Automatic watering system

[JudyB]

Here are some photos of my system and how it hooks together. I use hoses to get to the filter as I'm on a well, and need to filter rust particles out. Its called a Twist-2-clean. After the filter, pvc fittings to the timers. I use clabers, one is a duplo, to control two areas, and one is a single for my third area, again a Claber. I use a hose from there to get to the pvc hard lines that run along the arbor headers. Then there is a sprinkler (mister) head 12" along the pvc. Put more than you need, as you can always turn them off individually at each head. Pretty simple. The heads have a volume control knob on each one, so you can control the amount of pressure, and also shape the cone of coverage a bit by dialing it up (larger) or down (more stream like) I just switched all my sprinklers to misters, as with redoing the benches, I am closer to the heads now and it works fine. You don't want to be much more than 58" from the bench top to the heads. The closer the canopy is to the mister, the better coverage you'll get if its breezy.

 

[JudyB]

You'll want to make sure you place shutoff valves in multiple places, so you can turn things off easily without dismantling it. Here are some shots of the heads. First one is before we switched over from sprinklers to misters, so they are not as close together. Links to the heads
https://www.orbitonline.com/products/drip-irrigation

 

[JudyB]

If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to help out with links or whatever...

 

[JudyB]

Here is some text that I found that I sent to someone, with a bit of additional info. Only difference is I only use misters instead of micros.

Just make sure that you can position them anywhere you need them. We use pvc instead of tubing. Here are a couple of pics of how we ran them up the backside of the arbor header. If you use PVC, you can move them around because you can always either cap old holes you don't need, and put new ones anywhere. You just have to make sure that when you add new ones, you don't change the pressure overall too much.
We use the Orbit sprinkler and mister heads, you have to get shrub adaptors (look for them in the adaptor section) to put them overhead like we do. I use the 1/2 pattern micro sprinklers, and do one each direction, so I have more control, they are adjustable flow at each sprinkler with the valve on them. They also have 1/4 pattern ones. The spinning ones are crap. I love the adjustable flow mist sprayers, I have them in the wind house, as the trees are closer to the header pieces in there, can't use them where the header is too far above. The windhouse has twice as many lines in it now, every other board has a line now. I do have to replace these heads every couple years, and I take them out for the winter. They just screw out of the PVC.

 

[leatherback]

Hey Judy,

2 weeks ago I dipped my toe into automatic sprinkling. With temperatures rissing to 30c+ and me away for 2 nights (And my wife away for a bit longer), I thought it best to put something in place. It is VERY temperary (Litteally tubes with nozzles suspended on wooden slats stuck in the dirt)

I thought about the overhead sprinkling, but was worrid that the foliage would block the water from reaching the soil. How do you deal with that?

 

[JudyB]

The foliage actually directs the water to the soil. My sprinkler heads are pretty fine droplets, almost like an extremely heavy mist, the water hits the leaves, and drips from there to the soil. I find the more foliage the better as it catches more of the water.

In looking at the information in the above thread, I have changed all the heads from actual sprinklers, to all mister heads. They do great, and have flow controls on each head to set how wide the pattern is.

Ha Ha take that back, I was reading the info that I copied from someone else system!!! from post #4...

 

[Tieball]

Do the roots get watered enough from this overhead system? Nice assembly...clean and well thought out. Mighty fine!

 

[JudyB]

Do the roots get watered enough from this overhead system? Nice assembly...clean and well thought out. Mighty fine!

Yes they do, I'm at a job that I'm working for 16 hours a day for 3 weeks currently... If it didn't work, I couldn't have trees at all.
My system for cleaning iron out of the water has been upgraded to a much better mineral based filtration system we installed this spring. The water is iron free, even to a point that I'm adding some iron based fertilizer on some trees this year.

 

[Giga]

Looks awesome - mine is just a simple spike in each pot - but I think a mister idea would be great - especially for newly collected material. Hmmm I think a new area is coming this spring in my garden.

 

[JudyB]

Funny to look at the old pics of the old benches, the newer bench system looks sooooo much better. I also have 4 timers now instead of two, a pair dedicated to misting and a pair for watering. They have A/B sides so you can be very flexible and make several zones for trees with differing needs.