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water Irrigation for a LARGE garden

Hot Pooper

Hot Pooper

Ok, so I've been given yet ANOTHER large piece of land this year. This one was actually used as a garden before. It's had irrigation run to it before, apparently. I've been told that it still has the pump running from the little creek right next to it, but it's really over grown. So I haven't been able to find it. I think I would feel better about using a NEW pump anyways.
I don't really plan on using this land this year. But, I am looking at developing it this year for NEXT season. So, I have to start thinking of ways to irrigate. I have seen how some of the people on here irrigate their HOME gardens, which is probably how I will do it here at the house.
What I am wondering is how some of the people on this site with big set-ups do it. The guy that used the land last apparently was using the pump that I was told is "there" still, running to overhead pvc pipes used with sprinklers. I went to the Tractor Supply around the corner, and I found a good deal on a 5.5hp gas-powered water pump, with a 2" outlet, for $200. What I am wondering is where in the hell I go after that.
I haven't measured it yet, but I would guestimate the land to be from 1/2 an acre to 3/4 an acre. Creek running next to it is probably less than 50' away.
Any suggestions on what I should do? I'm sure I will have about a MILLION questions. I seriously don't know the first thing about how to set any of this up, so I'm interested to learn!
 
with the pump, I suppose the only time you would have pressure is when the pump is running...so drip fertigation or any type of drip irrigation is out of the question.

Your only recourse may be to use the existing (or replacement PVC) system with sprinkler heads...
 
What is the land like? Can you dig a groove from up hill to down. You could pump the water up hill and let gravity take over. It may result in uneven watering though. SS had some trouble with his soaker hose on a down slope.
 
It's pretty flat land.
And no such luck, AJ. Thats another reason why I dont think that pump is still there. It's just blank land with markers for the garden.
I was thinking of some sport of set-up with sprinklers running out of pvc about 6' in the air. But hell, I dont even know where to start! lol.
Silver Surfer has gotten me into drip-irrigation, so that's setlled for the house. Still need to learn how to get it going at the new place.
 
Hay Hot pooper.

Gonna step it up a notch are you! sounds Gooooooood!

I don't mean to be a picture hog But I think I finally figured out how to grow a large garden with almost no maintenance. you may have seen this before,
Is this something that you would consider?

irrigation tubes can be run under the plastic mulch, I do not for certain reasons! want to know more let me know.

Cheers SC

2010_Main_for_THP2.jpg

2010_Main_for_THP.jpg
 
Looks good! What are YOU using for irrigation?
Just the part that you have your peppers in is MAYBE a tiny bit bigger than the room I will have.
Also, could you put your rows any closer? Just wondering why you spaced them so far apart.
 
Hot Pooper said:
Looks good! What are YOU using for irrigation?
Just the part that you have your peppers in is MAYBE a tiny bit bigger than the room I will have.
Also, could you put your rows any closer? Just wondering why you spaced them so far apart.
Click to expand...
I was just going to ask the same 2 questions.
 
2 questions have one answer, the width of the row allows me to drive down through with the tractor and wagons for planting, watering and harvest.

and yes you can put the rows closer.

I will explain more but not on this your topic page it could get Quite extensive. and I'm sure people don't what to wade through my bullshit to read other members great advice and stories.

I will start a new topic, ( if thats ok?)I have had a number of PM's asking how did you and why, This is the first forum I have ever joined, not sure what proper forum etiquette is. I hope some one will tell me if I over step my bounds here.

Looking forward to other peoples Ideas and advice here.

This is a link you may find very interesting! it is where I get my supplies from, they even have irrigation layout pages.

Supplies

Please don't yell at me, SC
 
Nah, you're fine! Honestly, I just say whatever I want, really. Just try not to cuss that much. Lol
I dont know how much of that stuff I will actually buy. I am trying to keep all of this as cheap as I can. I plan on selling peppers this year through a couple different outlets. (i.e. through PepperLover's website, farmers market, etc.) I am just testing the waters this year on that. But, after some recent grocery shopping trips, my wife and I have discovered that produce is getting rediculous. I mean really...$3 a pound for squash and zuchini?! So, we'll be growing for ourselves, and maybe the inlaw's next year, along with the peppers.
If I can keep the cost down low enough, I can grow on this land. If it gets too expensive, I can just keep stuff in containers here at the house. That way I could do ALL drip irrigation, as well as just plainly keep everything at the house, you know? Just have to see what costs will be like.
 
One of my pet peeves in large gardening is the weeding, it will take a chunk of your life.

I don't know how much your time is worth but at the very least I would consider the plastic mulch,

3 wonderful things happen, of coarse the weeds thats a given, but the others are the heat, in the spring the sun will beat down on that black mulch and heat the soil perfectly and will help maintain it night. you know how important soil temp is.

One other benefit is water evaporation or should I say the lack of it. how would you like to water 75% less, that's what evaporates on uncovered ground.

I'm not trying to talk you into anything here! the mulch delivered to my door is about $150, 4ft wide 4000 feet long, thats all most 3/4 of a mile, will do the size of my garden for 2 years, $75 and I don't have to pull a weed.

Just a thought.

SC
 
$150 ain't bad. All of the prices on there just said "call." That usually means it's expensive as hell. And with that size garden, I could probably still get away with drip irrigation. I just need to find out how to get from a gas-powered water pump to the irrigation. The outlet on it is 2".
 
Well shnikies! I coulda sworn, when I looked last night, all I saw was "call." Mighta been lookin' at the wrong thing though!
Do you sleep at all? lol
 
Hot Pooper said:
Looks good! What are YOU using for irrigation?
Click to expand...

This Is how I water

I believe that plants get shocked with cold water, There they are standing proud sucking up the hot sun on a beautiful balmy 80 degree day and here comes there owner with a garden hose spewing out 45 degree water,

It's a good thing they can't talk, if so it would be something like WT? are you thinking? LOL

For all you newbie's out there, if you going to water with a hose, do it in the morning if possible, and a dark colored garden hose laying in the sun all day will have hot enough water in it to kill your plants!

Any way, I fill the 400 gal tanks you see in the pictures, 4 or 5 days in the hot sun will take it up to about 70 degrees or so, You've heard the saying " now all we need is a nice warm rain"

The 2 tanks in the back are hooked together and feed out the garden hose you see wrapped around the back. I slid a 4 ft piece of conduit up the hose just in front of a ball valve; making a wand of sorts, allowing me to easily target the hole the plants are growing out of. very simple but effective.

Driving down through the rows and give each plant the personal attention they deserve, takes about 2 hours on a garden that big, but since I don't have the evaporation issue or competing weeds, I only have to do this about once a week.

I do also mix my fish emulation and Epson salts in the tanks,

SC


Water_Wagon001.jpg

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Looks good man! I dont know if I will go THAT route. Looks like I may use the plastic mulch, but will still use irrigation.
 
I bet you could set up a tank or 2 like SC's and leave them stationary a little higher than the garden. Use a pump to fill the tanks as needed and hook up soaker hoses or drip irrigation gravity fed from the tanks. A 2" pump should fill a 250 gallon tank in just a few minutes.
 
Thats what I do. I'm hoping to hook up a gravity fed drip system this year in my back garden.
I too always like for my water to warm up before feeding, especially cold well water


July 24 039 by potawie, on Flickr
 
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