Your personal garden watering system: installation
21.8.2019
Responsibility for translation Patrik Stainbrook
Our graphic designer Sven wants to water all of the plants in his communal garden and put together his own system step by step. Today's topic: installation
The planning was done. It was time to get down to business. The watering system had to be laid. It all seemed a bit overwhelming to start with, as all of the parts arrived in separate packaging. But we soon made an organised heap out of the chaos. Hoses together, drippers together, connections together. It all made sense.
Sven had decided on a micro drip system. We worked out the concept visually in the last article and we followed it exactly. We connected the pump which will draw the water to the garden hose hanging from the rainwater barrel. Next up was the base unit. This reduces pressure and filters the water. The pump and base unit have to be positioned at least a metre apart to prevent the pressure getting too high.
Laying the pipes
We connected a 13 mm laying pipe to the base unit and Sven bridged the gap to the first planter. Once this is done, the hose can be cut to size. The best way to do this is with side cutters or combination pliers. You could also use a utility knife if you're not worried about cutting your hands. Sven then added the 13 mm drip tube, which has small holes at equal intervals, and joined the two hoses with a connector. Depending on the area to be watered, you could use the 4.6 mm version instead of the larger drip tube and add drippers. If you have rows of plants like Sven's tomatoes, the first version would be best. Individual drippers make more sense for containers like raised beds.
A construction kit for gardeners
Version two involves picking up the thinner pipes. To attach them, follow the same plan as before: cut the 13 mm pipe at the desired point, then add the connecting piece and plug in the 4.6 mm pipe. All of our pipes are quite rigid, which makes laying them more difficult. Sven bent and flexed the different parts until he was blue in the face to make them more flexible and he did a great job. You can also secure the pipes with brackets to keep them in the desired position. Then it's just a matter of adding your choice of dripper. Pay attention to the amount of water released, as this can range from two to 380 litres per hour. Go for drippers on the lower end of the spectrum for pots and higher volume options for large beds. Sven decided on a combination of drippers and wider spray nozzles. Laying out the drippers in the desired formation is recommended before cutting the hose to make sure that everything works in the end.
As you can see, the whole system works like a foolproof construction kit – provided you've bought the right products beforehand.
Make it rain
Once half of the planters were connected to the system, we risked an initial test. We had to put a sealing plug at the end of the system to prevent most of the water just flowing out again. Logical, right?
Water ran from all the drippers, hole and nozzles, which we called a success. Even if pressure close to the pump left something to be desired, which seemed incredibly illogical to us. This is the first time we realised how much water was coming out of the 6-face spray nozzle. It was too much for our chosen location, where there were only a small number of plants. An additional regulator valve reduced the water release. That worked.
After the first test, Sven and I were feeling positive. The system is child's play to put together, customisable and has no leaks. We'll be fine-tuning it over the next few weeks, as the volume of water isn't right for all of the plants. Find out whether the watering system keeps delivering on its promises until then in the next article in the series.
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My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
