INDOOR DRIP SYSTEM USING SOIL

[AVALANCHBUD]

Can anyone direct my friend to some info. on using drip emitters indoors with soil as the medium?He has questions like what size emitters,what size pump,how long to leave running.Looked for formulas but can't find. Anybody had experience using emitters for soil? There should be a general formula to find out what size pump to run a certain # of emitters. Any help and my friend thanks you.

 

[wietzaadje]

http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/dripguide.htm

peace

 

[deZerTomB]

I just put a drip system in my yard. I bought a kit by rain drip and I think orbit makes the same thing. Try www.raindrip.com they have some kits for containers. The one I bought hooks right to an outside faucet and you can get a timer that runs on batteries. It could very easily be adapted to hydro also. You can buy all the parts seperately so it is easily expandable.

 

[AVALANCHBUD]

Thank you guys for the links.They will help for sure.Does anyone have any advise from personal experience?

 

[hazeywonder]

It really depends on how you would like to run your system. I just finished installing mine. What I did was run a main line 1/2 hose along the perimeter of the plants I wanted to feed and from there tap off the 1/4 inch line with adjustable dripers. I suggest that you use adjustable dripers or flag dripers which are some what adjustable. I had a left over pump thats about 1000gph but it drains 5gallons in about 2min. So to give you an idea, I run 18-10gph dripers one per plant in my tubs. So depending on what you want to achieve you could get away with a smaller pump or even gravity. I would say that don't go bellow 10gph on the drippers or it will be way to slow. Ill try to get some pictures up tonight if I get time to dip in there.. as for feeding I just mix up a 5gallon bucket and drop the pump in, to feed that row. also as a tip make sure you get the plastic line holders to keep it a little off the ground.

 

[hazeywonder]

Here are those pictures that I told you about. As you can see, there is a main 1/2in clear line that all the 1/4in lines are with the adjustable drippers on the end. The cap is just that a cap/plug with threading for a hose so you can flush the system...

 

[nUt_jOb]

check out tropf blumat valves.. They utilize an osmotic membrane to automatically water your soil and keep it at optimum levels completely automatically.. no pumps no nothing.

http://www.rambridge.com/info/tropf2/blumat1.html

I just put one of these in a potted plant and its working pretty well.. and its cool! They were featured in an old article in "the growing edge" where a guy actually used them in a semi-hydro system by basically putting nutes in the water they distributed to the soil.

Let me know what you think!

 

[F0iL]

that tropf blumat system seems really easy to use and not too complicating to setup. I might try it out cause I really need to buy a drip system when I go off on holiday's.

nut job - anything you can add in your experience using this system? Pros and cons of using it?

 

[slackerbri]

I would love to hook up a drip system on my soil, thats my next step towards full automation.

 

[F0iL]

where is a good place to pick up a water pump from?

 

[ambr0sia]

Any suggestions out there for drip irrigation timings for soil? I imagine it'd probably make more sense to water every second or third day instead of the multiple times a day you'd have to with a medium like coco....

 

[Natagonnaworrie]

yes, no need to water until the soil is dry. I am working on building a drip system for my 4 gallon soil pots just when i'm away on vacation... then i was thinking, why not use it all the time? no hand watering. Fill the rez, turn it one, run for 10 -15 min, and shut off. No more hand watering and moving pots around the get to the ones in the back.


If i understand it right for a 12 plant grow its just a Rubbermaid container, a 350 gph pump and 1.2 in mainline capped and 12 holes with 1.4 inch drippers coming out.. seems simple. but the devil is in the details so... i'm sure it will be harder than i expect.

in this case, then i don't see why not to switch to coco with watering on a timer. more upgrades, more upgrades...

maybe i might switch to smart pots too... hmmmm.

 

[puff adder]

Here's a pic of the system I built. It feeds 36 plants in an 8' by 8' grow patch.

PVC with risers, 9 outlet bubblers with an in-line filter. PVC loops around so pressure is equal everywhere.

Open spagetti lines to each pot. It has made my life SO much easier!

Keep in mind, if you are in catch trays or do not have drainage, it is almost impossible to totally dial a drip type system in, so you'll still need to hand water some plants occasionally.

If you have drainage or trays and can drip-to-runoff, then IMO a drip system can really shine, especially in coco.

 

[teddynugent]

I have a top feed drip system that holds 32 plants - It is set up/built so it is V -Shaped; So there are 4 rows of 4 plants each on both sides (16 on each side), and is setup so the top 4 plants are raised the highest, with each row's plant sites being give or take 6 inches lower than the row above.

It is set up this way so you can put your (air-cooled) light close to the top row of plants - This way it uses the reflected Light in the best possible way - Since the most intense light is directed straight down onto the lowest rows of plants AND all that light that is reflected side-ways from that reflector is all directed towards the top rows of plants (instead of being wasted by having it just spread to the outside edges of a normal flat grow - as the light will be less intense on the outer plants this way; which I am sure most all of you know that already....)

Anyway, it is a smaller system at 4ft. Long and just over 2ft. wide - Holding 32 (16 on each side) 4.5" Square shaped plastic pots (more/less similar to the round-shaped net cups).
It has a Drip Emitter for each site & uses the gravity from the V shape to drain the water back into a central Reservoir where it is Re-Circulated back thru the system.

I rooted the cuts in smaller Rock Wool cubes & am now ready to transplant into the 4.5" Square Pots.
I will be using that Hydroton stuff or whatever its called - The Round, orange-ish Clay Balls/Pellets....

What I really need to know is - How often should I be watering these? I have a 24 hour Timer that can be set to turn On & Off in 15 Minute Intervals.
Where would be a good base to start my watering schedule at?

Anyone with 1st hand experience using a top-feed Drip Emitter System with the same medium as I have - Your advise would be greatly appreciated.

I have grown in Soil, Soil-Less mixes like Pro-Mix and Coco Coir as well as in Aeroponic Systems (like the AeroJet & AeroFlo Brands), but I have never used a Hydroponic System like I have now.
So, again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all,

-Teddy

 

[Lazyman]

I use the Tropf BLumats in soil and love them, see the links in my sig for more info. They gravity feed so the res must be higher than the top plant, but no pumps or timers required!

 

[sheepsblood]

Here's a pic of the system I built. It feeds 36 plants in an 8' by 8' grow patch.

PVC with risers, 9 outlet bubblers with an in-line filter. PVC loops around so pressure is equal everywhere.

Open spagetti lines to each pot. It has made my life SO much easier!

Keep in mind, if you are in catch trays or do not have drainage, it is almost impossible to totally dial a drip type system in, so you'll still need to hand water some plants occasionally.

If you have drainage or trays and can drip-to-runoff, then IMO a drip system can really shine, especially in coco.

i know this is an old thread but that is a super nice dripper setup

 

[stoned-trout]

skip all the bullshit ....yeehaw ..couldn't be more simple..TROPF BLUMAT..