The Frugal Garden: Micro Irrigation Troubleshooting

Earlier this week dear husband informed me that a connector had failed on the front micro irrigation system.  I fixed the connection, BUT I missed a critical step.  I should have removed the end clip from the poly tube and flushed the system to remove any dirt that entered the system.

So, we turn on the system the next day, it runs for two minutes, then every sprinkler head died.  I mean every single one.  I knew I had messed up and today I had to pay penance.

But I do get to share with you how to make this type of repair.  Plan on getting very wet!  I mean very, very wet.  Wear old clothes and put all electronics in a safe, dry place.

First of all flush the entire system to get any dirt and hard water deposits out of there.  Next you need to take apart the connection that attaches the riser to the main poly tubing.  It should unscrew.

Two Piece Connector From Riser

Most people don't realize that inside these connectors is a small filter.  This is the first place debris will accumulate.  Remove the filter with a unbent paper clip and use the paper clip to make sure the hole in the center of the filter is not clogged.

Filter In Connector

Filter Removed

Turn on the water to purge the end of the connector still attached to the poly tubing.  Stand back, it's going to shoot aways.  Reassemble the connector and it's time for the next step.

Turn on the water.  Is the sprinkler working now?  If not, the spray head itself may be clogged.  Unscrew the spray head from the riser.  Use your paper clip to be sure that the spray head is not clogged.

Spray Head Removed From Riser

Spray Head Disassembled

After being sure that the spray head is not clogged, reassemble it and screw it back onto the riser.  It should be working at this point.  If not, you may need to replace the spray head.  If that doesn't work you will need to try a new riser and spray head, but this is a rare occurrence.

Success!

Now your system is up and running.  Since you're so dirty and wet you might as well pull some weeds and dream of future plantings.

God bless,
Pam

Micro Irrigation Installation

Now that you have your equipment and plan in place, it is time to install your micro irrigation system.  An hour before you plan on starting lay the roll of 3/4 inch poly tubing out in the sun.  It will be much easier to work with if it has softened.

You can attach the system directly to the faucet or you can attach it to your hose when the system is needed.  If you want to use a timer attach it to the faucet, then attach the backflow preventer and the pressure regulator.

Irrigation In The Garden

The pressure regulator has a compression fitting on the end.  Use that fitting to connect the 3/4" poly tubing.  Lay the poly tubing in the garden in proximity to the planting areas.  There is an array of T and cross shaped connecters that can be used.  These also use the pressure fittings.

When I installed my first system the poly tubing came in black and the vinyl tubing was green.  Now you can buy these in many colors to match your garden environment.  The same is true of the risers.

Riser With Sprinkler Head

Now decide where you need to attach the 1/4 inch vinyl tubing to the poly tubing.  Use the hole punch to push a hole into the vinyl tubing.  Attach the risers, bubblers or drip heads to the poly tubing by pressing their connector into the hole you made.

If you punch a hole by mistake just use a goof plug to repair it.  You can also reconfigure your layout in the future by plugging unneeded holes with the goof plugs (love the name).

If you are using a riser you can attach many types of spray heads:  full circle, 1/2 circle, 1/4 circle.  There seems to be more types available each time I go to the store.

An Array Of Sprinkler Heads

When done crimp the end of the poly tubing.  There is a simple plastic piece for doing this.

Turn the water on low to test the system.  Even with the pressure regulator it is possible to blow parts of the system off by turning the water on full blast.

You will need to run the system for 45 minutes every other day.  In Florida's intense heat when there is no rain, I need to run my systems every day.

Once or twice a years flush the system by removing the crimper on the end of the 3/4" poly tubing and letting water to run through.  This will remove any hard water build ups or dirt that has gotten into the system.

I have found that my micro irrigation systems have saved me money on my water bill during the growing season, plus it has reduced my problems with fungus by reducing the amount of water hitting the leaves.

Good luck with setting up your own micro irrigation system.  You'll find that your garden maintenance is much easier and enjoyable.

God bless,
Pam

The Frugal Garden: Micro Irrigation Start Up

I am still working on rehabbing the door yard garden.  Today I began dividing old plants that have become over grown.  Dear husband planted some basil in one corner for quick herb runs when cooking.

My main task, however, was to get the micro irrigation system back up and running.  After a winter of not being used the system was relatively easy to get running.  I love this method of irrigation for it's ease of use and water conservation.

Several years ago I attended a course on micro irrigation at the cooperative extension office.  Twenty dollars paid for the morning class and a micro irrigation starter kit.  After setting up the system in the door yard garden I was hooked.  It was so easy it only took me a morning to do everything.

Many people think of drip systems when they think of micro irrigation, but these systems can consist of drip emitters, spray emitters, bubblers, etc.  With micro irrigation you are delivering water to your plants efficiently and in multifaceted ways.

Starter Kit

Today I'd like to talk about the equipment you will need to set up a system in your own garden.  A starter kit will cover a small garden, but you may want to expand your set up or cover a larger garden.

From the faucet on out these are the parts you will need:  timer (optional), back flow preventer, pressure regulator, filter, 3/4 or 1 inch poly tubing, 1/4 inch vinyl tubing, risers (optional), emitters.  The only other tools I use are garden clippers and/or a heavy duty pair of scissors, a special hole punch and goof plugs to patch those errors.

There are many types of emitters:  spray emitters which are like mini sprinklers, drip emitters which deliver small amounts of water into pots or the roots of smaller plants and bubblers which deliver a larger amount of water directly to the roots of larger plants.  A riser can be used to lift the emitter over the top of the foliage to allow the spray to reach a greater number of plants.

By now you probably have a garden plan in place.  This plan will be used to decide how much tubing to purchase and the number and type of emitters you will need.

I will talk more about setting up a micro irrigation system in my next post.  This is a one person job and can easily be accomplished by someone with minimal upper body strength (like me!).

God bless,
Pam