faucet to fill them simultaneously when you need it?

Or get the lee valley stuff, use a T where the pails are? Once again, turn on the main faucet. Wait, turn off and walk away...

For me, I was thinking that maybe I could set up a secondary valve system for my gardens. Have a solar panel power a pump to take the water from the rain barrel up to a container that a: has an overflow back to the rainbarrel and b: has a spigot connected to irrigation lines to feed water to the gardens.
I don't think it would be practical for the hanging pots as I'd practically need a water tower to do that, but might be good enough for the plants on the deck or into the cold frames etc.

When it rains, use the water from the barrel, otherwise it's tap water.

 

[ChanellG]

There are so many great ideas out there. I suggest you get a Y bracket and have a hose to each pail. Turn on the main faucet to fill them simultaneously when you need it?

...When it rains, use the water from the barrel, otherwise it's tap water.

I have to use the system that is there, but I will need additional sources of water, so will employ multiple ideas, at least in the beginning. I like the idea of something solar. I saw a sprinkler in the ground today like the existing one, with a little tube feeding into a large container. I'm definitely going to look into those brackets.

 

[headfullofbees]

The thing about gravity-fed systems is that the bigger and taller your reservoir(s), the better pressure you get.
My 20x10 polytunnel has two water butts attached, and that will feed/water enough for three weeks before the pressure drops too far for safety.
This will be a problem with 10 gal reserve.
Mine is 115 gal (USA)

 

[gata montes]

I would just add to what headfullofbees has said regarding pressure - in that although the size and height of the storage tank are a contributing factor regarding pressure with a gravity fed system - another important aspect to consider is elevation and size of piping -

elevation - mainly because - as the pressure deceases as the water level in the tank drops - you will get better pressure if the tank is situated higher than the soil's surface.

piping - pipes sizes for low pressure water distribution need to be bigger - due to the fact that flow velocity is low.

 

[CanadianLori]

Hmmm, think maybe I'll stick with tap or hand watered rain barrel. Still might do a solar powered mini fountain though. Maybe use it as a bird feeder.

 

[ChanellG]

The thing about gravity-fed systems is that the bigger and taller your reservoir(s), the better pressure you get.
My 20x10 polytunnel has two water butts attached, and that will feed/water enough for three weeks before the pressure drops too far for safety.
This will be a problem with 10 gal reserve.
Mine is 115 gal (USA)

Good to know, thanks!

Three weeks is great! I am assuming the tunnel is 20 feet long and fed only from one end? I'm probably going to get the 60 gallon capacity barrel, just because I don't have time to refill buckets or small barrels daily. If I could get away with filling a barrel once per week that would be great. The next question is where to situate a barrel and how to divert rainwater into one to be used as a cistern.

 

[ChanellG]

piping - pipes sizes for low pressure water distribution need to be bigger - due to the fact that flow velocity is low.

Also good to know. I may have to experiment here to find just the right size, unless you or someone else has a recommendation. @headfullofbees?

I think the real challenge will be coming up with a system with the vertical planters. I will likely fall back on the Rainbird system for those, but if I can make gravity work everywhere else it would be great!

 

[headfullofbees]

I'm going to the allotments now, I'll try to photograph it for you and explain how it works later.

 

[headfullofbees]

The two water butts, joined at the taps by 1/2 inch hose and T s, etc.
Since they are joined at the taps, you can chose to have neither, either or both watering/feeding your plants.
Note the run off capability, which allows me to either drain down or fill a watering can.

 

[headfullofbees]

Here, you can see the battery-operated timer, which allows me to set when I want the water/feed to come on, and for how long.
The pipe then goes underground, under the frame of my polytunnel, and comes back up inside.

 

[headfullofbees]

Inside the polytunnel, the pipe rises onto a T and then is led around the inside perimeter of the polytunnel in a rectangular "ring" system.
Making it a ring system is important, because it equalises the pressure all around:

 

[headfullofbees]

Leading from the main 13mm hose is 4mm pipe, to which drippers are connected, 1 for each plant.
(Not needed right now, but ready to be reconnected as req'd:

 

[headfullofbees]

I hope you can see the photos and that they help you.
Any questions?

 

[headfullofbees]

I've been looking at some different ideas for how to deliver water to the plants in garden #3. There's a rainbird sprinker system in place, but it was ineffective even before I started redesigning the garden. I have the two risers in with arugula and I am almost done redoing the small raised bed. I decided to make a cement block tower at one end (think strawberry pyramid) and raise the front end of the bed a bit higher by adding another row of cinder blocks.

This is the area I am currently working on:

Not sure if you can see the hose in the upper right corner. It's laying on the ground by the black plastic just past the cinder blocks. I'm going to either re-route it for the arugula, or put it through one of the blocks in the corner to deliver water to the pyramid.

This is a simple bucket system. I like this idea, though I'm not sure how far a 5 gallon bucket's worth of water would go in providing water. (Especially for plants like parsley.)

There is also the issue of needing to fill the bucket daily (in hot weather) in order to deliver the water. Not exactly "set it and forget it."

This is it on a larger scale:

The open part of the bed is probably going to hold tomatoes and a makeshift olla - basically a terra cotta flower pot that's been plugged in the bottom like this:

Of course I will be using more than one of them -will be a set up like in this propagation box

So I'd like to learn from each of you what has worked best with drip irrigation and soaker hoses and what has not worked. It's a small area, but I'm going to be doing a lot more vertical planting. I'd originally wanted to put low growing herbs like thyme and oregano in fence board towers like this:

Thoughts?

That last photo of the strawberry tower.
If you forego the bottom two rows of strawbs, and make it into a reservoir, and twist "A-tork" paper roll into paper ropes and lead them up the inside length of the corners, it may be possible to water at the bottom and the capillary action of the paper water the height of the tower.
Not certain it would work, I've only just thought of it, but I think it would.
Strawbs don't need too much water anyway, so even if it wasn't the most efficient, it may still be adequate