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Homemade drip irrigation system in the greenhouse. Instructions on how to make drip irrigation in a greenhouse. Everything you need to know about drip irrigation materials

Providing water to plants and plantings is one of the concerns of homeowners. Someone waters vegetable beds, someone flower beds and lawns, and someone needs to provide water to the garden. In any case, the procedure takes a lot of time. But that's not all: with the usual method, a crust forms on the surface, which prevents plants from developing, so the soil has to be loosened. All these problems are solved by drip irrigation of plants. You can buy ready-made kits, order turnkey development and installation, or you can do everything yourself. Here's how to make drip irrigation yourself and will be discussed in this article.

Principle of operation and varieties

This technology was tested several decades ago. Its results were so impressive that the system was widely adopted. The basic idea is that water is supplied to the roots of plants. There are two ways:

poured onto the surface near the stem;
is fed underground into the root formation zone.

The first method is easier to install, the second is more expensive: you need a special hose or drip tape for underground laying, a decent amount of land work. For a temperate climate, there is not much difference - both methods work well. But in regions with very hot summers, it showed itself better underground laying: less water evaporates and more gets to the plants.

There are gravity-fed systems - they require a water tank installed at a height of at least 1.5 meters, there are systems with stable pressure. They have a pump and a control group - pressure gauges and valves that create the required force. There is completely. In the very simple version This is a valve with a timer that opens the water supply for a given period of time. More sophisticated systems can control the flow rate for each of the water lines separately, testing soil moisture and determining the weather. These systems operate under the guidance of processors, operating modes can be set from the control panel or computer.

Advantages and disadvantages

Drip irrigation has many advantages and all of them are significant:

Significantly reduced labor intensity. The system can be fully automated, but even in the simplest version, irrigation requires literally a few minutes of your attention.
Reduced water consumption. This happens due to the fact that moisture is supplied only under the roots, other zones are excluded.
Eliminates the need for frequent loosening. With a dosed supply of water to a small area, a crust does not form on the soil, respectively, it does not need to be broken.
Plants develop better, yield increases. Due to the fact that water is supplied to one zone, root system develops in this area. It has more fine roots, becomes more lumpy, absorbs moisture faster. All this contributes to rapid growth and more abundant fruiting.
It is possible to organize root feeding. Moreover, the consumption of fertilizers due to the point supply is also minimal.

The economic efficiency of drip irrigation systems has been proven repeatedly, even on an industrial scale. In private greenhouses and gardens, the effect will be no less significant: the cost of creating a system can be reduced to a small amount, and all the pluses will remain.

There are also disadvantages, but they are very few:

For normal operation water filtration required, which is an additional cost. The system can function without filters, but then it is necessary to consider a purge / flush system to eliminate blockages.
Droppers get clogged over time and need to be cleaned or replaced.
If thin-walled belts are used, they can be damaged by birds, insects or rodents. There are places of unscheduled water consumption.
The device requires an investment of time and money.
Periodic maintenance required- blow out the pipes or clean the droppers, check the fastening of the hoses, change the filters.

As you can see, the list of shortcomings is rather big, but they are not very serious. It's really useful thing in the garden, in the garden, flowerbed or.

Components and layout options

Drip irrigation systems can be organized with any source of water. A well, well, river, lake, centralized water supply, even rainwater in tanks will do. The main thing is that there is enough water.

A main pipeline is connected to the source, which brings water to the irrigation site. Then it goes along one of the sides of the irrigated area, at the end it is muffled.

Opposite the beds, tees are inserted into the pipeline, to the side outlet of which drip hoses (pipes) or tapes are attached. They have special droppers through which water is supplied to the plants.

Between the outlet from the source and the first branch to the garden, it is desirable to install a filter or filter system. They are not needed if the system is powered by domestic plumbing. If you pump water from a lake, river, rainwater tank, filters are required: there can be a lot of pollution and the system will clog too often. Types of filters and their number is determined depending on the condition of the water.

Drip Hoses

Hoses for drip irrigation are sold in bays from 50 to 1000 meters. They already have water points built in: labyrinths through which water flows before entering the outlet. These oozing hoses provide the same amount of water throughout the line, regardless of terrain. Due to this labyrinth, the flow rate at any point of irrigation is almost the same.

They differ in the following characteristics:

- Tube stiffness. Drip hoses - there are hard, there are soft. The soft ones are called tapes, the hard ones are called hoses. Hard ones can be used up to 10 seasons, soft ones - up to 3-4. Ribbons are:
  - Thin-walled - with a wall thickness of 0.1-0.3 mm. They are laid only on the surface, their service life is 1 season.
  - Thick-walled tapes have a wall of 0.31-0.81 mm, the service life is up to 3-4 seasons, they are available for both ground and underground laying.

Watering can be organized with tapes or hoses

The maximum length of the irrigation line is determined so that the unevenness of the water output at the beginning and at the end of the tape does not exceed 10-15%. For hoses, it can be 1500 meters, for tapes - 600 meters. For private use, such values \u200b\u200bare not in demand, but it is useful to know)).

