Drip Hose?
 

In a Raised bed is a Drip Hose necessary? I guess what I am asking is do I need to put one down around the regular Garden bed? Then also the Dedicated tomato Bed?

I am planning on using Mulch anyway? So if you use a good Mulch or Compost does this not keep the bed wet? I am trying to work smarter not harder here, Beale. :D

Whatever it takes. soaker hose, drippers, standing there with a hose, all kinds of options. If it doesn't rain before your plants use up the soil moisture, you will need to water one way or another.

The 'do I want irrigation?' question depends on the weather. My weather has been very unpredictable the past few years. I tend to have flash droughts where we go a month without any rain. I quickly make back the time spent putting in irrigation, because it makes watering go so much faster.

I like drip tape better than soaker hose, largely for the sake of being able to attach a fertilizer injector. Even if I was fully organic, I would still use the injector to add organic ferts or molasses.

[QUOTE=Cole_Robbie;454808]The 'do I want irrigation?' question depends on the weather. My weather has been very unpredictable the past few years. I tend to have flash droughts where we go a month without any rain. I quickly make back the time spent putting in irrigation, because it makes watering go so much faster.

I like drip tape better than soaker hose, largely for the sake of being able to attach a fertilizer injector. Even if I was fully organic, I would still use the injector to add organic ferts or molasses.[/QUOTE]


I have never heard of Drip Tape? Can this be found local Or is it something I need to order On-Line? Beale.

You probably have to order it. I buy 1000 foot rolls from Morgan County Seed Company for about $36. I realize that amount is a lifetime supply for a lot of home gardeners, but I still think it's worth it. Drip tape is so cheap that I only use it for one season and then throw it away.

Here is a manufacturer's link:
[url]http://www.jains.com/irrigation/drip%20tape/drip%20tape.htm[/url]

[QUOTE=Cole_Robbie;454901]You probably have to order it. I buy 1000 foot rolls from Morgan County Seed Company for about $36. I realize that amount is a lifetime supply for a lot of home gardeners, but I still think it's worth it. Drip tape is so cheap that I only use it for one season and then throw it away.

Here is a manufacturer's link:
[URL]http://www.jains.com/irrigation/drip%20tape/drip%20tape.htm[/URL][/QUOTE]


Thank You! Beale.

For raised beds, another factor is time. For me, I'm at home 24/7 at least 5 days a week, so I enjoy watering with a water hose. While watering, I often notice weeds that I missed, bugs, etc.

The only problem with the site Cole put up is they list in liters per hour and not gallons per hour.
There are 3.785 liters to 1 gallon.
I remember way back when they sold whiskey and such in liters and quarts for the same price.
I always bought liters because you got more.:lol:

I read on that site that Chapin is the last name of the guy who invented drip tape. I didn't know that. Chapin is the brand, but it looks like they got bought by Jain, which is an Indian company, thus, I presume anyway, the use of the metric system.

I thought I would toss the conversion up so folks would know what it was.
Not everybody but some folks think a liter is close to a gallon when it is really close to a quart.

Salt if you keep adding tomato plants, peppers and more beds soon you will have a full time job just watering.
It will get old after a while trust me.:lol:

Worth

I've bought drip tape from these folks in the past:
[url]http://www.dripworks.com/category/drip-tape[/url]
but they had John Deere brand when I got it. Last roll I got from Rain-Flo when I got my plastic mulch layer last year, but I know there are several other places to order it from. By the way, I really like using drip tape, and though I feel guilty or waste when I do it, I also treat it as a disposable, though the first year I used it I took it up and reused it the following year without major problem besides time spent. My understanding is that especially if you bury it under either mulch or soil, you can get several years' use out of it.

Yes it will get to be a pain. I'm hoping we can afford to build an irrigation system for the new 19 x 69' garden, but I know it will have to wait until January of 2016. Until then, break out the hoses.

Beale, the one thing I like most about slow drip is that it is easier to water deeply. I always water my roses slow.

Drip tape, black plastic mulch, and greenhouse plastic are all supposed to be recyclable, but I can't find anyone who will take it. I even called the Ag department of the local university, and they couldn't tell me anywhere to take it.

[QUOTE=Cole_Robbie;454960]Drip tape, black plastic mulch, and greenhouse plastic are all supposed to be recyclable, but I can't find anyone who will take it. I even called the Ag department of the local university, and they couldn't tell me anywhere to take it.[/QUOTE]

Glass is recyclable but our folks want pick it up in the recycle container at the curb.
Only paper plastic and beer and soda cans etc.
I dont drink beer in the can I dont drink sodas at all so that just about does it for me.
So I dont recycle.
The things are out on the street, the wind blows and I get everyone's so called recycle stuff in my yard and along the road.:evil:
So here is the recycle if you may.
They buy it and use it, they recycle it and put it in the recycle bin the wind blows it out and into my yard.
I then pick it up recycle it into my trash container and off to the land fill it goes.
Now thats what I call recycling.:lol:

Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;454936]The only problem with the site Cole put up is they list in liters per hour and not gallons per hour.
There are 3.785 liters to 1 gallon.
I remember way back when they sold whiskey and such in liters and quarts for the same price.
I always bought liters because you got more.:lol:[/QUOTE]

For some reason, the conversion that I remember best is 1/5 gal = 755 mL. Can't imagine where I picked that up!