Hi, Brian. I agree that a drip irrigation system isn't an option for many folks but it works beautifully for our needs. And a lot of folks have been asking me to do a video on how our beds are set up, so that was the purpose of this video. I also agree that mulching is so important!
Thanks for the great explanation of drip irrigation. Just getting started here in Iowa with some raised beds. I have always been a garden hose waterier for most of my life...But am ready to update a system for water.
Thank you. Nice video. We put it in our small garden this year and planning for this year to be our learning curve year. It isn’t cheap but we felt it was affordable. Next to add some hoops.
Regarding your automatic sprinkler controller, can you tell me if you are using more than one station for all or your garden? If not, how many stations are connected to the controller? We currently have a 16 station underground sprinkler system for our entire yard and beds with one station dedicated to overhead watering of our garden. If possible, I would like to use that one station for the drip system when we convert to drip (in the garden). Your garden size with raised beds is very similar to our setup. Excellent video and than you for sharing! Tim
Hi, Tim. We use 2 stations to water our vegetable garden. The first one waters 23 raised beds, the second waters 5 more that we added onto the garden in a slightly different area. I'm glad the video was helpful.
Thank you. Very hi-tech system. I would have to hire someone. I have been doing my own DIY system on a timer. Of course its work because I just have a very small garden. Minimized space with trellis to grow vertically. Thanks for sharing love the idea of your protective cloth
Hello Susan, Thank you for all of your wonderful videos! I am in zona 6a (Mountains in Arizona) and the water is full of minerals and the sun is brutal at our 7000' elevation. I know I can take care of the mineral issues with a filter but how does the flat drip tape hold up to the sun in your climate? In other words, how many years can you expect it to last?
Hi, Debbie. I'm so glad you are enjoying my videos. To be honest, it's hard for me to address the sun issue since you probably get much more intense sunlight than we do. The drip tape has lasted about 6 or 7 years. However, I did want to let you know that we are slowly transitioning from the drip tape to 1/4" drip tubing. We feel there will be less clogging with the latter plus it will be easier to work with. Sorry to surprise you with that! I would recommend either contacting dripworks.com or your local sprinkler supplier to learn what they think about how certain materials will hold up in your climate. Good luck.
Susan, you mentioned liking drip tape as opposed to soaker hoses. Could you share the brand name & where you purchased it please? I’m wondering if I can connect the tape to my 1/2” plastic water tubes. Thank you.
Hi, Kim. We purchased it from Dripworks.com. It had been recommended to us and is working really well. You can contact Dripworks to clarify that it will hook up to your 1/2" tubing but I'm pretty sure you can do it.
Hi Susan, Just watching this video as I need to install a similar irrigation system on my new raised beds. Question: If you rotate your crops, do you also rotate the drip system manifold that is designed for each type of vegetable? I would imagine, carrots would take a different system than potatoes or squash. Thank-you.
Hi, Jacqueline. All of our drip system set-ups are interchangeable on all of the beds. However, most crops take the same type of set-up, other than the lettuce beds which have some micro-misters on them.
You bought your system from dripworks? Are you buying the new soaker tape from them also? How long can i expect their system to last? Thanks sorry for so many questions.
Hi, John. No problem. Yes, we've bought all of our drip irrigation parts from Dripworks. We have used the drip tape in our garden for about 7 years and haven't had any major problems with it, although we will probably replace it with the new Aqua Traxx tape next spring due to some minor leaks at the manifold area on a few beds. We leave our drip irrigation systems out year-round, rather than rolling it up and storing it somewhere during the fall and winter months, which we believe is another reason ours is lasting so well.
Hi Susan....I am little confused about drip irrigation so hoping you could clarify. On the tubing itself did you put some sort of bubbler or does the tubing comes with little holes? I installed 1/4 inch drip tubing which is not the surface fast enough and it’s drips very slowly so thinking about upgrading to something different. If you have a link to amazon or Home Depot on which type you used I would really appreciate it. Thanks
Hi, Samina. Sorry for the confusion! On most of our raised beds, we have drip tape which has holes in it every few inches. We are also going to use more 1/4" drip tubing, which also has the holes in it. We have primarily gotten our drip irrigation supplies through dripworks.com. They have a lot of information on their website, plus you can call and ask for their recommendations based on how you intend to use drip irrigation. I hope that helps!