Droppers

Sometimes it is more convenient to use not tapes, but droppers. These are separate devices that are inserted into the hole in the hose and through which water is supplied under the root of the plant. They can be installed in arbitrary steps - put a few pieces in one place, and then a few in another. This is convenient when drip irrigation of shrubs or trees is organized.

There are two types - with a normalized (constant) and adjustable release of water. The body is usually plastic, on the one hand there is a fitting, which is inserted with force into the hole made in the hose (sometimes rubber rings are used for sealing).

There are also compensated droppers - and non-compensated ones. When using compensated at any point in the irrigation line, the water output will be the same (approximately), regardless of the terrain and location (at the beginning or at the end of the line).

There are also spider-type devices. This is when several thin tubes are connected to one outlet. This makes it possible to simultaneously water several plants from one water outlet (reduces the number of droppers).

Spider-type dripper - you can water several plants from one point of water distribution

Main pipes and fittings

When creating a system for laying the main pipeline from the water source to the irrigation zone, use plastic pipes and fittings from:

polypropylene (PPR);
polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
polyethylene:
- high pressure (HPV);
- low pressure (LPD).

All of these pipes tolerate contact with water well, do not corrode, are chemically neutral and do not react to fertilization. For watering a small greenhouse, garden, lawn, a diameter of 32 mm is most often used.

Main pipes are plastic. Specifically, choose any type: PPR, HDPE, PVD, PVC

Tees are installed at the outlets of the lines, to the side outlet of which a drip hose or tape is connected. Since they are smaller in diameter, adapters may be needed, and their outer diameter should be equal to the inner diameter of the hose (or slightly less). You can attach tapes / hoses to fittings using metal clamps.

Also, taps can be made through special fittings, which are installed in a hole of the required diameter made in the hose (as in the photo above).

Sometimes, after the tee, a tap is installed on each water distribution line, which allows you to turn off the lines. This is convenient if drip irrigation is diluted for moisture-loving plants and those that do not like excess water.

If you are reluctant to choose components and select sizes, fitting diameters, you can buy ready-made ones from various manufacturers.

Do-it-yourself drip irrigation: device examples

There are many options for the device of the system - it easily adapts to any conditions. Most often, the question arises of how to organize irrigation independent of electricity. This can be done if you install a sufficiently voluminous water tank at a height of at least 1.5 meters. This creates a minimum pressure of approximately 0.2 atm. It is enough for watering a small area of \u200b\u200bthe garden or garden.

Water can be supplied to the tank from the water supply, pumped up by a pump, drained from the roofs, even filled with buckets. A tap is made at the bottom of the tank, to which the main pipeline is connected. Further, the system is standard: a filter (or a cascade of filters) is installed on the pipeline before the first branch to the irrigation line, and then the wiring goes through the beds.

For the convenience of introducing fertilizers on the highway, it is possible to provide for the installation of a special unit. In the simplest case, this is, as in the photo above, it can be a container with legs, in the bottom of which a hole is made and a hose is inserted. A shut-off valve (faucet) is also needed. It cuts into the pipeline through a tee.

Shrubs can be watered as needed. fruit trees. The whole difference lies in the fact that the tape or hose is laid around the barrel at some distance. One line is assigned to each tree, bushes can be watered several pieces on one line. Only in this case, you need to use a regular hose, into which droppers with the required water flow should be inserted.

If the low pressure in the system does not suit you, you can install it on the main water supply (see the photo below) or a full one. They will provide water even far located areas.

Can water be supplied directly from the source? It is possible, but not desirable. And this is due not to technical difficulties - there are not so many of them, but to the fact that plants do not like cold water. That is why most small-scale drip irrigation systems - for greenhouses, vegetable gardens, orchards and vineyards - use storage tanks. In them, the water is heated, and then diluted around the site.

Drip irrigation: how to calculate the system

The capacity from which water is supplied to the system can be one - common, as in the picture above, or separate for each section. With a significant distance between the irrigation objects, this can be more profitable than pulling the main pipeline.

The required volume is calculated depending on the number of plants and the volume of water for their normal development. How much water is needed for watering vegetables depends on the climate and soils. On average, you can take 1 liter per plant, 5 liters per bush and 10 liters per tree. But this is the same as the “average temperature in the hospital”, although it is suitable for approximate calculations. Count the number of plants, multiply by the consumption per day, sum everything up. To the resulting figure, add 20-25% of the stock and you know the required volume of capacity.

There are no problems with calculating the length of the line and drip hoses. The main is the distance from the tap on the tank to the ground, then along the ground to the place of irrigation, and then along the end side of the beds. Adding all these lengths, the required length of the main pipeline is obtained. The length of the tubes depends on the length of the beds and on whether water will be distributed from one tube to one or two rows (for example, using spider droppers, you can dilute water for two to four rows at the same time).

By the number of tubes, the number of tees or fittings and taps (if you install them) is determined. For each branch using tees, we take three clamps: press the hose against the fitting.

