water small scale drip irrigation main line size?

Hi,

I live in an apartment and have a small, rooftop container garden. I’m done carrying 20 gallons of water up a flight of stairs everyday during the summer. So I’m looking at installing a small-scale drip irrigation system.

It will attach to my kitchen faucet as I don’t have an outdoor water source. Total distance from the faucet to the end of the run is less than 40 feet. I live on the top floor and my garden is literally directly above my kitchen. I’ll have a max of 15 plants attached. Mostly chilies and tomatoes. What I’m looking for is a system I can turn on manually and have my pots be completely saturated in 10-15 minutes (or less).
I’m looking at :
http://www.irrigatio...p-watering-kits

My main question is whether the ¼ in. main line in these kits will deliver enough water to soak my tomatoes in a reasonable amount of time. I grow in pro-mix and my pots have good drainage, so with reasonable attention it would be almost impossible to overwater tomatoes during the summer. Using the various flow regulators in the kit, I’m sure I can tone down the flow so I don’t drown the peppers.

Or do you think that a ½in main line is necessary with ¼ in droppers into the pots? I honestly have no idea how much water you can force through a ¼ inch hose that you’ve split 15 ways.

Although a slower drip might be better, and that’s something I can tinker with for sure, I need something that can get the job done quickly when someone other than me has to do the watering.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer. I spent all day yesterday researching this here and elsewhere, and saw some truly ingenious (and massive) irrigation set ups.

Try out a rain collection system? I would go with 1/2 main. You can get 100 feet from home depot or Lowes for like 20 bucks.

If yer going through 20 gallons a day, I would flood instead of drip.
1/2 main, 1/8 taps with valves to even the flow.

Gotrox said:

If yer going through 20 gallons a day, I would flood instead of drip.
1/2 main, 1/8 taps with valves to even the flow.

Click to expand...

I like the sound of flood. My biggest pots are 13gal I think, and by the end of July each one can suck down almost 2gal a day. It gets hot up there and it's in full sun.

By valve, do you mean something like this? http://www.irrigationdirect.com/dd-fcv250

Could I tap into the main line and use one of those for each container (attached to a length of 1/4 hose, not to the main line itself)?

I was figuring to have tomatoes on the front end always getting water, and chilies on the back end with a coupler/regulator in between toning down the flow to the pepper end.

Sorry for the imprecise language. It took quite awhile yesterday looking at the kits trying to figure out what the various parts were called and what they did.

I appreciate the suggestions. My knowledge of plumbing is minimal.

I'd go with like a 2 gal per hour dripper in each pot.

SacFly said:

I like the sound of flood. My biggest pots are 13gal I think, and by the end of July each one can suck down almost 2gal a day. It gets hot up there and it's in full sun.

By valve, do you mean something like this? http://www.irrigatio...t.com/dd-fcv250

Could I tap into the main line and use one of those for each container (attached to a length of 1/4 hose, not to the main line itself)?

I was figuring to have tomatoes on the front end always getting water, and chilies on the back end with a coupler/regulator in between toning down the flow to the pepper end.

Sorry for the imprecise language. It took quite awhile yesterday looking at the kits trying to figure out what the various parts were called and what they did.

I appreciate the suggestions. My knowledge of plumbing is minimal.

Click to expand...

Yup. But 1/8 hose, not 1/4.
And I would use that valve as the tap, as it saves you buying another connector

Reason to flood and not drip------you are planning to hook up to a faucet without a timer.
Even a 2 gph drip nozzle means you have to be around for at least an hour on hot days to turn it off.
I am sure a 13 gal pot will suck up 2 gallons in the heat.
I have an extensive system of mini sprinklers and sprays in my back yard.
Cheap and easy to maintain, but on an apartment roof, you will have to keep an eye on it.
Thirsty critters can make a wet mess.

hi, are you sure you want to use your kitchen faucet?

without doing any real plumbing you could tap into your faucets cold water supply very easily. why not get an angle stop adapter.
http://www.swtwater.com/catalog/GJ-PPASV121212.htm
these are used for all kinds of stuff... ro systems, ice machines, friges etc. they are pretty common im sure you could find one locally. i think you can get them at 3/8" too.

if we go further with this... you could get a solenoid... for simple on off switch control heres an 110ac. simple wireing just put a jbox somwhere safe, and a switch where ever...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Electric-Solenoid-1-4-Brass-Valve-Air-Water-Gas-Etc-110v-120v-Volt-NPT-/121009235469?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2cb6660d

if you want to control the solenoid through a irrigation controller you want a 24vac
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-Electric-Solenoid-Valve-Air-Gas-etc-24-V-AC-B20N-/300499815418?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f72f4bfa

IDK what sort of flows you can expect from your faucet after lifting 10 or so feet, it might be that you have to use multiple zones, its something you should look into.

irrigation controller...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HUNTER-XC-400-OUTDOOR-IRRIGATION-CONTROLLER-TIMER-CLOCK-/140882490571?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cd4034cb

its all too easy to make it autonomous. as far as emmiters. you mention you have 13 gallon containers. i grow in 10 gallon grow bags that are like 15 inches across. i use the netafim 3.3gph spray stakes, they are by far the best emitters ive ever used. they evenly wet the entire surface of the container.
they make them up to 12gph, in single direction and double direction sprayers.
again they are just awsome emitters, highly reccomend them.


http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/netafim-spray-stake-assembly/hobby-greenhouse-irrigation

they come as an entire assembly all you have to do is punch a hole in your poly pipe.

i use netafim dripper stakes for my rockwool slabs, they work great as well.

Excellent suggestions and very helpful. Thanks a lot. I'm now thinking that the thicker main line with taps going to each pot (each attached to a valve) is the way to go. Those drippers included in the kits 1/2gal -2gal per hour would be too slow.

I also like the idea of tapping into the waterline below the faucet with a switch. One of my fishing buddies is a retired plumber; I'm sure he'd help me do it properly.

The suggestions for automation I'll file away for a time where I'm not renting. Right now I'll be happy not to lug water up the stairs to the roof everyday.

Again, I really appreciate all the input. It helped me a lot to think through this project.