Recently, a gardening activity has become popular. People grow different vegetables and fruits at home, as they consider it safer than buying products of dubious quality in a store or in the market. The presence in many GMO products is alarming to consumers. Many begin to seriously engage in gardening, install greenhouses, and in connection with this, the need for such things as drip irrigation systems for greenhouses has grown.
Why do we need greenhouses?
Greenhouses are a prerequisite for the proper cultivation of most plants, seedlings and flowers. Most often, these structures are used in the cold season, when you need to protect the plant from such external influences as wind, rain, snow or frost. An important element of greenhouse care is proper watering. The success of growing a particular culture depends on how this process is established. In addition to watering, it is very important to monitor the proper fertilization of the earth in the greenhouse. These two most important tasks will help you perform a specially designed irrigation system.
The importance of watering and fertilizing
Why is watering and fertilizer so important? Each plant requires a special approach to the irrigation process. One needs more moisture, the other from its excess quickly dies. The roots of some plants develop well in moist soil, while others begin to rot and ache from a large amount of water. The same goes for fertilizer. Too much fertilizer can kill a crop faster than a lack of recharge. What does each plant need and what is so important for it to provide?
- Free air access to the root system.
- Free circulation of air and water at the roots without conflict.
- The presence of water and air, which enable the plant to develop quickly and correctly.
What to do, and how to achieve all this? To the aid of gardeners comes the drip irrigation system for the greenhouse.
The advantages of drip irrigation
Developed modified devices greatly simplify the life of gardeners. Drip irrigation systems for greenhouses have so many advantages that no one doubts the need for their application. So, when using these systems, we get the following result:
- the productivity of plants grown in the greenhouse increases;
- water is evenly distributed in the soil exactly where it is needed most;
- automatic irrigation control;
- adding fertilizer to the water tank, you facilitate the process of replenishing the earth;
- the ability to regulate the fertilizer process and make it in a clearly planned time;
- the quality of the plants and their appearance does not deteriorate from the ingress of liquid on the leaves;
- drip irrigation systems for greenhouses organize watering so that the earth is not washed out at the roots, and this often happens with direct watering;
- you can water a large area at the same time, while not wasting any extra effort or time;
- easy installation and maintenance at a low cost.
DIY drip irrigation systems for a greenhouse
Some gardeners who want to use such a plant in their greenhouse want to do it on their own. This, of course, is possible. After all, there is nothing unreal for a person with golden hands. In order to make do-it-yourself drip irrigation systems for the greenhouse, you need:
- carefully examine all available information related to this topic;
- determine the components, calculate the number of parts and components;
- to get everything you need;
- install and run the system.
Today we’ll talk about ready-made systems, or rather, about the kits that modern manufacturers offer and which you can assemble yourself.
Types of systems
The modern product market offers us a wide selection of off-the-shelf devices. Each drip irrigation system for a greenhouse has its advantages. The most popular were the Cycle and Water Measure systems. It is about them that will be described in our article. The drip irrigation system “Greenhouse Cicle” has another name - “Beetle”. Most gardeners know him by that name. A notable fact is the opportunity to purchase a kit in different versions, but it will still be the same drip irrigation system:
- Greenhouse set.
- Greenhouse set.
- Extension kit.
Depending on the size of the greenhouse, you can choose the necessary version of the system. This will save time, space, and money.
Drip Irrigation System: Greenhouse Cicle Set
First of all, you must understand that drip irrigation helps to achieve the most positive result in a short period of time with a small consumption of water and money. When watering is carried out during the day in small portions, this allows the earth to absorb moisture little by little, without oversaturation. The same goes for fertilizer. By introducing it according to the planned schedule, you ensure yourself a successful harvest.
System benefits
The drip irrigation system (the Greenhouse Cicle set) not only helps reduce water consumption, but also has a beneficial effect on plants. When watering, water does not fall on the leaves, as with top watering. This prevents the earth from leaching, and the leaves do not rot. Constant modernization of systems allows you to constantly improve the quality of irrigation. So, for example, several enhancements have been developed that significantly improve the quality of the action:
- a new hose with a marking, which allows you to constantly monitor the amount of water in the tank;
- a special stop on the awl prevents damage to the hose when piercing;
- special filters purify water and prevent droppers and hose from clogging.