The most complex and expensive part is the filters. If water is pumped from an open source - a lake or a river - a coarse filter is needed first - gravel. Then there should be fine filters. Their type and quantity depend on the state of the water. When using water from a well or a well, a coarse filter can be omitted: primary filtration occurs on the suction hose (if used). In general, there are so many cases, so many solutions, but filters are needed, otherwise the droppers will quickly clog.

Homemade drip hoses and drippers

One of the largest cost items for independent device systems from ready-made components - droppers or drip tapes. They, of course, provide the supply of the same amount of water throughout and the flow is stable, but in small areas this is not so necessary. It is possible to regulate the supply and flow with taps built into the beginning of the irrigation line. Therefore, there are many ideas that allow you to distribute water under plants using ordinary hoses. See one of them in the video.

It is difficult to call this system drip irrigation. It is rather root watering: water is brought under the root in a trickle, but it works, maybe only a little worse and is more suitable for plants with a root system developed in depth. This method will be good for trees, fruit bushes, grapes. They require a significant amount of water, which must go deep into a decent distance, and this homemade drip irrigation system can provide this.

In the second video, really drip irrigation is organized. This was done with the help of medical droppers. If you have the opportunity to stock up on such used material, it will turn out to be very cheap.

The amount of water supplied is regulated by a wheel. From one hose, you can supply water to three and four rows - if you take a hose of sufficient diameter, you can connect not three devices to it, but more. The length of the dropper tubes makes it possible to water two rows on each side. So the costs will be really small.

Droppers can be used almost without altering. This is if the system was with a bag. An example is in the photo.

Waste into income - watering for young plants is provided

You can almost also do drip irrigation for houseplants. It is suitable for those flowers that like constant moisture.

Constantly moisturizing your flowers on the balcony? Easily! Watering from a drip

The cheapest drip irrigation: from plastic bottles

There is the cheapest and fastest way to organize the supply of water to plants without hoses and large containers. You will only need plastic bottles and small lengths - 10-15 cm each - thin tubes.

Cut off the bottom of the bottles. So that a cover is obtained from the bottom. So the water will not evaporate. But you can cut off the bottom and completely. At a distance of 7-8 cm from the cap in the bottle, make a hole into which a thin tube is inserted at a slight angle. Dig the bottle with the cork down or tie it to the peg, and stick the peg into the ground next to the plant, pointing the tube to the root. If there is water in the bottle, it will run down the tube and drip under the plant.

The same design can be done by turning the bottle upside down. But this option is less convenient: it is more difficult to fill in water, you will need a watering can. How it looks like, see the picture below.

As you can see, there is a second option for drip irrigation from plastic bottles. A wire is stretched over the bed, bottles are tied to it in the bottom or lid of which holes are made.

There is another photo option for using bottles, but with standard drippers for irrigation. They are fixed on the neck of the bottles and in this form are installed under the bush.

This option, of course, is not ideal, but it will enable plants to develop better if you can rarely visit the country house. And two liters from a bottle can be decisive in the battle for the harvest.

How to make drip irrigation with your own hands in a greenhouse? How to organize automatic watering in a greenhouse with your own hands, we will talk later in the article.

System Benefits

Do-it-yourself automatic watering in the greenhouse prevent plant burns, but they often occur with the usual method of irrigating the land. Since the effect of the lens occurs when the drops hit, the plants may suffer.

Water access occurs gradually, the earth is perfectly saturated with moisture. But if we consider the usual method of irrigation, then with it the water penetrates only 10 cm deep.

By installing a drip irrigation system in a greenhouse with your own hands, you will be able to feed crops with nutrient media with accurate dosage. Puddles do not form when irrigating the beds, you will save on fertilizers. Automatic watering installed in the greenhouse, increases yield. Seedlings die less, this also saves.

Plants receive moisture under the roots, the conditions for their growth improve. Unwanted wetting of the soil is excluded, as well as the evaporation of moisture. But it becomes difficult for weeds to grow. Farms experiencing insufficient water supply can store water for irrigation and then distribute it wisely. Agricultural enterprises only on this can save and pay for the system glaze.

Drip irrigation has a positive effect on the roots, the system becomes extensive and fibrous. This gives the plants the ability to extract more nutrients from the soil. You will provide humidification of the greenhouse, you can leave the plants unattended for a while.

Important! By installing an automatic irrigation system for a greenhouse with your own hands, you will get rid of leaf diseases. Will not appear on plants powdery mildew and spider mites.

Drip irrigation automation options

There are several types of drip irrigation, but any do-it-yourself drip irrigation system for greenhouses must satisfy following condition: water should not be supplied between rows, but to the roots of plants. If this is not done, then the following consequences are possible:

crops will develop worse, and weeds will grow;
the need for loosening will increase;
the soil will be heated by the sun's rays.

Do-it-yourself automatic irrigation system in a greenhouse can be made both from improvised means and with the help of professional equipment.

improvised system

How to make drip irrigation in a greenhouse yourself? Let's find out. If you have a small area, then do surface drip irrigation. To do this, you need to buy a PVC garden hose, choose the one with the diameter of the lumen is from 3 to 8 mm.

