How to Water Plants with Drippers, Sprayers and Misters
When you have many plants that rely on you to water them almost daily, it becomes difficult to go away on extended vacations. Lawns on automatic sprinklers will do well without you, but how about the container garden and the indoor plants? The solution is an automated irrigation system of drippers, sprayers and misters that will keep your precious plants watered while you're away. Here is how to set it up. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Drip hose
- Rubber tubing
- Sprayers
- Misters
- Barbs
- Connectors
- Plugs
- Valves
- Water timer
Instructions
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1
Familiarize yourself with the drip irrigation system. The standard elements of a drip irrigation system are: a drip hose (normally a 1/2-inch black rubber or polyethylene hose) that will be punctured at designated points to connect rubber tubes leading to water dispersal heads or emitters, 1/4-inch rubber or vinyl tubing (also called microtubing), a dripper head, which allows water to drip down in regulated quantities (best for individual container pots), a sprayer head, which sprays average amounts of water in 180- or 360-degree angles (used to cover large areas), a mister head, which disperses a fine spray or mist in 180- or 360-degree angels (used for delicate plants), a barb that connects the rubber tubing to the main hose, a connector that links sections of rubber tubing and a valve to control the flow of water. Plugs (or goof plugs) are available to plug up holes that are no longer needed. Stakes and risers are used to plant the emitters in place. Most of the dispersion heads have adjustable flow rates.
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Determine which areas of the garden and which potted plants will need regular watering. You can bring potted plants together temporarily to make the irrigation system layout less complicated. By knowing where the plants are located, you can figure out what your requirement will be in terms of the number of drippers, sprayers, misters, valves and connectors, as well as the length of drip hose and microtubing.
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Purchase the materials you will need. They are all available in the home improvement store's garden irrigation aisle, together with the sprinklers and garden hoses.
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Choose a water timer. The most important element of your irrigation system is a timer that will turn your watering system on and off while you're away. Choose one that lets you set the duration and frequency of the watering that your plants need.
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Assemble your irrigation system. Lay the drip hose and attach the rubber tubes and water dispersion heads corresponding to the locations of the plants. Set the timer.
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Test the system. Turn the water on and check on the dispersion. Adjust the drippers, sprayers and misters so that they emit the right amount of water in the right location. Make sure that the duration you set the timer on is sufficient to water all the plants adequately.
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Go on vacation, enjoy and don't worry about the plants.
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Tips & Warnings
Different plants have different watering requirements. Adjust the flow rate of the emitters to ensure the plants are all watered sufficiently in coordination with the duration and frequency setting of the water timer.
Consider automatic watering systems for indoor plants. Search for innovative products online.
