Drip irrigation of the pot
The method of drip watering the pot at home
By using the pot drip irrigation system, you will never have to worry about daily watering of home pots. In fact, drip irrigation of pots is the easiest and most efficient way to water them.
Home pots are like family members. The more you pay attention to them, the better they will be. But taking care of plants isn’t always easy, especially when hot or dry weather means daily watering or when you have to travel and leave your beautiful pots alone for a while. Complete guide to maintenance and introduction of aloe vera flower
In such situations, a simple and automatic home pot drip irrigation system that delivers water slowly and directly to the roots will free you from manual watering and help eliminate harmful fluctuations in soil moisture. . The plants will thank you with their full growth and lushness.
Where to start?
The drip irrigation system for pots at home must have a back flow prevention device that prevents the irrigation water from returning to the home water lines. A drip irrigation filter to trap particles that can clog emitters or drippers. A pressure regulator that reduces the incoming water pressure to a level that the pot’s drip irrigation system can handle. And also the necessary connections to connect the drip irrigation pipe of the pot to the pressure regulator.
The easiest way to connect a potted drip irrigation system at home is to connect it to a faucet (using a Y-connector to connect another hose to the faucet). Another option is to directly connect the drip irrigation system of household pots to the branch using an automatic valve. If you already have an automated controller or plan to install other systems that run off the same controller, this makes perfect sense.
Installation of pot drip irrigation system
For drip irrigation of indoor pots, use 3/8″ or 1/2″ black polyethylene tubing for the main line. Hide it where it can’t be seen.
Next, run 1/4-inch microtubing into the pots (vinyl is preferred over polyethylene, as it is more flexible). You can place the pot’s drip irrigation tubing over the edge of the pot or pull it up through the drainage hole (but if you do this, the pot won’t be easy to move). For hanging basket enclosures, run micropipes up, under edges, or at the junction between two walls. To prevent backflow in hanging baskets, leave 2 inches between drippers and foliage or soil, or place an atmospheric vacuum breaker on the line 6 inches above the highest dripper.
How many droppers are needed?
All pots that are in the drip irrigation path of home pots are watered for the same amount of time, but they may not need the same amount of water. For this reason, it is necessary to set up a pot drip irrigation system for smaller pots, then add additional drippers for larger pots.
Use one 1/2 gallon per hour (gph) dripper for a pot up to 10 inches wide, and two 1/2 gph drippers in a T fitting for medium-sized pots up to 15 inches wide. For larger pots, make a ring of drippers – four 1/2 gph drippers for a 16-inch-wide pot. Naturally, the bigger the pot, the more drippers you will use and the larger the circle for drip irrigation. You can also use a drip line directly for drip irrigation of rectangular pots. For some pots, a special dripper such as a mister or a bubbler may be required.
Proper timing for drip watering the pot
Test the pot drip irrigation system by running it for 5 to 10 minutes. After watering, the soil should be completely wet and some water should be removed from the bottom of the pot. If the external water level is higher than the bottom of the pot, it means that you have watered too much. If the water is not coming out and the soil is not completely moist, you will need to run the pot’s drip irrigation system for a longer period of time or use larger drippers. Some controllers allow you to run the system several times a day, which is especially useful in hot weather. Gardening ideas
Challenges of hand watering pots
In hot and dry summer days, sometimes we have to water the pots every day, otherwise; Plants are stressed. Hand watering many potted plants in the summer takes about 20 minutes per session, so at least 40 minutes a day are spent watering the pot.
But another big challenge: travel. Are you one of those people who have to ask others to water your pots every time you go on a trip? If so, set up a drip irrigation system for your plants as soon as possible.
Sometimes, despite giving your friend or family member clear instructions on how to water your plants, accidents still happen and when you return from a trip, you find your plants in very bad condition or even dead. This means that all your efforts have been in vain.
Pot drip irrigation kits
There are really good drip irrigation buckets for potted plants that you can buy to make your job easier.
Disadvantages of buying a kit
Your drip irrigation kit may not contain everything you need for your particular situation. house plants
And almost always the system is either too big or too small for your situation. (A potted drip irrigation kit designed for 20 plants is not ideal if you have 10 or 30 potted plants.) This means that you either have to buy additional drip irrigation equipment or pay for additional equipment that you don’t really need.
Before you decide to buy a potted drip irrigation kit or source individual components for your own custom system, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basics of a potted drip irrigation system or consult with someone knowledgeable in the field. What is landscaping
A combination approach may work best for you. You can get a drip irrigation kit, but also buy some parts and extras so you have what you need to set up your own unique irrigation system. We hope the following information and advice will help you know exactly what you need to set up your own home pot drip irrigation system.
Different parts of the pot drip irrigation system
Let’s start with a list of the parts (some of which are optional) that you need to have for your automatic potted plant drip irrigation system and a brief explanation of what each part does.
Hose Splitter (optional, but recommended)
The hose splitter allows you to have a dedicated pot drip irrigation line and still be able to use the hose for other purposes.
In this case, instead of having to open and reconnect the drip irrigation system of the tar pots every time, you solve this problem by using a simple hose splitter. Number required: 1 per pot drip irrigation system
Timer (optional, but highly recommended)
Pot drip timer allows you to make sure your pots are watered whether you are sleeping or traveling.
If you plan to fully automate the drip irrigation system of the pot so that it works at certain times every day, you need to get a timer. Note: If you are using a potted drip irrigation kit, a timer may be included.
Number required: 1 per pot drip irrigation system
Water hose (optional)
The water hose is connected to the drip irrigation timer of the pots and transfers the water to the place where the pots are located, where it is screwed to the pressure regulator.
Amount Needed: Measure the distance between the faucet and the start of your pot’s drip irrigation system and get a hose of the right size. Of course, you only need a hose if you don’t want to connect your pot’s drip irrigation system directly to a faucet.
Backflow prevention valve + pressure regulator + agricultural irrigation filter
Just screw these 3 parts together.
These are technically three separate items, but they can also be purchased as a single unit. If you choose to use a potted drip irrigation kit, you will most likely receive these three parts attached.