It needs to make filters. Buckets can be used as a tank by making holes in their bottoms. Pull off the spout with a regular stopper. Sometimes you have to use thin rubber seals. This is the best solution if you come to the country only for the weekend. The system expands and collapses. Before leaving, you quickly put it in place. Do-it-yourself automatic watering for a greenhouse - a diagram - look at the photo on the left.

With water supply through the pipeline

This method of irrigation is perfect for large areas of land. Everybody is here depends on pressure. You can choose to build according to the full or simplified scheme. Low pressure - 0.1-0.3 bar, normal - pressure 0.7-3 bar. For a pressure of 1 bar, it is necessary to raise the tank by 10 m, but for low-pressure installations, it is enough to raise the tank by 1-3 m. It is technically impossible to water twenty-meter beds.

Attention! Remember that a low head system will only produce quality water for beds that are less than 10m long.

Of course, today there are high-pressure irrigation systems. Mist irrigation provides great benefits, but it is impossible to do such an installation yourself. You will need to contact specialists. In addition, it must be taken into account that the cost of such installations is high.

A photo

You can clearly see how to organize drip irrigation in a greenhouse with your own hands in the photo below:

Water supply options

For a greenhouse, the easiest way is to make a system in which the water source will be as follows:

common pressure tank;
water pipes;
submersible pump in a pond, well or well.

Connect the drive to the source. Provide it with a filter and shut-off valve. Tanks with fertilizer solutions are connected to the drive, and pipelines are suitable for the main line itself, through which water will flow to the beds.

Reference: If the water is not filtered, it will quickly disable the installation.

You will need:

drip tubes;
tapes;
irrigation tapes.

Ribbons are laid on the beds.

Drip system assembly

Get an automatic controller, you will program it to turn on at the time of day when you need to water the beds. Appliance need install behind the filter. Choose the right water filtration equipment.

For open sources suitable gravel-sand systems designed specifically for rough cleaning. In combination with disc filters designed for fine cleaning, the system gives an excellent result.

If you take well water, then buy a conventional mesh or disc filter. Water from a water supply or pond must be defended, and then it must be filtered.

Prepare the tools, buy a self-watering drip system from a specialized company. Standard kit contains the following elements:

water filter;
ribbon;
connectors, with their help you connect the filter and hoses;
start connectors, they are equipped with taps and have special rubber seals;
start connectors, they are without taps, but with rubber seals;
a set of fittings for repair and splitters necessary for the correct operation of the installation.

System installation consists of the following steps:

Make a diagram. To do this, measure the beds with a tape measure, mark it on paper, observing the scale. Indicate the location of the water source on the diagram.
Specify the number of pipes, their length. For a greenhouse, buy PVC products, the most suitable diameter is from 32 mm.
Connect the main pipe to the tank, this can easily be done using a regular garden hose.
Install the filter, during installation, look at the arrows that indicate in which direction the water is moving. Install the filter according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Take a marker, put strokes on the pipeline. It is in these places that you will begin to mount the tape.
Drill holes. It should turn out so that the rubber seals enter them with force. After that, put the start connectors.
Silence the tape. Trim, fold its end and fasten well. Place a plug on the opposite end of the pipeline.

Drip irrigation system, if done correctly, will last you several seasons. You can easily dismantle it in the fall. Clean the tape thoroughly before storing it. If you have used tapes that are designed for one season, then send them for recycling.

Useful video

For tips on how to make automatic watering in a greenhouse with your own hands, see the video below:

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Ecology of consumption.Homestead: A healthy root system of plants gives lush growth, and drip irrigation can greatly contribute to this. In the greenhouse, a drip irrigation system will allow you to grow strong and healthy seedlings. Let's talk about the features of using drip irrigation systems and creating it yourself.

Water temperature

Most horticultural crops are stressed and stunted due to low irrigation water temperatures. Cold water has a particularly negative effect in the heat, the death of plants is possible.

Since water with drip irrigation enters slowly and has time to pass through a rather long labyrinth of thin tubes, it warms up well before it enters the soil. This makes it possible not only to connect the drip irrigation system directly to the water supply, but even to use water from a well or well.

Of course, in the latter case, the main role is played by the length of the line and the operating pressure in the system. Therefore, you should first test the system, the outlet temperature should not be lower than 18 ° C. If the water is not warm enough, a 100–150 liter buffer tank can save you from installing a full-sized tank. Raising the container 2–2.4 meters above the ground is the main problem in greenhouses, most of which are rather squat.

The problem is also solved by installing the cheapest and low-power instantaneous water heater. Otherwise, care must be taken outdoor installation tank and increasing its energy efficiency: lining with a heat insulator, painting it black and, possibly, installing a heating element.

soil aeration

Another important plus of drip irrigation is that it does not soak the soil to the state of liquid mud, thanks to which the roots have the opportunity to breathe, and they need it no less than the above-ground part of the plant.

