How to Set up an Inexpensive Irrigation System

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Are you looking to maintain a lovely garden, but you're not sure when, or how much to water? Or perhaps you just forget to water, and all your hard work wilts or dies? Here is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to solve your watering dilemma.

Steps

1. Purchase a faucet hose timer. These items can be bought for as little as USD $15.
2. Put in fresh batteries at the beginning of each growing season.
3. Attach the timer to an outdoor spigot.
4. Attach your feeder hose to the timer.
5. At the end of your feeder hose, attach a hose manifold or multiple line splitters to accommodate the number of soaker hoses or sprinkler heads you need.
6. Test your set up by turning the faucet on, turning the timer on, and checking to be sure water is coming out where you need it to.
7. Adjust the stop valves as necessary to regulate the flow of water.
8. Set the timer. The inexpensive ones give you several options such as half an hour twice a day, or an hour once a day, etc. The expensive ones allow you to be much more precise in when and how long you are watering.
9. Observe the next few days of watering cycles to be certain everything is working as planned.
   • Note:If using sprinkler heads, you can use the method described in How to Calibrate Your Sprinklers to make sure your plants are getting the right amount of water.
10. Relax, knowing you can leave for extended periods of time without worrying about whether your plants will be alive when you return.

Tips

• Some people use "regular" garden hose with nail holes at intervals in lieu of a soaker hose. This works fairly well for a long row of bushes, for example, with holes poked in the hose only at the base of each successive bush.
• A soaker hose can be placed under mulch for even better water utilization and savings.

Related wikiHows

• How to Fix a Garden Hose
• How to Use a Tire Rim to Organize Your Garden Hose
• How to Keep Garden Tools in Great Shape
• How to Rescue Dying Plants
• How to Replace a Lawn Sprinkler Timer

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Set up an Inexpensive Irrigation System. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Build a Drip Watering System for Outside Plants

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If you want to save water, time, or labor, a drip watering system can do all three. Setting up one of these systems can be done by several simple methods.

Steps

Container Method

1. Buy a sturdy plastic container, such as a milk jug.
2. Punch several holes into the container using a nail. Make sure the holes are clear and fairly small (about 1-2mm across).
3. Bury the container in your garden with the top sticking out. If you like, you can pile some rocks around it for aesthetic appeal.
4. Use a hose and funnel to fill your container. Refill as needed.

Hose Method

1. Buy a length of sturdy hose. This is available at most garden stores. Be sure to buy a cap for the end, or your system will not work.
2. Using a nail, punch a series of holes about 4 cm (2 inches) apart along the length.
3. Attach one end of this hose to a spigot.
4. Lay the hose among the plants you intend to water. If you like, you can bury the hose in the ground.
5. Turn the spigot on to medium flow.
6. When you're done watering, turn the spigot off.

Things You'll Need

• Nail
• Plastic bottle
• Hose with cap
• Spigot
• Garden to water
• Trowel or other digging tool (optional)
• Rocks (optional)
• Other hose

Related wikiHows

• How to Xeriscape
• How to Create a Patio Garden
• How to Repair a Sinking Stone Patio
• How to Landscape With Solar Lighting
• How to Grow a Container Garden

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build a Drip Watering System for Outside Plants. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.