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How to Build Your Own Micro Drip Irrigation System
How to Build Your Own Micro Drip Irrigation System. Drip irrigation isn't just for farmers. Gardeners can build their own micro-drip irrigation systems to water indoor herb gardens or just to make sure the houseplants get enough water. This system is simple, adaptable and very inexpensive to set up. It can also be used with plants that grow in soil...
Drip irrigation isn't just for farmers. Gardeners can build their own micro-drip irrigation systems to water indoor herb gardens or just to make sure the houseplants get enough water. This system is simple, adaptable and very inexpensive to set up. It can also be used with plants that grow in soil or in growing mediums for hydroponic or soilless gardens.
Things You'll Need
Bucket
Submersible water pump
Plastic tubing in two sizes
Tube connectors
Basket drips
Wire
Scissors
How to Build a Micro-Drip Irrigation System
Arrange your plants into one orderly, central location so that the tubing can reach all of the plants. The best way, for the purposes of this article, would be to arrange them in a linear pattern along a table.
Attach the larger of the tubing to the pump. Place the pump in the bucket and run the large tubing along the table between or along the row of plants. Cut the large tubing and fold it over itself, securing the fold tightly with the wire. This will keep the water in the tube.
Taking your scissors, measure and cut the smaller tubing so that you have one tube for each plant. Measure and cut accurately so that each tube can reach from the central larger tube to its corresponding plant.
Using the point of the scissors, poke holes along the large tube, making as many holes as you have plants to water. Place a tube connector in each hole and place the smaller tubes onto the end of each connector.
Place one basket drip on the end of each small tube. Stick one basket drip into the soil or growing medium of each plant, close but not too close to the base of the plant.
Fill the bucket three-quarters of the way with water. Plug in the pump and begin watering your plants.
Tips & Warnings
Fertilizer can be added directly to the water in this system so you can feed and water your plants at the same time. Depending on the plants you're growing, you may need to run the pump a couple times a day or long enough to get the right amount of water for the plants. If you're not home much, you can buy outlet timers you plug your pump into that can run the pump in your absence.