In order for the effect to be more pronounced, the soil should be prepared in a special way. The top layer, in which the seeds are planted, is mixed with hygroscopic vermiculite or cereal husks. Loosening with stirring should be done after a thorough drying of the earth.

However, even with such preparation of the soil, it is not necessary to organize a continuous supply of a “drop”. The soil should dry out from time to time, so it would be optimal to turn on the system 2-3 times a day at a strictly defined time, for which the system can be equipped with automatic control and shutoff valves.

If watering is carried out only once a day or less often, mulching will help maintain optimal soil moisture. More precisely, laying a layer of sluggish grass, hay or straw 7–10 cm thick over droppers or tapes.

Convenient laying of highways

There is one condition in the greenhouse that contributes to a faster and more technologically advanced breeding of main pipes. We are talking about the roof: a frame is mounted at a height of a couple of meters above the ground, so why not use it to fix the pipes? In this case, the system would not have to be completely disassembled every year to dig up the soil, and the wiring along the frame allows you to quite accurately align the pipes. The lining under the roof also contributes to more intense heating of the water.

At the outlet of the tank, the pipe is lowered by 40–60 cm for more convenient installation piping and collector, then rises again to the horizon, which is 10–15 cm below the bottom of the tank. HDPE pipe is well suited for laying the main wiring, it tolerates interseasonal temperature fluctuations and ultraviolet.

When laying, it is recommended to focus on the paths for the passage and place the pipes strictly above them. Under the roof, pipes are connected with regular press fittings, installation is possible even alone and from a ladder.

Branches from the main line are lowered with tubes of a smaller section at the beginning of each bed, shutoff valves are mounted at the height of an outstretched hand. At ground level, the pipe passes into a horizontal collector by means of a tee or elbow. The edges of the pipes can be plugged with wooden plugs, holes are drilled in the walls and mortise taps for tapes are installed.

If droppers are used for irrigation, a large-section main pipe stretches across the beds, the outlets from it descend to the soil and pass through the knee into the lower line - a thin tube along the entire bed or each planting row. Through crosses and tees, droppers are connected to this channel.

Tapes or drips

If you are familiar with the variety of drip irrigation systems, the question of choosing the type is not as such - it all depends on the crops grown, the size of the greenhouse and the particular wiring of the system.

If the greenhouse industry focuses on year-round cultivation vegetable crops, larger and taller varieties with a planting distance of more than 1 meter are often preferred. Droppers in this case are ideal, because it is quite difficult to find a tape of such a large step.

The use of droppers is especially pronounced when watering tree-like tomatoes and densely weaving cucumbers. During the period of fruit ripening, these plants consume many times more water than at the planting stage. Tapes do not have such a throughput, in addition, adjustable droppers can be installed, or they can be changed as the plants mature.

For greenhouse nurseries and the cultivation of bush plants, tapes are best suited. They have an optimal dropper pitch and are able to evenly moisten a large area. A well-known disadvantage of tapes is that their throughput must be manually adjusted, while for droppers it is strictly calibrated. Therefore, when using drip tapes, it is recommended to install valve valves instead of ball valves.

Hydraulic piping

A ball valve and a strainer are installed at the outlet of the tank. If it is planned to fertilize through irrigation water, an automatic fertigation unit is installed immediately behind the tap. The same possibility is achieved by mixing the concentrate directly into the tank, but not all chemicals are harmless to its walls.

Behind the fertilizer dispenser, a cartridge filter up to 50 microns is installed, which should retain undissolved fertilizers and small specks that can settle in droppers. After the distribution manifold is mounted with ball valves and detachable threaded connections on branches, from which pipes are bred further along the greenhouse. Protection against air leakage and a check valve for the upper wiring are not required, the piping acts as a water seal. However, the branches from the main line must be completed check valves nevertheless necessary.

Operating modes and maintenance

Before planting, the system is tested on level ground. The intensity of watering is regulated by valves visually according to the size of the moistened areas, so that when the system is turned on, each bed receives the right amount of water.

The buffer tank is very convenient to work with. Its volume is reliably known, which means that you can clearly control the amount of water, adjusted for the throughput of each line. A volume of 150-200 liters will be enough for daily watering of an average greenhouse.

In greenhouses with an area of more than 1 ara, the same tank can provide all plants with irrigation, but if there is automatic control. In such cases, the volume of the tank is spent on watering individual sections, switching is performed by a controlled shut-off valve on the collector. published

Watering may not be the most troublesome procedure in caring for plants, but the most constant. Especially when we are talking about a greenhouse where water is not supplied in any other way. However, for whole evenings, carrying buckets of water, then, using a watering can, watering tomatoes and cucumbers is an unpleasant and time-consuming task.

Homemade drip irrigation in a greenhouse with your own hands will solve this problem much more efficiently.

Advantages and disadvantages of spot irrigation

The system itself is quite simple: water is heated in the barrel in the sun, a main hose is connected to the tap on the barrel. Drip tapes are connected to the latter - emitter, slotted. Through the holes on them under the roots, cucumbers and tomatoes are supplied with water in small doses, but for a long time.