Product range
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the full content of what drip irrigation systems for greenhouses of this manufacturer offer:
- dropper;
- small tee;
- ½ tee (large);
- stub;
- suspension;
- clamping bracket;
- corner ½ (large);
- crane;
- awl;
- fine filter;
- fitting ¾;
- fitting ½;
- trunk hose;
- supply hose;
- tube-level is transparent.
As you can see, the kit provides everything that a person needs to ensure proper watering. In the instructions for the system, you can familiarize yourself in detail with how to assemble and install all the parts. Depending on which kit you purchased, the number of parts depends. The greenhouse set, respectively, has fewer components than the greenhouse version.
Installation process
Having acquired everything you need to install the system, you can safely proceed to the assembly and installation. This should be done in stages, carefully considering the details. We recommend you to follow our tips, and as a result you will get a well-assembled system and proper watering:
- Having bought parts for the system, carefully study them for integrity and check if everything is in stock;
- draw a plan of the greenhouse and how you want to install the system, for this measure all sides, rows, gaps;
- think over which water source you will use for irrigation, select the container to which the water hose will be connected (if you have a pump, you can use the nearest body of water to pump water);
- having drawn up a plan, you can calculate how much piping you will need for your system (for this purpose, a standard cold water pipe with a diameter of 32 mm or more is best suited);
- Be sure to install a filter that should be between the water tank or other source and the pipe itself; carefully study the filter before installation, it has an indication of the direction of water, so for proper use this must be taken into account; during use, constantly monitor the condition of the filters and clean them regularly;
- drip tubes are connected to the main pipe using special connectors; To do this, you need to correctly mark the places where you want to attach the tubes; in these places you need to drill holes whose diameter corresponds to the parts from the kit;
- a connector with a tap is placed in the main pipe, this is necessary in order to be able to stop watering a certain bed separately from the rest;
- the tubes must pass through each row of plants to ensure uniform watering, for this the required number of droppers is installed on the tubes (they must be on top);
- a cap is installed on the end of the tube; this can be done using special plugs or using the tape itself, twisting it into a knot;
- at the end of the main pipe, you also need to install a plug, which you can buy in any specialized store or which is included in the kit;
- if the shape of your greenhouse is wrong, then you can use tees to branch the system in the form you want.
Drip irrigation system for greenhouses "Vodomerka"
This irrigation system has the same operating principle as the “Cycle” described above, but in addition to many components, an automatic sensor with a pump is included. This makes it possible to immediately automate the irrigation process, without the use of additional equipment. It is worth noting here that the automatic drip irrigation system for the greenhouse can be installed on any set. This can be done with a constant supply of water. Pre-buy an automatic "controller". After installing the entire system in place and checking its operability, attach the controller directly after the filter. Adjust all the parameters that your plants need and use the result of your labor.
Systems cost
The pricing policy in our time is such that in different places the prices for the same product are very different. However, in order to guide users, we have studied various sources and can state the following:
- the average cost of a product such as a drip irrigation system — the Greenhouse Cicle 601900121 set — fluctuates around 1000 rubles;
- the system "Vodomerka" due to automation costs around 3,500 rubles.
Remember that by acquiring a particular system, you will win anyway. Firstly, you will invest money once, and you will be able to use the system for many years. Secondly, spending money on such a set, you provide your plants with excellent care, and the result will not be long in coming. Recently, technology does not stand still, and every day we get acquainted with new inventions of mankind. All of them help solve our everyday problems and make our work easier. Such a task is performed by the above irrigation systems. This is not just another invention, it is a real help to gardeners in their hard work.
Having studied many reviews of those who bought and installed such systems, we can say that the use of these products brings only positive results. There is not a single negative review regarding the operation of the system. Remember also that there are many fakes and substandard products, so purchase only systems from trusted manufacturers.