If your beds are 3′ wide, two lines 18 apart focused over the middle will be do the job well.

Photo, right: Easy-to-insert fittings.

Cut and Connect

Setup of your tubing is uncomplicated and easy. You just cut each line leaving the total length of each line about 12 except the total length of your beds. If your beds are 8′ long, 7′ lengths of tubing inset 6 from either end will be sufficient.

The drip lines running the length of your beds link at one end utilizing strong feeder line and plastic connectors that place into the tubing. When within, the connectors don’t come out. Stay away from systems that require clamps and glue as these are needlessly made complex and no more effective.

Use strong feeder line to come up the side of your wood frames from ground level (see image at right). A manual shut-off valve can be set up here so you can turn the water off any bedsthat aren’t in active use if you want.

In addition to linking your raised beds, strong feeder line also leads back to your faucet. A Y port on your faucet will enable you to make an irreversible connection to your raised beds and leaves the opposite of the Y for a garden pipe. It is extremely recommended that you connect a series of elements to your faucet to filter your irrigation water and manage the pressure. We have such an assembly, ready-to-use, called a. Low Volume Control Set.

How Often and The Length Of Time to Run Your System.

You should run your drip irrigation system everyday for optimal plant growth. Veggie plants grow their best with a stable supply of water. Prolonged periods without water will put tension on your plants. This results in decreased growth and lower yields.

Picture, right: A low-volume control kit.

How long you water every day depends on a range of elements: the size and maturity of your plants, air temperature, wind, cloud protection, and the intensity of the sun. In general, you require less water early in the season and more water late in the season when the plants are bigger, take place more and are producing fruit.

You’ll need to consider these variables together with the amount of water your tubing gives over an unit of time, i.e how lots of gallons per minute (GPH) per emitter. Our raised bed system uses emitters that give water at the rate of.4 GPH. That’s a little less than 1/2 gallon per hour. Presuming your plants require about a pint of water per day early in the season, utilizing the exact same tubing you would run a day-to-day watering cycle that is 15 minutes long. By the end of the season the watering cycle might be 45 minutes long in the morning, with a much shorter, 15 minute cycle at the end of long, hot days to replenish water loss.

It’s beneficial to check out drip irrigation, however better yet to take the initial step to install your system. All of us experience inertia, however I can guarantee you, the time invested setting up drip watering in your garden is time well invested.

If you have a big garden, select a section where drip irrigation will give you the greatest bang for your dollar, and then begin. Once you have actually tackled a little task you’ll have the self-confidence and desire to water all parts of your garden using drip irrigation.

Go Pre-Assembled if This Sounds Like Too Much Effort Watering systems are a huge assistance for growing a successful home garden and definitely simplify the process of irrigating plants. Include a timer to your system, and you can turn it on when you leave for work, knowing your garden won’t flood and your plants will be satiated. If you’re not the Do It Yourself type, do not have the time to commit to developing a watering system, or battle with irregular watering in between plants, you’re not out of luck.GardenInMinutes.com. makes a pre-assembled. garden-watering system called the Garden Grid, which likewise doubles as a plant spacing guide.

While not technically a drip irrigation system, the water circulation is adjustable from a drip to a complete stream based on your plant needs. For those most interested in this section, you’ll be delighted to know no tools are needed for the Garden Grid, you just push the pre-assembled sections together and position it in your garden. You’ll have a watering system, as the name suggests, in minutes.