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Irrigation in a Polytunnel

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  • #1

    Irrigation in a Polytunnel

    I'm very excited!

    I've been told by the Council that I can have a 8ft x 15ft (2.5m x 5m) polytunnel on my lottie plot. I had asked if I could have a 8 or 10ft x 23ft but 8ft x 15ft is the maximum apparently!

    I'm planning on having doors at each end and a ventilation kit down one side so that should be fine on the ventilation front.

    I'm planning on trying to sort out some sort of irrigation system as I'll struggle to get down to water every day in the summer and I'm all for an easy life!

    I was thinking along the lines of an IBC 1,000ltr water tank, elevated on pallets, hooked up to a gravity fed drip irrigation system. I'll be planting into the ground and plan on mulching the surface to help keep the moisture in and the weeds suppressed.

    I'm wondering if it would be sufficient to have one water tank and one really long length or irrigation pipe or whether, because it's not running off the mains, I'd be better off with two tanks and two sets of irrigation pipes?
    http://vegblogs.co.uk/overthyme/
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  • #2
    I use a 40 gallon barrel attached to a leaky hose which I see lidl have on offer this week. I have a tap attached and water in the evening for half an hour or so.

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    • #3
      mmm its very difficult because of the water pressure side of things, I have had exactly the same problem and the water just dribbles out :/ will be intresting to see responses from other people
      Visit my blog at: marksallotment20162017.wordpress.com

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Aberdeenplotter View Post
        I use a 40 gallon barrel attached to a leaky hose which I see lidl have on offer this week. I have a tap attached and water in the evening for half an hour or so.
        That's the sort of set up I was hoping to go for... shame there is no Lidl near me!

        Originally posted by MarkHackwell View Post
        mmm its very difficult because of the water pressure side of things, I have had exactly the same problem and the water just dribbles out :/ will be intresting to see responses from other people
        I'm hoping that raising the tanks up 3 or 4 ft will help with the pressure but I'm not sure it will be enough.

        Hopefully some more people with experience at doing this will chip in!
        http://vegblogs.co.uk/overthyme/

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        • #5
          there will be plenty pressure for a seep/leaky hose. You don't want a gush of water. My 40 gallon drum sits on a couple of bricks and that works.

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          • #6
            My tunnel is 3m x 6m and close to the house but I am lazy when it comes to watering and use soaker pots which work fine. A much simpler option than tanks and hoses.

            There is an old thread if you can find it.
            Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

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            • #7
              As said above, you don't need much pressure, only sufficient head to drive the water slowly through the soaker hose. I've posted details of the system I've put in somewhere on here but as I can't use the search facility properly I can't find it. At this time of year when watering isn't as critical (not hot enough to dry out quickly) I turn the water butts on manually when I go to the plot but when the risk of frost is past I'll reinstall my battery operated timer so that water seeps in for an hour or so every night. Works very well and doesn't cost anything apart from the occasional replacement battery.

              Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

              Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Alison View Post
                I've posted details of the system I've put in somewhere on here but as I can't use the search facility properly I can't find it.
                Alison, we had a useful discussion about this if that's the one.... It's at:
                http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_63565.html
                .

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by roitelet View Post
                  I am lazy when it comes to watering and use soaker pots which work fine. A much simpler option than tanks and hoses.

                  There is an old thread if you can find it.
                  R, You've mentioned "soaker pots" several times and they sound a brilliant solution, is your "old thread" the one at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...g-ideas-2.html ?

                  But, sorry if I'm being dim, even with the earlier description I can't quite see how they work, any chance of a photo, how many do you use in your polytunnel? Why would the water seep sideways rather than go straight down?! or does each plant have its own soaker pot?
                  .

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Aberdeenplotter View Post
                    there will be plenty pressure for a seep/leaky hose. You don't want a gush of water. My 40 gallon drum sits on a couple of bricks and that works.
                    Originally posted by Alison View Post
                    As said above, you don't need much pressure, only sufficient head to drive the water slowly through the soaker hose. I've posted details of the system I've put in somewhere on here but as I can't use the search facility properly I can't find it. At this time of year when watering isn't as critical (not hot enough to dry out quickly) I turn the water butts on manually when I go to the plot but when the risk of frost is past I'll reinstall my battery operated timer so that water seeps in for an hour or so every night. Works very well and doesn't cost anything apart from the occasional replacement battery.
                    Originally posted by bazzaboy View Post
                    Alison, we had a useful discussion about this if that's the one.... It's at:
                    http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_63565.html
                    Brilliant! Thanks all... this sounds perfect! Time to get planning and saving!
                    http://vegblogs.co.uk/overthyme/

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