Suggestion Best Posts in Thread: Drip irrigation ideas.

With water in very short supply maybe it time to learn a little more about drip irrigation. Elnard S. Ympal, a TESDA student had a good year regarding water use. What made his farm unique was his drip irrigation innovation. He used recycled plastic empty soft drink bottles for his modified drip irrigation (this innovation made him the 2010 National Outstanding Young Farmer) – he aspired to innovate this technology due to scarcity of water supply . I will be experimenting with coke bottles in the next couple of weeks to see what may work for the gardeners here. Please post you ideas also. Watching the attached U Tube may give you some thoughts.



I like the idea of filling the bottles and walking away for the day. With the current heat cycle it is a job keeping everything wet.

 

here's another take on drip irrigation by steve solomon.


Drill one 6 mm (¼ inch) hole in the side of a plastic bucket just a squidge above the bottom. I prefer using big white 20 litre (5 gallon) ones because around mid-summer the larger plants in my garden can use that much at one go. But even household pails of 2.5 gallons (10 litres) will serve in a pinch. Set that bucket on the soil next to a large plant or what will soon be one, like a tomato, cucumber, zucchini, etc. Position the drain hole so it is close to the plant’s stem. Tilt the bucket slightly away from the hole and pour in the amount of fish/kelp concentrate or manure/compost extract to make a full strength solution in the amount of water going into the bucket. Then with hose and nozzle, fill the bucket as fast as possible. (You could also premix the fertilizer in one bucket (without a hole in it) and then pour the solution into the fertigation bucket.) It’ll take a few minutes for the bucket to empty because the drain hole was intentionally made small, so that the outflow can sink in without spreading out. (If your soil is slow to accept moisture, then drill a 3/16th inch (4 mm)-diameter drain hole. If your soil is sand, water tends to go straight down without spreading out much. In this case, better results might happen by drilling two holes , 180 degrees apart.)

article continued at Liquid Fertilizers and Aerated Compost Tea |

 

A friend of mine has the condensate drain from his central A/C unit piped over to his tomato plants. If you have an A/C system you run at night while you sleep that may work for a couple of plants. If you only have a fan it won't help.

 

For the less inventive here, im sure i have seen dripline pipe in one of the hardware shops in town........

 

Hey, I am not trying for a one hit wonder, or the glory days... OK ... I am just waiting for "the woman" part of you scenario, i am hoping she has a "coke bottle" figure and I get confused, if the spot light is strong enough I will probably be blinded and not even know what she looks like... probably a good option for many nights here. I just like the woman part of your formula. I will return to the work bench now and look for some coke bottles , as I fantasize of my future adventures.