Question Worth and other watering gurus-

[Tracydr]

Okay. I need some step by step beginner instruction on making an automatic waterimg system for a 40x40 foot garden. Okay,here's the kicker. Rain water needs to be collected from the barn and I'm not sure when I'll have electricity.
Water and electric will eventually be done but not in time for the tomatoes that are in/going in right now. Or,the peppers,beans,melons,corn and squash.

[Worth1]

Is the rain water from the barn your only source?

Here is your garden where is everything going and what do you want to use to water it?

This is a four foot grid.

Worth

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Is the rain water from the barn your only source?

Here is your garden where is everything going and what do you want to use to water it?

This is a four foot grid.

Worth

Temporarily. It does rain a lot here. Roof should go on the barn this weekend. It's 20-30 feet uphill. It's a 48x36 barn with a steep roof pitch so should collect tons of rain. I do need some troughs or something to collect it,though.

[Tracydr]

Tomatoes on the top 3 rows, about 15 per row, about 3 feet apart give or take a few inches.
Next peppers, on row. Eggplants will be with peppers. Next, ceans, corn,squash and watermelons, not sure which order. The picture is oriented with south on the top and a gentle slope from top to bottom.
The only thing not really changeable on the layout is the first row of tomatoes since I planted them this weekend.
There is a large pond at the bottom of the hill, couple hundred feet from the bottom of the garden.

[Worth1]

If it is 30 feet above elevation from your garden you can get around 12 pounds of pressure in a drip system without a pump.
Now I am a little lost on tne garden I will have to read it several times.

How far apart are the rows of tomatoes?
Will the corn be in one long row or two?
It is better to have several sort rows than one long one.
How many feet of corn all together 40 feet?
How many of the other things?
Pole or bush beans?

Worth

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Temporarily. It does rain a lot here. Roof should go on the barn this weekend. It's 20-30 feet uphill. It's a 48x36 barn with a steep roof pitch so should collect tons of rain. I do need some troughs or something to collect it,though.

Read the MSDS if it is a asphalt shingle type roof.Ther are a lot of chemicals that will sluff off when the shingles age.

[Ed of Somis]

This question plays to the heart of what I did (on a bigger scale) for 36 years on LAFD. The important factors to consider are: Pressure available (Worth lent some knowledge), length of runs (which determines friction loss in the line...affected by diameter of hose), and the required GPH that potentially will be needed. With my job...I dealt with known factors that could change on the spur of the moment. Generally, if you use larger diameter hose...your capacity is increased...and your friction loss is reduced. Hope I didn't sound too technical. If you understand the principles of hydraulics...you pretty much can trial-and-error it. If you are relying on head pressure alone...you are on the low side of enough pressure. Make sure you don't not use much 1/4" hose...instead of 1/2". Make sense?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

This question plays to the heart of what I did (on a bigger scale) for 36 years on LAFD. The important factors to consider are: Pressure available (Worth lent some knowledge), length of runs (which determines friction loss in the line...affected by diameter of hose), and the required GPH that potentially will be needed. With my job...I dealt with known factors that could change on the spur of the moment. Generally, if you use larger diameter hose...your capacity is increased...and your friction loss is reduced. Hope I didn't sound too technical. If you understand the principles of hydraulics...you pretty much can trial-and-error it.

Fire hose is notorious for friction loss any hose is.

With the low volume low pressure and low velocity of a drip system that small friction loss wont be a problem.

I would still go with a larger line from the barn to the garden though.

Now Tracy is the barn 20 or 30 feet up hill from the garden or 20 or 30 in elevation from the garden?
How much elevation and how far away?

I can show you a neat trick to see how much higher something is with a gauge.

Take a hose and run it up hill put a faucet gauge on the down hill end of the hose fill the hose with water but no pressure on it.

For every 10 feet of elevation the gauge will read around 4.3 PSI.


Worth