Many summer residents are faced with the problem of organizing proper and regular watering of plants. To solve this issue, droppers are used for drip irrigation. They can be made independently by installing inside greenhouses and hotbeds for plants that do not receive rain moisture. This approach has many advantages, among them we can distinguish the lack of the possibility of damage to the root system of plants. Unlike the usual watering method, drip does not imply excess moisture at the roots, which can contribute to acidification.
Making a dropper on your own
In the manufacture of a drip for drip irrigation, you first need to install a container in order to power the system with water. A submersible pump is installed in the tank, the performance of which should be equivalent to the required flow rate through all the droppers of the system. At the same time, it is important to expect that 1.5 liters will be needed for a tomato bush per day, while 2 liters will be needed for a cucumber bush. As soon as the droppers for drip irrigation are ready, a polyethylene water main pipe should be connected to the submersible pump. The diameter of this element can be from 16 to 32 millimeters. The pressure that will be created by the pump will allow the pipe to exit the hole in the tank, which can be placed on top. However, you can drill the tank into the wall, and then install the seal by cutting the fitting through which the pipe will pass. When droppers are made for drip irrigation, fittings in the amount of 1 piece can be used if the element will be in the form of the letter T. Two fittings will be needed when using the L-shaped element. The main pipe should be held in 3 beds. Pipes at the ends of each bed must be plugged. At the next stage, you can organize drip irrigation for each bush by means of a dropper.
Technology of work
When making droppers for drip irrigation with your own hands, you need to drill or punch holes in the main pipes to install an unregulated compensated dropper, the working pressure of which is 4 atmospheres. You can make a hole for adjustable droppers. The element is inserted into the hole of the main pipe, then you need to bring water to the roots using a 6 mm polyethylene tube. To fix the end of the element in the air, you need to mount a tip that goes deep into the soil near the bush.
Recommendations for work
Making the droppers for drip irrigation with your own hands, you can install the next submersible pump on the timer, which will be responsible for turning off and on the power supply. In this way you can regulate the operation of the pump.
Ribbon-based droppers
A dropper for a drip irrigation system can be made on the basis of a tape. This will allow to arrange not fully automated irrigation. Such a solution is suitable if there is one or several crops in the greenhouses, each of which is characterized by the same watering requirements. In this case, a drip tape is laid in which droppers are installed. Consumption of the latter should be equal to 2 liters per hour. The distance between the elements should be from 30 to 50 cm. After you managed to stretch the ribbon to the beds, you will receive a drop-wise metered watering of each bush. Such tapes are fixed to the main pipe by means of start connectors with valves. The pipe, as in the previous system, must be brought to the tank in which the submersible pump equipped with a timer is located.
Alternative solution
When droppers are made that are adjustable for drip irrigation, the work can be done using a slightly different technology. To do this, you can use the tools and materials that each master will find in their own arsenal. This system is built on the principle of functioning of a traditional medical dropper. To ensure irrigation of the garden, a rubber hose, several plugs, a device for filtering water, a dropper, and an awl will be needed. The technology of work involves the connection of a hose to the plumbing system. Next, an awl is used, with the help of which it will be necessary to make holes in the dropper hose. The hose is fixed, but a filter device is pre-installed. For such a system, absolutely any filter is suitable, the dimensions of which will correspond to the goals. The end of the hose, as in the above method, is muffled, which will eliminate water leakage. Now the dropper system can be laid under the plants.
Homemade droppers for drip irrigation will work on the principle of an adjustable water supply using a tap. If you use modern technology, the process will be able to automate. In this case, the master will have to spend money on the purchase of sensors and a walk-behind tractor. The first ones will help control soil moisture.
Calculation for the arrangement of drip irrigation
If you will make compensated droppers for drip irrigation, which you can perform using one of the methods described above, you will need to make some calculations. Thus, each dropper in the process of functioning consume water in the amount of 1.5 liters per 1 hour. This condition is true at a pressure that is equivalent to 0.8 atmospheres. If you buy drip tape in a store, then its length should be 30 cm. After simple calculations, we can conclude that in 1 hour the system will consume about 450 liters of water.
If an external compensated dropper is used for drip irrigation, taking into account the maintenance of the aforementioned pressure and water flow, then after an hour of operation, you can check the soil, which should be moistened to a depth of 30 to 50 cm. This will be enough. Do not leave the device in working condition for a longer time, as this can cause the death of plants from excess moisture.
Specialist advice
If you decide to equip a drip irrigation system in the garden, and you have to work with a plot of 150 square meters, then for this you should use a tape 120 meters long. Having placed the droppers at a distance of 30 cm from each other, you will get a water flow rate of 3.8 liters per hour. A polyethylene water pipe must be located across the entire width of the irrigated area. The tank used for water must be made of plastic. Perhaps there will be a need for a fitting that has an external thread. It has to be installed in the water tank.
To attach the hose, prepare a inch threaded tap. The transition from internal to external threads can be ensured by the use of a foot. A hose must also be purchased for the hose. The master will need to attach the tape using rubberized fittings, which, subject to the above conditions, must be purchased in the amount of 8 pieces.
Conclusion
You can turn off some watering lines by mounting taps that have rubber seals. If there is a desire to ensure optimal operation of the manufactured droppers, then watering should be started about 3 times during the day. If we are talking about moderately hot weather, then the moisture obtained will be enough for two to three days, which is important in the case of those summer residents who visit the garden with a certain frequency.