A drip irrigation system for a greenhouse with your own hands has a lot of advantages.

Water is supplied in doses and exactly under the roots. At the same time, puddles are not formed, from which water simply evaporates, and a dried crust does not appear on the soil, which must be loosened.
Spot watering has another advantage - water does not fall on the leaves of plants, which can cause burns on a sunny day.

In fact, the whole process takes place without human intervention: just open the taps in the barrel. AT automatic system the supply and shutdown of water is controlled by automation, in manual - irrigation stops after the water runs out or when the tap is closed.
If you add top dressing to the water, the plants can not only be watered, but also fed.
With such irrigation, weeds no longer have enough moisture, so time is also saved due to the absence of weeds.
Making your own irrigation system is not difficult, even if there are no special devices.
This method saves up to 50% water consumption.

The disadvantages of the solution include the following parameters.

Slots, holes in droppers have a very small diameter, therefore they are prone to clogging, hence the need for cleaning.
It is advisable to use purified water - this means a filter of large mechanical impurities.

Materials and tools

The set of materials depends on the type of irrigation. The general structure of the variants is the same, but may differ in the method of implementation.

A barrel for water is needed in any case, preferably plastic.
Pipe - plastic or metal. Pipe fittings.

Faucet - again, it is much easier to install a fitting with a faucet of the appropriate diameter than a metal one.
Drip tape or thin-walled hose with droppers. The device can replace a plastic bottle.
Knife, drill and plug. If you plan to install a crane on a metal barrel, you will need a welding machine.

How to make drip irrigation in a greenhouse with your own hands

In practice, a home-made irrigation device does not require special skills, but it implies a certain calculation. On average, 50 droppers attached to a hose provide watering of 18-20 square meters. m. It is undesirable to increase or decrease the distance between devices.

In accordance with the area of the greenhouse, the capacity of the barrel, the length of the pipe, and the length of the hoses are selected.
The water tank is placed on an elevation - 1–1.5 m above the ground. Thus, they achieve that the liquid moves through the pipes by gravity.
In the barrel, a hole is cut out for the tap and fixed.
A pipe is attached to the faucet. To connect the segments - straight or at an angle, use the appropriate fittings.
The pipe acts as a main hose. They lay it in the center of the structure for the entire length, drill holes according to the number of drip tapes, that is, beds.
Flexible tubes are inserted into the holes. On the other hand, plugs are installed. Small slotted holes are made in the tube itself with a knife. In principle, this is enough for irrigation, but if you need to achieve the most efficiency, droppers are installed in the hose.

A video tutorial on YouTube will help you implement home-made irrigation in your greenhouse.

Do-it-yourself drip irrigation device in a greenhouse

Another option is also possible, which is not so laborious. In this case, the basis is plastic containers from under water and drinks, with a volume of 1.5–2 liters. On YouTube you can find a training video about this method of drip irrigation of a greenhouse.

A sufficient number of vessels are selected: 1 bottle is designed for watering 4 plants.
In containers, you need to make a lot of pinholes: water should flow out drop by drop.
Then cut out the bottom - so water will be poured into the container.
The bottles are capped and placed upside down in the ground. As soon as the volume is filled with water, the device starts working. The main thing is not to forget to do this.
Water is poured into the container, and it is fed drop by drop to the tomatoes and peppers. Do-it-yourself drip irrigation in a greenhouse from a bottle is shown in the photo.

You can implement another scheme.

Small greenhouses are very common in household plots our compatriots. They give their owners a number of advantages:

Protecting plants from frost.
Opportunity to provide the family with earlier products.
A significant reduction in the risk of developing infectious diseases, the foci of which are located in the surrounding area.
Obtaining earlier, and therefore more expensive products for sale on the market.

However, vegetables or flowers growing in greenhouses need more careful care and supply than their counterparts in open field. And one of the most big problems is a full-fledged timely watering, because the soil in the greenhouse does not moisten the rains, and evaporation there, due to higher temperatures, is much more intense.

Pros and cons of different methods of watering in a greenhouse

Each gardener knows several ways to water plants in the open field, but not all of them are suitable for greenhouses for various reasons.

Irrigation type	Positive sides	Negative sides
Under the root	Ease of implementation, except for a watering can do not need any additional equipment, the possibility of fertilizing	The complexity of the procedure
Along the furrows	Speed and ease of irrigation, it is enough just to transfer the hose from one trench to another, and the water will spread along the rows by itself	The inconvenience of moving between rows with trenches full of dirt, which, moreover, must be covered with something in order to avoid evaporation too quickly
Sprinkling	Convenience, uniformity and ease of water supply, adjustment of its pressure	The complexity of installing the system, a large number of parts, high cost of parts, a dangerous increase in humidity in the greenhouse, which can provoke the development of various infectious diseases
drip	Ease of supply and adjustment of rates, the ability to apply any water-soluble fertilizers directly under the root through the fertigation unit, saving water	Relative complexity of system installation, high cost of its components

After weighing all the pros and cons, we can say with confidence that, if there are sufficient funds for the purchase of consumables, the best choice for a greenhouse is to equip a drip irrigation system there.

