Please Recommend A Sprinkler For A 20x40 Plot!

[MrSalvage]

I am going to Lowes tonight to pick up some Lime and I realized I don't have a sprinkler. Any of you guys or gals have one that you really like? Is it capable of watering a 20x40 garden plot? Yep 800 sqft of goodness...

Thanks
Bill

[Cole_Robbie]

Maybe your water is cheaper than mine, but just for what it's worth, those things run up 3-digit water bills very quickly for me. I have to use drip due to the price of my water.

[MissionGardens]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Maybe your water is cheaper than mine, but just for what it's worth, those things run up 3-digit water bills very quickly for me. I have to use drip due to the price of my water.

Same here in the Sonoran Desert. Everyone I know uses drip irrigation. I started burying it under mulch to help reduce evaporation even more.

[Cajun_gardens]

Agreed... drip irrigation is much better. With water savings u can purchase a fertilizer injector and a rainbird setup.

[MissionGardens]

Originally Posted by Cajun_gardens

Agreed... drip irrigation is much better. With water savings u can purchase a fertilizer injector and a rainbird setup.

Which fertigation system do you recommend? I purchased a couple of those $20 hozon brass siphon mixer, but they don't work on my system because it's not flowing enough water. Waste of $40.

[Cole_Robbie]

Injectors are typically made for a specific flow rate. I used to have an EZ-Flo. It worked, but it is a primitive design. Eventually the tank ruptured in the sun. I'm hoping my Hozon will work on my newly expanded garden. Morgan County Seed makes an injector in-house that I have looked at. They make every one to order; I'm not sure the turnaround. It's probably what I would buy if I bought one. I trust that company, and they have great prices, just don't get in a hurry when they're busy.

Dosmatic and Dosatron are industry standard brands, but be prepared to spend some money.

[MissionGardens]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Injectors are typically made for a specific flow rate. I used to have an EZ-Flo. It worked, but it is a primitive design. Eventually the tank ruptured in the sun. I'm hoping my Hozon will work on my newly expanded garden. Morgan County Seed makes an injector in-house that I have looked at. They make every one to order; I'm not sure the turnaround. It's probably what I would buy if I bought one. I trust that company, and they have great prices, just don't get in a hurry when they're busy.

Dosmatic and Dosatron are industry standard brands, but be prepared to spend some money.

Sounds good, ill look into them. Think I've seen the expensive ones, they're out of my budget.
In my genius, I decided to drill out the fertilizer port in the brass adapter just a hair thinking it might help the fertilizer flow. Don't do that, it'll shoot water out the siphon tube.

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by MissionGardens

Which fertigation system do you recommend? I purchased a couple of those $20 hozon brass siphon mixer, but they don't work on my system because it's not flowing enough water. Waste of $40.

well .. i studied this issue myself. I use a 2 gallon ez flo injector. I have 5 gph emitters on each of my tomato plants (17) and various other emitters with different flow rates on different things.

One thing you can do to increase the flow rate is add bigger emitters for less time.

My garden is set to water 3 minutes 4x's a day (every 6 hours)

The ez flo injector may not be the best .. but its good enough to use ..to get your feet wet if you will until you find something even better to use. The post above mine here ...im researching what the poster has mentioned now.

Me personally ... $100 shipped for the ez flow 2 gallon injector on amazon is a bargain for the time it saves.

I called ez flo customer service to confirm the fertilizer ratio .. and as it stands - 1/2 gallon of dyna gro gro liquid in the tank ... the rest water ..and it lasts about 2 weeks. After two weeks i unscrew the top ..pour a little out and add another 1/4 gallon (4 cups).

So .. if you are gonna go with the rainbird ... youll need the irrigation tubing .. plenty of emitters ...

I suggest you start with the rainbird starter kit and build out from there. you can purchase it at home depot in store http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rain-Bird...KT7S/205468413. Amazon prime has everything else you need. It may take you a week to get it all put together how you want it, but after you do ... install a timer and go fishing. come check your plants every night and smile at their amazing growth. i suggest laying the starter kit out in your garden ..and then figuring what you need from there

ive attached a couple of photos for your reference. This was after i had finished installing the rainbird (almost 5 weeks ago).

I'll note - mine is 20x18. if water pressure happens to be an issue with all your emitters you can simply use smaller ones (less gallons per hour) to help increase line pressure and simply water longer each session. otherwise .. you may have to use a dual timer and have 2 separate circuits if you will coming from the timer to account for the additional emitters.

[Cajun_gardens]

almost 5 weeks later...

[JaxRmrJmr]

Soaker hoses may be the way to go with a garden that size. I realize that I'm late in posting.

[mrdoitall]

Drip is the way to go. I have 4000+ sq ft in one garden using drip. If I had to water over head with a sprinkler it would take all day and $150.00+ in water each month.

[MrSalvage]

I haven't even started studying the water I need yet. I just needed a way to water for a bit till I can come up with the money for something better.

I will say this, that one fantastic set up you have! Water is not an issue for me. I am on my own well with a spring running through.

Great posts and yet another expense to consider. Man this hobby is not cheap.

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by MrSalvage

I haven't even started studying the water I need yet. I just needed a way to water for a bit till I can come up with the money for something better.

I will say this, that one fantastic set up you have! Water is not an issue for me. I am on my own well with a spring running through.

Great posts and yet another expense to consider. Man this hobby is not cheap.

thanks!

well .. you should know the flow rate / water pressure you have going outside anyway.

Total - the rainbird setup is around $100 id say. the ez flo injector $100. Water timer.. anywhere from $15 to around $100 depending on what you want it to do.

Dyna gro is about $40 per gallon or a little less if you buy it in 5 gallon containers. 1 gallon will last a little over a month with my setup.

Some claim special "tomato" food is necessary ... which is certainly better than miracle gro ... but no way is it measurably better than dyna gro gro or bloom. This stuff is great in containers, hydroponic, and in drip irrigation.

If i had to do it over again - id run a 2nd circuit strictly for the leafy veggies with a soaker hose only because they don't require nearly as much water as the cucumbers, watermelons, squash, and tomatoes. In my experience- soaker hoses are unreliable and often times will tear/split without you realizing it until its too late. Perhaps there are better hoses .. I dunno, but every one I've ever tried developed "holes" and grew to gushers in short order after that.

Anyway - I assure you that you will grow monster beauties using a drip irrigation system with an injector. TBO - i dont even bother trimming suckers closer than 6-8" from the ground and end up with plants totally fill up my cages from the base all the way to the top and harvest buckets of tomatoes from each one.

[imp]

How does one figure the flow rate from an outside spigot?

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by imp

How does one figure the flow rate from an outside spigot?

well .. a close estimate would be to turn it wide open and fill up a bucket size of your choice and time it ..



A flow test is optional, but suggested if you are not positive about the size or type of water supply pipe. The flow test should be run at a faucet as close as possible to the point you will tap into the water pipe for your irrigation system.

Get a 5-gallon bucket. Old paint buckets work great. Since most 5-gallon buckets actually hold more than 5 gallons of water, you will need to calibrate the bucket as follows: Find an accurate measuring container, and measure out 5 gallons of water into your bucket. Then mark the water level on the side of the bucket with a marking pen so you can easily see it. ?The test is simple. Put the bucket under your water outlet pipe and time how long it takes to fill the bucket to 5 gallons. ?The formula for calculating the flow in GPM is: 300 divided by the seconds it takes to fill a 5 gallon bucket = GPM.