Hi, Marcel. We used 15 mil high-flow drip tape with 8" spacing, because we have a well. However, I should let you know that we're planning to change to 1/4" soaker drip line as we feel it will last longer and be more efficient than the drip tape. Sorry to change things up on you!
Drip irrigation can be SO MUCH EASIER. Running a hose from the house spigot, connected to regulator, backflow preventer and filter - simple $20 set up, 1/2" feeder hose, connectors to drip tape. Inexpensive, easy lasting system. An if you live in cold region like me, disconnect the filter assemble, remove zip ties at ends of drip tape and allow system to bleed itself. Your set up is very expensive and not workable in areas where ground freezes without lots of work to bleed lines.
Thanks for your comments. We live in a zone 5 climate with harsh winters so this set-up is definitely workable in areas where the ground freezes. Just to clarify about blowing out the system: my husband can do all of the beds in one fell swoop. It probably takes him a total of 15 minutes to open the valves on the raised beds AND blow out the entire system with an air compressor. I'm not sure what all your $20 quote entails because if you add up the costs of the items you listed in your comments, you are way beyond $20. We have a very large vegetable garden so naturally our cost will be higher than what folks would pay to set up an average-sized garden.
Hi, Dustin. They aren't below the frost line but are about 10-12" deep. Every fall, my husband opens all of the valves on the raised beds and blows out the lines so that everything can stay outside all winter long.
Thank you for the great video!
Glad you liked it, Mike!
About to do this… thanks for an excellent explanation of a model system for me. Very clear and informative!
Glad it was helpful, Stephen!
Thank you Susan.
Such a great explanation for drip on vegetables Susan. Well done
Hi, Donna. Thanks so much for such a nice compliment! I'm definitely not an expert on drip irrigation but I did my best!
It is methodical and careful and I think that's what most of us need!
It's way more than I want to do. Mulching keeps the soil moist, even in drought conditions. But that is a lovely garden that you have.
Hi, Brian. I agree that a drip irrigation system isn't an option for many folks but it works beautifully for our needs. And a lot of folks have been asking me to do a video on how our beds are set up, so that was the purpose of this video. I also agree that mulching is so important!
Thanks for the great explanation of drip irrigation. Just getting started here in Iowa with some raised beds. I have always been a garden hose waterier for most of my life...But am ready to update a system for water.
Wonderful thank you so much Susan. Very informative.
Thank you, Anthea!
Thank you. Nice video. We put it in our small garden this year and planning for this year to be our learning curve year. It isn’t cheap but we felt it was affordable. Next to add some hoops.
Regarding your automatic sprinkler controller, can you tell me if you are using more than one station for all or your garden? If not, how many stations are connected to the controller? We currently have a 16 station underground sprinkler system for our entire yard and beds with one station dedicated to overhead watering of our garden. If possible, I would like to use that one station for the drip system when we convert to drip (in the garden). Your garden size with raised beds is very similar to our setup. Excellent video and than you for sharing! Tim
Hi, Tim. We use 2 stations to water our vegetable garden. The first one waters 23 raised beds, the second waters 5 more that we added onto the garden in a slightly different area. I'm glad the video was helpful.
Thank you. Very hi-tech system. I would have to hire someone. I have been doing my own DIY system on a timer. Of course its work because I just have a very small garden. Minimized space with trellis to grow vertically. Thanks for sharing love the idea of your protective cloth
Ahhh efficiency! LOVE it! Thank you for sharing vital information in detail!
Hello Susan, Thank you for all of your wonderful videos! I am in zona 6a (Mountains in Arizona) and the water is full of minerals and the sun is brutal at our 7000' elevation. I know I can take care of the mineral issues with a filter but how does the flat drip tape hold up to the sun in your climate? In other words, how many years can you expect it to last?
Hi, Debbie. I'm so glad you are enjoying my videos. To be honest, it's hard for me to address the sun issue since you probably get much more intense sunlight than we do. The drip tape has lasted about 6 or 7 years. However, I did want to let you know that we are slowly transitioning from the drip tape to 1/4" drip tubing. We feel there will be less clogging with the latter plus it will be easier to work with. Sorry to surprise you with that! I would recommend either contacting dripworks.com or your local sprinkler supplier to learn what they think about how certain materials will hold up in your climate. Good luck.
