Irrigation thread. - Page 4

Red Dirt Farmer · February 24, 2012

I use soaker hoses ganged together on the far side with ½” hose to help equalize pressure. I use a timer connected to my well head that goes on for 4 hours at 3am each day. I adjust this if we have a lot of rain. I mulch with hay. This works great for me. Ken

Tracydr · February 28, 2012

I have raised beds with flood irrigation every two weeks. This doesn't go all the way to the tops of the beds but soaks up from the bottom. In between, I use soaker hoses, under a thick layer of pine straw mulch, as needed. I'm going to add newspaper this year.
I have incredible drainage, as my beds are mostly horse manure, although I've added some clay soil this year. Right now I'm removing some of the clay because my winter garden was dismal, adding more aged manure ( mixed with fresh, whatever is in the paddocks).
I also add quite a bit of pine straw, especially towards the bottom of my beds, which further increases drainage, since horse manure tends to compact when breaking down, although much, much better than clay. Last year, my tomatoes loved the manure. I just have to careful to wet it well and let it heat up a couple of weeks before planting, as any fresh manure mixed in can get quite hot for a short period.
The flood irrigation costs about $60 a year in my city. We get 6-12 inches very two weeks in warm months, monthly in winter. Allows us to have huge trees, grass and gardens where our water bill would be astronomical otherwise.

Worth1 · April 16, 2012

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April 16, 2012

Worth,

I don't use a controller, especially one that can be monitored or controlled remotely. I buy the cheapo ones at Walmart and Home Depot (Less than $30.00). They work for me because the can be set to deliver water for timed intervals at least four times a day if I choose. I normally set them to deliver for about ten minutes, twice per day. What I really like is the fact that a 9 volt battery or a couple of AA batteries will power them all summer. I know they can also be purchased to deliver water to more than one circuit multiple times per day. I can't remember the brands, but they are pretty common at the big box stores.

Ted

Tracydr · April 16, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

What I would like to discuss here is Irrigation controllers.
Do any of you guys and gals have one and what kind?
I am looking into this seriously and would like some input.
The controller I am looking at right now is the (Irritrol PC control).
It runs off of your computer or should I say can be programed from it.
Yes it is pricy but seems to gave the features I want, it can be expanded up to 48 zones.
Unlike many controllers it can be programed to start on a one day a month time and not just weekly.
It also has 10 start times per zone per day.
These start times are a must for me and the option of controlling it from work 3500 miles away is nice too.
http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/v/...l_brochure.pdf
What do you guys have and what would you do if you had to do it again.
Help me out here.

Worth

I use the alarm on my cell phone. Go out and turn the water on and off. That's either my hose or the irrigation gate.
We're not very fancy around here.
You'd think with my husband being an electrical engineer, mechanic and computer geek he could rig me up some gadgets but noooo!

Worth1 · April 16, 2012

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Worth1 · April 16, 2012

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Tracydr · April 17, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Trust me I know how he feels.
I work with process control systems with with 1000's of wires at work.
One slip up and punch in the wrong number or flip the wrong switch and part of the Alaska oil field shuts down.

We did this one time at work.
The guy reads out the numbers and I told him thats right turn it off.
The whole place shuts down, every light in the control room comes on, all the horns and sirens go off, boilers shut down, wells quit pumping and people running everywhere.
The operator asks, you guys do that and I said I think so.
They had piggybacked their computer controls off of our power supply.
They also liked us so much they just put it back right and didn't even call our office.

When I get home I dont want to see a wire.

But yet I love computer controls.

Worth

My husband worked on the space shuttle guidance missile system. Not the one that crashed.
Lots of satellite systems. So many other things, I can never remember all the technology he's developed and worked with.
He runs a server with several forums at home and deals with all those problems, in his " spare" time. I can understand why he doesn't want to build me a high tech irrigation system. Although, I know he certainly can. He types in computer code faster than I can type in English.
It would have to be an Apple system, though.

Worth1 · April 17, 2012

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Tracydr · April 17, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Tracy,
Maybe you could hook up some IV drips to the plants and you husband could automate them.

Teamwork.

Worth

IV drips to my plants! I do believe they will need them, come about June, lol. As will I!

Dewayne mater · April 18, 2012

The City of Dallas today passed an ordinance that put permanent yard watering restrictions in place. Dallasites can now only water their lawn twice a week, permanently. Typically in this area folks have yards that are mostly turf grasses with a ornamental accents, and most grasses used will not survive a summer like last summer on twice a week watering. This is a bold move and ultimately, will be a good one for the regions water supply, but I bet a whole lot of folks are going to be hopping mad about this one.

