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San Diego

Next year, my patch will be 20 by 20, and I'm using overhead micro sprinkler for cooling effect. I have always watered by hand for the ground even with the micro sprinker, but having a larger off property patch, I am using dripworks irrigation lines connexted to a timer so all watering is automatic. Here is my q: I'm lining the patch every 15" with the drip line hose, each drip is 12 to 15" apart and puts out 1/2 a gallon per hour. How long, and what times are best to use the drip system? I live in a warm climate in san diego and the mircro sprinkler cools the plant well, even wets the dirt a little, but isn't enough water for our hot climate each day. Any suggestions? Is 15 or 30 minutes a day enough? and is it better to have one watering time, or break it up into two small watering times morning and evening? Thanks for the help, Jimmy

10/7/2004 4:46:51 PM

Ontario

I would lay out the drip system while there is no plants in the patch .
Turn it on for 1/2 hour or so and then dig up afew spots to see how deep the water penetrated the soil. Keep doing this until u get the depth of watering you want.

10/7/2004 9:14:19 PM

Sask, Canada

Duster:

Just a word of advice and yes while your area is hot think about another method of watering. Maybe watering heads mounted three feet up a stake.

Drip hoses caused me major headache the first year out, very difficult to bury vines with all that hose on the ground.

TTYL
Ernie
Giant Veggies

10/8/2004 1:11:12 AM

[email protected]

Same here regarding burying. Be prepared to keep a pile of soil for vine burying.

We should stockpile soil anyway since by midseason roots make digging impossible.

10/8/2004 7:29:07 AM

Ohio

Good idea tremor

10/8/2004 10:18:02 AM

Circleville Ohio USA

I have used drip lines for four years and find them to be very satisafactory. Mine are spaced 30 inches apart and have a drip hole every four inches. All my secondaries are buried and the drip lines are placed on top of the ground paralell to the main vine and perpendicular to tne secondaries. A water meter is in the line so the amount of water applied is known. It dosen't make sense to me to wash off all the preventive things applied to the leaves.

10/8/2004 10:39:09 AM

Circleville Ohio USA

Using a slow drip my system is on from 10:30AM to noon and supplies 300 gallons to a 40 by 100 patch. Any liquid fertilizers can be easily injected into the lines.

10/8/2004 10:45:28 AM

San Diego

I was planning on burying my drip lines just under the surface of the soil, they last much longer I am told. I don't bury my vines completely here, no borers here, so shouldn't be a problem. I just push some dirt under each node so the bottom vine root grows. I buried my vines once, had vine rot, never done it again. Thanks for the advice! Jimmy

10/8/2004 2:41:52 PM

Circleville Ohio USA

The first two years I tried to roll up the drip lines and save them but considering the cost it just wasn't worth it,so now I discard them at the end of the year. I think drip lines work best on the top of the ground and soaker hoses being less apt to compress with pressure may be best for under the soil.

10/8/2004 3:19:51 PM

Belgium Europe

Since i grow in a greenhouse i have to use driphoses.You can see detailed pics and comments in my diary. But Jay is right... the only way to know how much, is digging to see how deep the earth is wet.I live in a region of strawberry-growers ,and everybody does it this way.

10/8/2004 3:23:42 PM