Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their plants

[Foodeefish]

Okay,

:Treat Coco grow like hydro" is what everyone is saying so it makes sense to me to set up some type of drip irrigation to save me time each day. I really don't have time to water 2-4 times a day so I would like to see what people have done to set up drip irrigation.


I would like to mix my nutes once every 3-4 days in a 20 Gallon tub and then set it up so it would drip into the plants. Then I would not have to reach way back into the tent to water plant -4 times a day, and it would save me time.

Would this work for a coco grow and if so, does anyone have plans to set up such a system? I have 6 plants but I have no idea about drip irrigation.

This would be for 6 plants in a 4x4x8 tent

 

[BedroomFarmer]

Re: Drip Irrigation- Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pla

It took me a lot of reading, lots of trial and error. Don't over think it. I ended up with a 30 gal brute trash can with lid. I only run 15 gal at a time for 6 plants in flower. that lasts a week then I scrub everything down. Just get 1/2" mainline tubing. Either vinyl or poly home D and hydro shop should have everything. I use the ecoplus 633 pump to deliver the water to my plants, a smaller pump on a timer to circulate the rez and an air pump. Up the poly mainline not too high out of trash can but not to low to touch the water I put a hole and used t barbs but you can use a single barb with 1/4" spaghetti tubing to break the siphon. I put a low gph flag dripper on it so only a little water comes out. Run your mainline into the tent and make a loop that connects to itself with a T bardb or compression T or make a square with 90° fittings. Punch holes into you mainline evenly apart and put your barbs in and attach 1/4" lines from barb to plant. I'll take pics of the rest once lights come on.

I added another spout with shut off to fill up containers and hand water if I like. With the lid on i don't even hear it while sleeping
Also I only water every other day then once every day until roots are bound in the pot then I put the plants on the drip system

 

[6ofOne]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

Thank you for posting your set up. How long do you have your timer on to water?

How much water do you think you are watering with on each cycle?

What kind of emitters are those on the other end of the drip line?

Run your mainline into the tent and make a loop that connects to itself with a T bardb or compression T or make a square with 90° fittings

I'm confused about this and the siphon part. Can you explain a little more of you have time.

Thanks again

 

[BedroomFarmer]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

How long do you have your timer on to water?
Timer comes on for 30 and 40 seconds throughout the night. Like 4 or 5 times. Then on Sunday when I replace the water I take the little that's left and hand water the plants.


How much water do you think you are watering with on each cycle?
I haven't really done the math but 15 gal lasts me the week.

What kind of emitters are those on the other end of the drip line?
Flag drippers 4 gph from home depot

I'm confused about this and the siphon part. Can you explain a little more of you have time.


You have to make sure the mainline loops into itself or you will have pressure issues

See in this pic how the mainline goes into a rectangle into itself.
If you put a hose in a gas tank and sucked once gas started to flow it would continue. Same for this setup. It would flood my room so I make a point for air to enter to break the siphon.

Good luck

 

[6ofOne]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

Thank you for the quick reply.

I didn't even think about it siphoning out. Yeah that would make a huge problem

Thanks again for the help and clarification.

 

[Foodeefish]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

Has anyone ever used Soaker Hose in place of drip irrigation?

 

[Luluthia]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

Im looking to build myself somthing for my coco plants....im trying to build something out that will be compact and portable. Not high volume, i dont mind mixing 2ce a week. I just dont wanna hand water any more. If this suits your need, ill share my build.

 

[Foodeefish]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

Wow, That's what I am looking for. I am growing 3-6 Plants in 75/25 coco and trying to water 2 times a day is just reallt hard for me

I figured if people say drip irrigation is good, I thought the slow drip would be good, but a circular soaker hose would be better.

Thnx a Million

 

[Luluthia]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

My thought is i could build. Something good for. Coco and for reg soil if people wanted to use it. Just different run times and lengths. Not gonna use a tub or tash can, two big. Was thinkin a pump in the botom of a 5 gal jug, a manafold, some pvc for inside the tent, with drip lines, not sure on emmitters like the hydro hats, expensive each tho. Was gonna go flex tube from jug to manifold so its not locked in one exact place. Gonna start on it shortly.

 

[BedroomFarmer]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

You can use any tub, container or bucket that you like with the system I posted. Just keep in mind in a 5 gal bucks you can only use about 2 or 3 gal before the pump goes dry. In the trash bin I can only get down to 3-5 gal before I need to go Into a smaller bin. 15gal really isn't that much. Its also easier to keep your solution stable with larger amounts of water. Such as temp and stuff

 

[Luluthia]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

Good thoughts. Guess i was just more focused on removing the physical act. More like a auto distrobution system i guess.

 

[Perfect Sun LED]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

I use a drip system for coco. Feed 3 times a day.

 

[6ofOne]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

I use a drip system for coco. Feed 3 times a day.

Is yours feed to waste or is it returning?

