Converting to Drip Irrigation

Although there is a drought in many areas of Australia, there is no need for gardeners to despair. It is possible to water plants efficiently while still complying with the current water restrictions. Don showed some of the 'leaky hose' products that can be used, including Pope Drip Tube, Eco-Seep hose, Netafim tube and Drip-Eze tube.

The owners of the garden in our segment had an automatic spray irrigation system, but it was no longer legal to use due to water restrictions in their area. Don converted the system to drip irrigation, which is legal, with minimal disturbance to the original system and without any major re-plumbing.

How it was done

1. The sprayers, stakes and risers were removed, leaving spaghetti tubing.
2. The system was turned on and flushed out for a couple of minutes. (Note: this is a very important step, as any debris in the system will block the dripper holes at a later date.)
3. 4mm T-joiners were placed into each of the remaining 4mm spaghetti tube leads.
4. Starting at the end, 4mm dripline was connected to the spaghetti tube with a barbed joiner and snaked through the garden bed to the next outlet with a T-joiner. The 4mm dripline was cut and plugged into one side then the other. This process was continued all the way along the system.
5. The watering system was turned on at the tap and checked to make sure all spaghetti hoses were connected. The pressure in the system was adjusted to a slow, steady drip. (Note: too much pressure in the line could cause the dripline to blow off the connectors, wasting a lot of water if left unnoticed.)
6. The dripline was pegged down to hold it in place. (Tip: this is best done as you go along, as it makes it easier to control the tubing.)
7. The automatic irrigation controller was reset to come on for two hours, twice per week.
8. Don advised hand watering, restrictions permitting, to give the plants time to adapt to the new drip system.

Note: before embarking on this project, check with your local water authority to see what restrictions apply in your area.

Approximate costs Pope Drip tube, 30mm, $20 from hardware stores 15mm Eco Seep hose, $30 from hardware stores Netafim tube: 6mm, $25 for 30 metres; 13mm, $47 for 50 metres, from irrigation suppliers 4mm Drip-Eze tube, $28 for 20 metres from hardware stores and costs around. A kit with attachments costs about $38 4mm T-joiners, 30c each 4mm barbed joiners, 10c each wire pegs, 40c each

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