Susan, you mentioned liking drip tape as opposed to soaker hoses. Could you share the brand name & where you purchased it please? I’m wondering if I can connect the tape to my 1/2” plastic water tubes. Thank you.
Hi, Kim. We purchased it from Dripworks.com. It had been recommended to us and is working really well. You can contact Dripworks to clarify that it will hook up to your 1/2" tubing but I'm pretty sure you can do it.
Thank you Susan.
Hi Susan,
Just watching this video as I need to install a similar irrigation system on my new raised beds. Question: If you rotate your crops, do you also rotate the drip system manifold that is designed for each type of vegetable? I would imagine, carrots would take a different system than potatoes or squash. Thank-you.
Hi, Jacqueline. All of our drip system set-ups are interchangeable on all of the beds. However, most crops take the same type of set-up, other than the lettuce beds which have some micro-misters on them.
You bought your system from dripworks? Are you buying the new soaker tape from them also? How long can i expect their system to last? Thanks sorry for so many questions.
Hi, John. No problem. Yes, we've bought all of our drip irrigation parts from Dripworks. We have used the drip tape in our garden for about 7 years and haven't had any major problems with it, although we will probably replace it with the new Aqua Traxx tape next spring due to some minor leaks at the manifold area on a few beds. We leave our drip irrigation systems out year-round, rather than rolling it up and storing it somewhere during the fall and winter months, which we believe is another reason ours is lasting so well.
@@SusansInTheGarden thanks!
Did you order a kit from drip works or the material to DIY? Enjoy your videos.
Hi, John. We just ordered the materials once my husband figured out what we would need for our set-up. Thanks so much for your nice comment.
Hi Susan....I am little confused about drip irrigation so hoping you could clarify. On the tubing itself did you put some sort of bubbler or does the tubing comes with little holes? I installed 1/4 inch drip tubing which is not the surface fast enough and it’s drips very slowly so thinking about upgrading to something different. If you have a link to amazon or Home Depot on which type you used I would really appreciate it. Thanks
Hi, Samina. Sorry for the confusion! On most of our raised beds, we have drip tape which has holes in it every few inches. We are also going to use more 1/4" drip tubing, which also has the holes in it. We have primarily gotten our drip irrigation supplies through dripworks.com. They have a lot of information on their website, plus you can call and ask for their recommendations based on how you intend to use drip irrigation. I hope that helps!
Susan's In The Garden thank you so much for the information and I love to watch all of your videos..your a wealth of information😍
@@saminairfan45 It is my pleasure, Samina.
Why does your husband prefer the pipe and valve at the corner of the bed compared to the middle of the bed? Thank you
It was just a different way to do it, which he now prefers.
I see drip tape of 8mil and 15mil thick. Which one do u use
Hi, Marcel. We used 15 mil high-flow drip tape with 8" spacing, because we have a well. However, I should let you know that we're planning to change to 1/4" soaker drip line as we feel it will last longer and be more efficient than the drip tape. Sorry to change things up on you!
Thank you
@@marcelbrown2115 My pleasure. Take care.
Drip irrigation can be SO MUCH EASIER. Running a hose from the house spigot, connected to regulator, backflow preventer and filter - simple $20 set up, 1/2" feeder hose, connectors to drip tape. Inexpensive, easy lasting system. An if you live in cold region like me, disconnect the filter assemble, remove zip ties at ends of drip tape and allow system to bleed itself. Your set up is very expensive and not workable in areas where ground freezes without lots of work to bleed lines.
Thanks for your comments. We live in a zone 5 climate with harsh winters so this set-up is definitely workable in areas where the ground freezes. Just to clarify about blowing out the system: my husband can do all of the beds in one fell swoop. It probably takes him a total of 15 minutes to open the valves on the raised beds AND blow out the entire system with an air compressor. I'm not sure what all your $20 quote entails because if you add up the costs of the items you listed in your comments, you are way beyond $20. We have a very large vegetable garden so naturally our cost will be higher than what folks would pay to set up an average-sized garden.
Susan, How deep did you put that 1 inch feed line? Below the frost line?
Hi, Dustin. They aren't below the frost line but are about 10-12" deep. Every fall, my husband opens all of the valves on the raised beds and blows out the lines so that everything can stay outside all winter long.
Step 1 get a husband
LOL!
@@SusansInTheGarden Ha she replied! Love your stuff Susan