 

[Bucudinkydow]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

X

 

[Perfect Sun LED]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

I've been running a drip system with coco for a while now. I use a flexitank. WOrks great.

I feed by hand when the plants are young, with very little water, then after they are old enough, I hook them up to the drippers.

You could do drippers even when young, but I recommend only once a day when young.

When they have a good root system, I water with drippers three times a day. I set it up so they don't get run off until the third watering. I don't want runoff every watering.

 

[gr865]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

I use Blumats in my coco grow, 6 plants, vertical.
Check my thread see if you may be interested in something like that.
10 gallon rez with a 7 gallon backup rez to maintain level in my 10 gal.
GR

4x4' Tent - Canna Coco - 400W HPS - Vertical Grow With Screens

 

[Riley May]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

Great info guys.. This is defiantly essential for coco


RM's First Grow - Unknown Seeds

 

[BedroomFarmer]

Re: Drip Irrigation - Does anyone use a drip irrigation system to water/feed their pl

This is how I made my drip system. There are many ways to skin a cat but this works for me.

You need a pump. I use a Eco 633 gph pump. You have to pay attention to the head height. This one says 7.5'.

That means this pump will push water vertically up to 7.5'. This is important if your rez is tall you want to make sure you have good pressure. I've ran this pump from 4 to 9 plants no problem.
These are the types of fittings for your mainline 1/2" tubing. You have compression fitting (I use)

And you have 1/2" barbs. This one has a valve to stop water. They sell ones without the ball valve.

Here is what the 1/2" barb and the 1/2" compression fitting look like on the 1/2" mainline tubing.

Here we have your driper tubing/ spaghetti line. It comes in a roll it's 1/4" tubing that comes out of the 1/2" mainline and goes into your pot

Here is 1/4" barb. I use the T type but the have ones with only two barbs. These go into your mainline to connect to the 1/4" tubing

Dripper. Since I'm not using a big pump like a sump pump I cannot use the normal drip irrigation products. Stuff like Manifolds, pressure compensating drippers or button emitters, and antisiphon valves may not work since there is not much pressure in these little pumps. I use these flag emitters because they are pretty much free flow and you can open them to clean if it gets clogged! You can use anything you like. Halos, steaks, even make a ring with 1/4" tubing.

1/4" punch. This is what your use to punch a hole into your 1/2" mainline so you can put a 1/4" barb and connect the 1/4" spaghetti tube.

Here is what it looks like all connected. 1/2" mainline tubing. Either poly or vinyl. I use poly 1/2" because it's rigid and can stand up on its own. I punched a hole with the blue punch. Push in my barb and push on the 1/4" spaghetti/ feeder tubing.

It ends up being water tight. I have leaks sometimes but I just wiggle the 1/4" barb until it makes a good seal.

Here we have the 1/2" mainline that comes out of my rez. I punched a hole put a barb, some spaghetti tube, and my flag drippers. This allows air to enter the tubes once the pump shuts off. If you don't add an anti siphon hole in your tube once the pump shuts off you will continue to be irrigating your plants or flood your room.

Ok so back to barbs and compression fittings. You can use a barb that comes with the pump. screw it into the pump and push the 1/2" tubing in. For me. This didn't work. My barbs were the exact same size as my 1/2" tube so I ended up with a compression fitting. One side goes on the tube the other slips into a female pvc piece.

I'm using a pvc part. One side is threaded and screws into the pump the other side is female and the compression fitting slides in there. I like this because it makes it easy to dismantle for cleaning.

Now you make your layout. No matter what it can never be straight tubing. If you want even waterings to your girls you have to have the 1/2" mainline loop into itself. I've done a rectangle with 9 plants. This works for my current 4. Use your punch to make your holes. Make sure they are equally spaced I think it was 8-12" being ideal.

Put on your choice of emitters or drippers. I liked the flag ones. Home depot had a few different ones, I went with the most open ones. You can run open lines but a lot of water came out pretty quick. Their are many other styles of drippers. Here they are steaked into the pot

Elevate your pot so it's not sitting in dirty water.

Wet/dry vac for the saucers.

Once you set up your system put some cups under each dripper. Turn on your system and make sure each cup is filled the same amount at the same time. Also note you don't need to have two 1/4" lines like I have it but I wasn't going to buy two different sets of barbs. Now put in your plants. Turn on your system and see how long it takes to get run off. Buy a seconds or 1 minutes timer based on that. Not the 15 min cycle timer. I have a seconds timer and run between 1- 2:45min 3-4 times a day. Your going to want a strong air pump or another small fountain pump to stir your nutrients. I use a air pump because the 100gph pump I was using got my water hot. Think about what rez your going to use. I have a brute trash can. It's nice because it's not too wide. I'm able to get down to 3-5 gal of water in that trash can before the pump doesn't work. I also use a 5gal bucket and I can get that down to 1-2 gal before the pump can't pick up anymore water. If you have a long container you may not be able to fully utilize it. Any questions?