Drip VS SWC - Page 2

JamesL · February 27, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtvvvv

James, the earthtainer is EXACTLY what i have been using for years! I like the float thing it would be perfect for those! maybe i'll use them outside this year and retro fit them with the float valves.

Raybo's Earthtainer is the best DIY SIP plan.
Kerick has a few different versions of the float valves.
http://www.thevalveshop.com/menu/man...k/kerickm.html
I used 1/4 adjustable floats.
Connected a long run to the hose and timer, with branched short runs coming off to each tub.

One suggestion - if you use them, get the adjustable float versions, and test fill your tubs to make sure they are filling to the water level you want and then make sure the wing nut is locked down tight.
Do this before you fill with your media.
You can guess why I know this.....

rtvvvv · February 27, 2015

LOL !!

luigiwu · February 27, 2015

rtvvv,
Using the float to regulate water is at the core of Larry Hall's Rain Gutter Grow system. I highly recommend you looking at some of his videos on youtube if you are no familiar with his system. It is a sub-irrigated system and has been beyond awesome for me. Here is an intro video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOIRVjatdg

Ricman on here has had great success with it too. Check out his post here:
http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...highlight=rggs

Instead of attaching a float to each of your containers, if you are able to build a leveled frame that cradles a gutter for all the containers (on top) to draw water from. There is an economy to how you can delivery water to all of them using one float and of course you don't get much more economical than allowing the plant itself decide how much to take up versus top watering/dripping and having the extra become ground water...

Sorry I don't know anything about drip but this year, instead of hooking my rigs/floats up to a wall faucet, I will be collecting and using rainbarrels instead.

rtvvvv · February 27, 2015

luigiwu,
Thanks.. i'll take a look...everybody is SO helpful here!

Worth1 · February 27, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtvvvv

luigiwu,
Thanks.. i'll take a look...everybody is SO helpful here!

Sometimes too helpful it causes a person to have too many options.

Worth

crazyoldgooseman · February 27, 2015

I use drip irrigation for trees and the garden. Sorry but what is SWC?

JamesL · February 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Sometimes too helpful it causes a person to have too many options.

Worth

Worth,
The irrigation info you posted here and elsewhere I have been reviewing. I need to drop in a border row of arborvitae that I will need to irrigate.

luigiwu · February 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyoldgooseman

Sorry but what is SWC?

SWC = subwatered (subirrigated) container

G from NC · February 28, 2015

JamesL,
I'll be using Kerick float valves for the first time this year. You said that yours are hooked up to a hose timer. What purpose does the timer serve with float valves? Am I missing something here, don't the float valves shut themselves off when containers are full? I'm curious because I want to get my set-up right. Thanks. G

JamesL · February 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by G from NC

JamesL,
I'll be using Kerick float valves for the first time this year. You said that yours are hooked up to a hose timer. What purpose does the timer serve with float valves? Am I missing something here, don't the float valves shut themselves off when containers are full? I'm curious because I want to get my set-up right. Thanks. G

G,
Merely a fail safe and well worth the small investment. Depending on how many tubs you have hooked up it only takes about 10 minutes to fill them. I have the timer set to go on either once or twice a day, early and then later in the season.
This way you don't have pressurized lines all the time and if something leaks or blows out, you aren't flooding the world, especially if you go out of town.

Worth1 · February 28, 2015

James I knew you were going to say fail safe.

Worth

JamesL · February 28, 2015

Worth, not my idea (I don't have too many original ones).
I am sure it came from here and it probably came from YOU.

elight · February 28, 2015

I thought about using floats as a means to include my EarthTainers in my drip system, but at the end of the day it was just another thing to maintain and worry about (in my experience, they always clog up a few times each season). So instead, I just ran 1/4" tubing from my mainline down the fill tubes, and when the system turns on, it fills the reservoir. I used a 1/4" shut-off valve to regulate the flow into each one (so right now it's barely dripping, but I'll open it up as it heats up and the reservoir empties quicker). Yes, some water does run out of the overflow holes as a result, but we don't exactly have drought conditions here.

Agreed you definitely want to use a timer regardless... If you're on vacation and a line breaks, better to have it spewing water for a few minutes a day instead of 24 hours a day (I believe this was Ray's original idea when he outlined adapting the EarthBox AWS units).

JamesL · February 28, 2015

E,
I liked your setup too and I might have gone that direction if I wasn't already committed to this course of action.
One of the reasons I went with one per tub - I set them to fill at a lower water level in each tub to try and have my media run a little dryer. Not necessary for everybody but it was working for me.
Timer - it probably did come from Ray. Although Worth has been flogging proper back flow prevention and fail safes for years so Ray might have got it from him. LOL.
Whenever I hear either term Worth springs to mind first, which is mildly disturbing.....

Worth1 · February 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL

Worth, not my idea (I don't have too many original ones).
I am sure it came from here and it probably came from YOU.

Thanks, I'm all about not coming home to a flood.

Worth

February 27, 2015	#18
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	rtvvv, Using the float to regulate water is at the core of Larry Hall's Rain Gutter Grow system. I highly recommend you looking at some of his videos on youtube if you are no familiar with his system. It is a sub-irrigated system and has been beyond awesome for me. Here is an intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOIRVjatdg Ricman on here has had great success with it too. Check out his post here: http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...highlight=rggs Instead of attaching a float to each of your containers, if you are able to build a leveled frame that cradles a gutter for all the containers (on top) to draw water from. There is an economy to how you can delivery water to all of them using one float and of course you don't get much more economical than allowing the plant itself decide how much to take up versus top watering/dripping and having the extra become ground water... Sorry I don't know anything about drip but this year, instead of hooking my rigs/floats up to a wall faucet, I will be collecting and using rainbarrels instead. __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

February 27, 2015	#21
crazyoldgooseman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Maryland 7a Posts: 200	I use drip irrigation for trees and the garden. Sorry but what is SWC? __________________ Anybody see where I sat my beer? -crazyoldgooseman

February 27, 2015	#17
rtvvvv Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: mi Posts: 80	LOL !!

February 28, 2015	#24
G from NC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: NC - Ringworm County Posts: 26	JamesL, I'll be using Kerick float valves for the first time this year. You said that yours are hooked up to a hose timer. What purpose does the timer serve with float valves? Am I missing something here, don't the float valves shut themselves off when containers are full? I'm curious because I want to get my set-up right. Thanks. G

February 28, 2015	#26
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	James I knew you were going to say fail safe. Worth

February 28, 2015	#27
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Worth, not my idea (I don't have too many original ones). I am sure it came from here and it probably came from YOU.

February 28, 2015	#28
elight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Allentown, PA Posts: 349	I thought about using floats as a means to include my EarthTainers in my drip system, but at the end of the day it was just another thing to maintain and worry about (in my experience, they always clog up a few times each season). So instead, I just ran 1/4" tubing from my mainline down the fill tubes, and when the system turns on, it fills the reservoir. I used a 1/4" shut-off valve to regulate the flow into each one (so right now it's barely dripping, but I'll open it up as it heats up and the reservoir empties quicker). Yes, some water does run out of the overflow holes as a result, but we don't exactly have drought conditions here. Agreed you definitely want to use a timer regardless... If you're on vacation and a line breaks, better to have it spewing water for a few minutes a day instead of 24 hours a day (I believe this was Ray's original idea when he outlined adapting the EarthBox AWS units).