All the benefits of drip irrigation

In addition to the advantages of the “drop” indicated in the above table, the following positive features of the system can also be noted:

Water supplied in this way does not displace air from the root section of the soil.
The irrigation process can be fully automated.
There is no removal and washing out of the soil.
The system is resistant to climatic influences.
It is possible to apply various fertilizers to specific rows of plants in the exact dosage.
The yield and productivity of plants are significantly increased.
Water resources are ideally distributed and saved.
are improving appearance and product quality.
Even very large areas can be watered at low pressure.
It is very easy to mount the system, maintain it and manage it.
The cost of products grown on drip irrigation is significantly reduced.
Every plant will receive water, regardless of the distance from the source.
The owner of the greenhouse will get rid of daily routine work.

The drip irrigation system in the greenhouse will save time for irrigation, eliminate soil erosion, and reduce the risk of weeds.

What is a drip irrigation system?

The assembly kit consists of a number of parts that are perfectly matched to each other. The following are connected in series to a water supply source with a slight overpressure:

Fertigation unit (enrichment of irrigation water with nutrients).
Disc filter.
Main pipeline.
Start connectors with rubber gaskets for connecting drip tapes to the main pipeline (with and without taps).
Actually drip tapes.
Splitters of various shapes, diluting the drip tape.
Plugs that are put on the ends of drip tapes, preventing water from flowing out of them.

Also, as necessary, repair connections are used in places where the drip tape breaks.

Video lesson: "How to make a drip irrigation system at their summer cottage"

The experts of the newspaper "Smart Household" tell how to make drip irrigation with your own hands in the country and avoid common mistakes during installation.

System installation diagram

Before proceeding with the purchase of components, it is necessary to draw up an accurate plan for the future drip irrigation system in order to calculate required amount Supplies. It should indicate the location and length of the beds, the source of water supply, all additional nodes, as well as the branching of tapes and pipelines.

All necessary measurements are performed using a construction tape measure, and, taking into account scaling, are transferred to the diagram. Further, focusing on the plan, the calculation is carried out:

The total length of the drip tape, as well as the lengths of its individual segments.
The number of start connectors, at the junction of the drip tape with the main pipeline, is how much is needed with and without taps.
Separately L- and T-shaped drip tape splitters.
End caps for each tape.
Fittings for the main pipeline.

Tip#1: At the end of the calculations, add 10 - 15% to the number of consumables and the length of the drip tape, so as not to waste time on repeated visits to stores in order to fill in the missing parts. After all, factory defects are found even in the most popular brands, not to mention budget brands. In addition, during installation, even with experienced professionals, something can break.

Main pipeline

The main pipeline serves to supply water from its source to the start-connectors of drip tapes. Focusing on the previously drawn up plan for the drip irrigation system, we calculate the length of all pipes that may be needed, and do not forget to add 10% to the figure obtained. As a main pipeline, it is best to use polyethylene pipe designed for cold water, with a diameter of 32 mm. This size is needed for the convenience of drilling holes and the full placement of the start connector inside it, so that its trailer, inserted into the pipe, does not rest against its opposite wall.

Tip #2: Don't skimp on filter quality! You can take the cheapest drip tape or fittings. All of them will work for at least a season and will have time to pay off. But, if a low-quality filter is taken, then the thinnest drip devices of even the coolest brand will become clogged with microparticles very quickly, and then all drip tapes can only be thrown away.

Plant nutrition unit

To facilitate the provision of plant nutrition with the necessary nutrients, a special device has been developed - a fertigation unit called the Venturi injector.

The device of the top dressing unit allows mixing of fertilizer and water, creating a nutrient solution for irrigation.

The purpose of this device is to slowly and gradually supply the mother solution of fertilizers into the main pipeline. The node consists of:

Injector.
hose.
Filter.

The principle of its operation is as follows: a hose with a filter attached to it is immersed in the mother liquor, water, passing through the narrowed part of the injector, contributes to the creation of a slight negative pressure in the side pipe, through which the nutrient solution is sucked into the system.

Due to the constant speed of the water flow, the supply of nutrients occurs evenly and a constant concentration is maintained in the solution.

The table below, using DripFert™ fertilizer as an example, shows application rates for several of the most popular crops using a fertigation unit.