Dewayne mater

Worth1 · April 18, 2012

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desertlzbn · April 18, 2012

I am in the process of converting my washer water from going into the septic tank to using it to water our trees. I have planted a bunch of citrus trees, and plan on grey watering them. It is a process.

I just have to get the barrels.

Worth1 · April 18, 2012

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sprtsguy76 · April 18, 2012

I use a RainBird, that was what was installed before I converted my system. Worth I can tell you like your 'toys' and I do too. I think the pc controlled thing is really cool. I dont need it but again very coooool! My sprinkler system only has one vavle so I only have one true watering zone, everything will get watered when the cycle goes on. I'd like to have 4 valves but that would mean digging up the yard and laying a ton more pipe, not happening lol. But for an area like yours it sounds ideal. Specially if it keeps the wife from watering. I say fork the money out, but thats just me.

Damon

April 16, 2012	#48
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Irrigation controllers. .................................. Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:07 PM.

April 16, 2012	#51
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	............................... Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:08 PM.

April 16, 2012	#52
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	.................................. Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:09 PM.

April 17, 2012	#54
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	............................. Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:10 PM.

April 18, 2012	#57
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	............................ Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:10 PM.

February 24, 2012	#46
Red Dirt Farmer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 42	I use soaker hoses ganged together on the far side with ½” hose to help equalize pressure. I use a timer connected to my well head that goes on for 4 hours at 3am each day. I adjust this if we have a lot of rain. I mulch with hay. This works great for me. Ken

February 28, 2012	#47
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I have raised beds with flood irrigation every two weeks. This doesn't go all the way to the tops of the beds but soaks up from the bottom. In between, I use soaker hoses, under a thick layer of pine straw mulch, as needed. I'm going to add newspaper this year. I have incredible drainage, as my beds are mostly horse manure, although I've added some clay soil this year. Right now I'm removing some of the clay because my winter garden was dismal, adding more aged manure ( mixed with fresh, whatever is in the paddocks). I also add quite a bit of pine straw, especially towards the bottom of my beds, which further increases drainage, since horse manure tends to compact when breaking down, although much, much better than clay. Last year, my tomatoes loved the manure. I just have to careful to wet it well and let it heat up a couple of weeks before planting, as any fresh manure mixed in can get quite hot for a short period. The flood irrigation costs about $60 a year in my city. We get 6-12 inches very two weeks in warm months, monthly in winter. Allows us to have huge trees, grass and gardens where our water bill would be astronomical otherwise.

April 16, 2012	#49
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	Worth, I don't use a controller, especially one that can be monitored or controlled remotely. I buy the cheapo ones at Walmart and Home Depot (Less than $30.00). They work for me because the can be set to deliver water for timed intervals at least four times a day if I choose. I normally set them to deliver for about ten minutes, twice per day. What I really like is the fact that a 9 volt battery or a couple of AA batteries will power them all summer. I know they can also be purchased to deliver water to more than one circuit multiple times per day. I can't remember the brands, but they are pretty common at the big box stores. Ted

April 18, 2012	#56
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	The City of Dallas today passed an ordinance that put permanent yard watering restrictions in place. Dallasites can now only water their lawn twice a week, permanently. Typically in this area folks have yards that are mostly turf grasses with a ornamental accents, and most grasses used will not survive a summer like last summer on twice a week watering. This is a bold move and ultimately, will be a good one for the regions water supply, but I bet a whole lot of folks are going to be hopping mad about this one. Dewayne mater

April 18, 2012	#58
desertlzbn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson Posts: 659	I am in the process of converting my washer water from going into the septic tank to using it to water our trees. I have planted a bunch of citrus trees, and plan on grey watering them. It is a process. I just have to get the barrels.

April 18, 2012	#60
sprtsguy76 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Santa Clara CA Posts: 1,125	I use a RainBird, that was what was installed before I converted my system. Worth I can tell you like your 'toys' and I do too. I think the pc controlled thing is really cool. I dont need it but again very coooool! My sprinkler system only has one vavle so I only have one true watering zone, everything will get watered when the cycle goes on. I'd like to have 4 valves but that would mean digging up the yard and laying a ton more pipe, not happening lol. But for an area like yours it sounds ideal. Specially if it keeps the wife from watering. I say fork the money out, but thats just me. Damon