Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 May 07, 2009 12:30 pm I have just installed a drip irrigation system in my new garden beds. They are the type where the water seems to ooze out of the tube...pretty nifty actually. Just wondering if these should be buried under the surface of the soil or whether they should sit on top of the soil? Thanks. Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 2May 07, 2009 6:49 pm vgolfer They are the type where the water seems to ooze out of the tube...pretty nifty actually. . A soaker hose? We have our dripper system under the bark chips / pebbles but above the soil - for appearance sake so you dont see all the piping, and also protects the piping from becoming brittle by being exposed to direct sunlight. Ours are just standard drippers so the trigger bit sticks out at each plant - that way you can see the water dripping too - good way to check they are working, just in case of blockages etc and to check water is dripping in the right spot. Thats just my amatuer opinion, works for us, not sure what you 'should' do. Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 3May 07, 2009 7:19 pm Nice advice Helyn. Vgolfer, is the tube the recycled tyre type which is rough black rubber, or a you-beaut poly tube with in-line drippers added at regular intervals? Best practise is drip tube on top of soil, under mulch. Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 4May 07, 2009 9:25 pm lacebark Nice advice Helyn. Vgolfer, is the tube the recycled tyre type which is rough black rubber, or a you-beaut poly tube with in-line drippers added at regular intervals? Best practise is drip tube on top of soil, under mulch. Yep...it's the rough black rubber one with the orange strip. Thanks for the tips. Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 5May 07, 2009 10:01 pm vgolfer I have just installed a drip irrigation system in my new garden beds. They are the type where the water seems to ooze out of the tube...pretty nifty actually. Just wondering if these should be buried under the surface of the soil or whether they should sit on top of the soil? Thanks. BEE IN MY BONNET ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The recycled rubber hoses that weep water? They should be banned. I know many waterwise experts and irrigation specialists that would love to see this stuff gone because of the water they waste. The major issue is there is no mechanism to regulate water emission. It can come out at any rate. It is absolutley vital that any irrigation installed has water being emitted at a regulated rate and one that is efficient. Like shower heads and taps are. 7ltrs per min or 12 ltrs per min as an example. The proper Netafim product emits 2ltrs of water per hour per emitter. From that you know how much water is being applied to your garden (which is here in WA 10mm twice a week). Once you know how many emitters you have (each one is 15cm apart or 30cm apart) you can work out how long you will need your retic on for to apply the required amount of water. With recycled weeper hoses fine hair roots can also grow into the hose and soil and soil bound microbes could potentially find their way into you mains water supply. Please fit a back flow valve or check valve to the system. They are at this point still legally allowed to be sold and I know that where they are sold the people have little training as well as little or no real experience in installing or the standards required of Australian irrigation. You will not receive a waterwise rebate from your states government department using this, unlike other subsurface drip systems. Any subsurface system needs the following- A backflow or check valve A substantial disc filter (not an inline filter as commonly sold by some companies) (Under turf a disc filter with herbicide impregnated needs to be used) A water pressure regulator A dripper impregnated pipe with regulated flow rate (something that weeper hose can not do) A vacuum breaker valve or air bleed valve A flush valve at the end of the each terminating line. I do apologise for weeing on your parade if it is the weeper hose If it is the really good netafim then kudos on your purchase follow the above pointers and have it under the mulch Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 6May 08, 2009 8:30 am Yikes...thanks Fu. That puts things straight! It seems like pretty good quality hosing. Can't remember the brand but was purchased at Bunnings and has a thing orange line on it (from memory). Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 7May 08, 2009 11:37 am Few! It really is a relief to hear that However the design of that brand isn't much chop. It is the worst on the market in comparison to the plain brown pipe that doesn't have any bumps. Check your states water authority web page and see if you are able to get a rebate. I feel awful because there is so many misconceptions and wrong design info about these systems and types. I know all the right info and have really been hoping to post many photos and explanations on how to build one of these systems. Time time time I need to be able to get some step by step picks of building the manifolds for these and installing the pressure reducers. But it does slow me down so opportunity isn't always there. I am going to extend my set up soon so will get some pics then I hope. Unlike the advice you most likely got these types of irrigation can not just be plugged into what you have and turn on the water. There is a whole lot more to them. I just wish sometimes that I could come round and sort it right from the start for our members here but I can't It is what everyone should be installing! However fertilising is hard because you need to resort to handwatering ( ) to get it into the plants roots. The subsurface systems often have a fertilioser feeder where you just plug in your seasol or liquid nutrient and switch the irrigation on and it is all done for you (fertigation) very efficient and easy They are easy to make too agian a how to for you guys would be a god send I'll get there though Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 8May 08, 2009 8:53 pm Quote: The recycled rubber hoses that weep water? They should be banned. I know many waterwise experts and irrigation specialists that would love to see this stuff gone because of the water they waste. I spent a lot of money and time putting these throughout my garden. At first they seemed to work but after 6 months or so they were useless. The flow was such that the area nearest to the beginning of the recycled hose expelled all the water while the end stayed dry. It appeared that the pressure was highest at the start of the recycled section and this caused areas where the hose degraded and let out most of the water. I may not be explaining this well but there were parts of the hose at the start where the water pressure was so great that it was spurting out of the soil. Meanwhile, the end section was as dry as a bone. Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 9May 09, 2009 9:59 am Neverfinished Quote: The recycled rubber hoses that weep water? They should be banned. I know many waterwise experts and irrigation specialists that would love to see this stuff gone because of the water they waste. I spent a lot of money and time putting these throughout my garden. At first they seemed to work but after 6 months or so they were useless. The flow was such that the area nearest to the beginning of the recycled hose expelled all the water while the end stayed dry. It appeared that the pressure was highest at the start of the recycled section and this caused areas where the hose degraded and let out most of the water. I may not be explaining this well but there were parts of the hose at the start where the water pressure was so great that it was spurting out of the soil. Meanwhile, the end section was as dry as a bone. *Warning BEE IN BONNET Oh dear you got sucked in by a sales gimmick I wish you never had that happen It is experiences like that that really do drive home the importance of having this water wasting rubbish removed from shelves. There is just too much of the politics of being "seen" or "perceived" to do be the right thing rather than actually selling water efficient and responsible irrigation. (I mean that from the perspective of those that sell inefficient irrigation with little understanding of what effects they are having on a whole cities water use) Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 10May 09, 2009 6:13 pm Fu what can you tell me about the netafim one? Also where do i find someone down here that knows about it and about setting up a proper weep system??? Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 11May 09, 2009 11:07 pm Well there is a difference between a weeper hose and a proper dripper. weeper hoses need to be removed from your memory by a hypnotist and driplines or systems made to be at the front of your mind I'd suggest getting onto the Great Garden guys to find a good irrigation mob down your way. There is no shortage of people who really know how it is done right down there. Even your average SW Margs or Busso landscaper has better installations of drip systems. They don't cut corners and it is done right... it's just that if there's waves things take a bit longer try to speak to Chris Ferreira or Peter Coppin. http://www.greatgardens.info/events.php I have lost the number though Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 12May 10, 2009 12:02 am thanks for that fu. I discovered a local place thats a stockist for netafirm. that has to be a start. Will check out the great gardens info. cheers Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 13May 10, 2009 12:09 am Yeah go and have a good chat with them. Hopefully I can get enough photos together and post up some sort of how to on these systems before your install. Maybe include some video footage on Youtube? I did think of Western Irrigation too because I have seen their utes getting around Bunbury before. Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 14May 10, 2009 8:33 am we've never even had retic before s but I've been saying to Dh all along that this time i wanted something for the front yard area. Yesterday i made a point of mentioning that the main advice seems to be to get it down before any plants. etc.. he didn't seem as resistant as I expected. though he was muttering about just how large a remortgage we might need. But then he wants advanced liquidambars so.... ( got to find a supplier for those dwarf ones. something around the 8 m for eventual height would be brilliant as it would save us considering pruning them later on. ) Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 15May 10, 2009 9:57 am Have you thought about growing the Gingko Biloba? They are just amazing trees in every way. Not only attractive to look at but the compounds they contain are being studied for use as anti cancer drugs. That is just one thing The bark is a soft cork like pale bark. Just beautiful Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 16May 10, 2009 11:39 am I wondered when you'd mention it Fu. I saw it was your favourite. It's such an ancient tree... like the idea of a cork like wood given we are having cork inside but unfortunately atm it just isn't what we are looking for. Saw a small one at the tree park yesterday. Got to say it does have a nice leaf shape and the varigated leaf one is interesting. But we are looking for red leaf type trees. Really love the liquidambar colours, leaf shape and seed pod ( something I'm sure to regret saying soon enough from all accounts) Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 17May 10, 2009 11:49 am Fraxinus raywoodii or the Claret Ash is a ripper and is Lacebarks favourite I am pretty sure. getting a bit off topic here Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 18May 10, 2009 12:03 pm yes the claret ash has lovely foliage. Did consider it. Re: Drip Systems - above or below surface? 19May 10, 2009 11:17 pm I have been busy getting some pics and info on doing drip systems today I did some work on mine and got pics as i went along It will be neat but you won't have much freeboard. At least they are not weep holes. Are you in a high intensity rainfall region? The regulatory slope is only required… 3 8267 You can wash over existing pavers with 10% solution of water and hydrochloric acid, then wash off. The acid will provide for required bond key with new concrete. 1 36960 |