Culture, considering the phase of development	Fertilizer brand	multiplicity top dressing	Application rate	Expected Result
Cucumber, 3 to 5 true leaves	30-10-10+ME either 30-6-6+ME	1	From 0.02 to 0.05 kg/weave	Acceleration of plant development up to 3-5 days for each phenophase. Yield growth up to 54%. Increase in the number and average size of fruits. Improving the quality of products and indicators of heat and frost resistance of plants.
Cucumber at the beginning of the budding phase	18-18-18+ME either 19-19-19+ME or 20-20-20+ME	1	-//-	-//-
Cucumber at the beginning of the fruiting phase	5-5-40+ME either 10-10-40+ME	1	-//-	-//-
Tomato, pepper, eggplant with 4-6 true leaves	13-40-13+ME either 15-30-15+ME	1	From 0.02 to 0.05 kg/weave	Yield growth up to 30%. Improving the resistance of plants against diseases of fungal and bacterial etiology. Increasing the indicators of frost and drought resistance. Increased product quality (fruits contain more proteins and dry matter). Increased average fruit size and yield from each bush.
Tomato, pepper, eggplant in the phase of bud formation before flowering	18-18-18+ME either 19-19-19+ME or 20-20-20+ME	1	-//-	-//-
Tomato, pepper, eggplant. Bloom	20-10-20+ME either 22-10-22+ME or 16-10-16+ME	1	-//-	-//-
Tomato, pepper, eggplant in the fruiting phase	15-5-30+ME either	1	-//-	-//-
Tomato, pepper, eggplant. fruit ripening	22-10-22+ME or 20-10-20+ME either 16-10-16+ME either 17-8-22+3MgO+ME or 15-5-30+ME either 16-8-24+ME	1	-//-	-//-

Filtration node

The filter element should be installed on the supply pipeline after the fertigation unit and before the start connectors. When installing the filter, the direction of the water flow is important. You can determine how to properly position this node by examining its body. There, as a rule, there are arrows indicating in which direction water should flow through the filter.

When installing the filter, pay attention to correct installation in the direction of water movement

For inserting the filter into the main pipeline, special adapter couplings (two pieces) are used. Installation of the node is not difficult.

How to install start connectors correctly?

In accordance with the plan made earlier, it is necessary, using a marker, to mark the surface of the main pipeline for drilling holes. These holes are needed to attach the drip tape start connectors.

A marker is used to mark the drilling sites on the pipe, because. it adheres perfectly and is visible on the surface of the pipe

It is necessary to choose a drill so that the diameter of the hole is smaller than the diameter of the sealing ring

After all the holes are drilled, a rubber seal is installed in each of them.

The sealing ring must fit snugly against the edges of the pipe to avoid leakage.

Start connectors with a tap allow you to manually adjust the intensity of watering various garden crops

Start connectors are available in two configurations: with and without taps. It is preferable to use devices equipped with taps, especially if plants with different watering needs are planted in the greenhouse. Then it will be possible to turn off one bed, continuing to water the other.

Drip Tape

Irrigation is carried out through drip tapes, which can be branched using T and L shaped fittings

The drip tape must be installed in such a way that the holes of the drippers are located on top. It is stretched to the entire required length and is drowned out at the end either with the help of a special plastic part in the form of a figure eight, or by tying a simple straight knot from the same tape.

If necessary, the drip tape can be branched, which is important in the presence of irregularly shaped beds. For this purpose, G- and T-shaped fittings are used.

Drip irrigation automation

The first thing you need to create an automatic irrigation system in a greenhouse is an uninterrupted round-the-clock supply of water. If the centralized water supply stops working at night, and there is no own well yet, a simple device will come to the rescue, which is quickly done by hand.

We are talking about a container of sufficient size, the lower level of which is raised above the ground to a height of one to one and a half meters.

The tank (barrel) with water should be 0.5 m above ground level

The main pipeline leading to the fertigation unit joins it.

The second part of the automatic irrigation system is a special programmable controller that opens and shuts off the water supply at a specified time.

Controls the water supply to the drip irrigation system

It is installed immediately after the filter.

Launching a drip irrigation system on the site

After all the nodes are installed in their places, a test run of water through the system should be made. At the same time, the drip tapes at the ends should not be plugged, since during installation small particles can remain inside the pipes and fittings that can clog the droppers. Therefore, water should be allowed to drain freely for about 5 - 10 minutes, simultaneously checking the operation of all taps and the controller, as well as the patency of the system parts.

Answers to current questions of gardeners

Question #1: How quickly do investments in a drip irrigation system pay off?

Given that crop growth is 100% or more, even a small greenhouse area is enough to recoup the investment and become profitable within one season.

Question #2: I don't have a plumbing education. Can I assemble this system myself?

Certainly. Follow our tips and you will quickly be able to assemble a workable drip irrigation system.

Question #3: Is it worth it to overpay at times for components of well-known brands, or can you stop at a budget option?

From an expensive one, you can buy a filter and a controller, other parts can be taken from budget brands.

Question #4: Why is it so important to buy a quality filter and controller?

Because defects in the drip tape can be easily corrected with repair fittings, the line of even the lowest quality will not break due to the pressure required for drip irrigation, but a poor-quality filter will lead to the failure of EVERYONE at once !!! dropper system. As for a low-quality controller, it can turn off in the heat, for example, and all crops can dry out without supervision in a greenhouse in a few days.

Question #5: How much water is saved by the drip irrigation system?

Question #6: Can different fertilizers be mixed in the fertigation tank?

As a rule, special fertilizers for fertigation are produced in the form of a complex that includes all the necessary nutrients. It's better to buy them.