Content
- To install automatic watering for the vegetable patch
- Drip irrigation without external connections
- Automatic irrigation with external connections
- Tips
Drip irrigation saves time, labor and water
To install automatic watering for the vegetable patch
Especially during the hot summer months, vegetables are very thirsty. Tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and co. Need a lot of water to produce tasty and big fruits. With an automatic irrigation system you ensure the supply of the plants - even during your absence.
Drip irrigation without external connections
A very simple form of automatic irrigation can be built with the help of a large rain barrel (at least 1500 liters capacity) and one or more garden hoses. You do not need an external power or water connection here because the system uses gravity. However, the high tank system only works with sufficiently large water containers, as smaller ones can not build enough pressure for automatic irrigation. And that is how it works:
Then make sure that the rain barrel is always refilled.
Automatic irrigation with external connections
The disadvantage of the system described, however, is that there must always be sufficient water in the rain barrel. You can work around this problem by connecting the garden hoses directly to a faucet instead of a bin or other water reservoir, which must be open all the time. This type of irrigation is only useful if you are standing right next to it and can turn the tap on and off again. However, the reservoir can be primed with another hose via a faucet. If the water pressure is insufficient, a submersible pump - which works on the electricity, solar or battery - quickly provides a remedy.
Tips
Vegetables should never be allowed to irrigate but should always be watered from below. If the leaves get wet, fungal diseases can spread and threaten the harvest.