As we eagerly await tomorrows swap and Apple Box #3, let’s not
forget one bright November morn, when all manner of crops and homemade treats
had been swapped and free-flowing conversation filled the hall, that veteran
Crop 'n' Swapper Alice Warner took her place on the proverbial apple box to
share her knowledge and experiences on setting up your own backyard irrigation.
DIY Irrigation by Alice Warner
So what is irrigation? Well it’s like lego for your garden. You can
connect it yourself and the possibilities are endless. It all fits together
using small connectors of different shapes.
There are two main types of polypipe hose that I use: brown dripline
with holes pre-punched into the line, and black polypipe without holes which I
attach precision drippers to at intervals as I please. The brown dripline is
best for vegie beds where you need water every 30cm, whilst the black line is
useful for fruit trees and larger shrubs that are spaced further apart where
you don’t want to waste water in between the trees.
The various connectors I use to join it all together can be placed
according to the job they need to do.
There are elbow joiners, end pieces, straight connectors and tees. There
are locks to hold the connectors in place, as well as plugs to plug up unwanted
holes or mistakes and tools to punch holes in new places. You can buy pieces to
connect your irrigation to a regular garden hose, and mounts with nails to
attach irrigation to the sides of garden beds or other surfaces. The possibilities
are endless. There are usually helpful booklets in the hardware store put out
by the manufacturer to explain all this.
The main benefits of irrigation that I have noticed include: less time
watering and more time in the garden doing other things; reduced evaporation
while watering as droplets are not blown away by wind or spread all over the
ground to areas where they are not needed; water is directed straight to plant
roots; reduced weed growth in between plants as the area is not watered;
reduced water run-off and wastage; reduced fungal disease due to lack of
overhead watering.
Here are a few tips to help you set up your own irrigation system and
learn from my mistakes
1) Place the
brown dripline under mulch to protect it from UV rays but above the soil
(sections of black polypipe without holes punched in may be buried under soil
when transporting water between trees)
2) Draw a
diagram before you begin and use a key to label how many of each connector type
you will need, thus avoiding many trips back to the hardware store.
3) Buy more
locks than you think you will need as every connection needs a lock.
4) Lay your
brown dripline before you plant and then place seedlings or seeds right next to
a dripper.
5) Use a
container with multiple compartments to keep your various connectors organised.
6) You will
also need pliers and a small saw to cut the dripline to the lengths you
require.
7) Don’t use
second-hand polypipe without checking for holes first (although this can be
useful for creating a frame when netting fruit trees or garden beds).
8) Once your
irrigation is connected, turn it on for at least an hour at a time to get the
full benefit, or use a bucket under a dripper to see how long your plants will
require.
9) Install your
irrigation properly. Don’t just curl it around like a snake. Cut it to size and
connect it at right angles using the appropriate connectors, you will thank
yourself later.
10)You can connect irrigation in raised
garden beds – you just need to go down to the ground, under the soil and up to
the next bed.
11) Use short lengths of wire folded into
U-shapes and pushed into the ground to secure the dripline and prevent it from
curling back into a snake when you first lay it down.
Feel free to chat to me at the next Crop and Swap if you have any more
questions or suggestions. Good luck!
