Setting up a drip irrigation system for your vegetable garden
Ideally, you need to start with a Gardena drip irrigation kit with a timer
The hoses will come coiled up so uncoil them and lay them out on a lawn or patio to warm in the sun and straiten out becoming easier to lay
Next, lay the main pipes out as required, as a general rule each small dripping unit attached to a hose will water plants within a 0.25 to 0.50 square metre area. The drip nozles are adjustable to restrict the flow or to switch if off at that point if required.
The timer needs to be set to water in the later evening to the middle of the night ( water pressure is higher in the middle of the night because of less domestic use ) watering for 15 mins every two days in the later spring and summer.
To supply the water you have a number of choices
- Off a mains water tap ( the timer will stop the backflow into the mains water system )
- a hose connected to a mains water tap
- A gravity fed water source see link https://gardenadvice.co.uk/tomsgarden/gravity-feed-irrigation-system/
- A water pump with a timer installed in a water butt
It’s important not to try to feed your fruit and vegetables through the drip irrigation system as this will block the drip nozzles
