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Post by carlott on May 21, 2007 13:41:26 GMT
Any suggestions folks as last year we nearly lost a number of well loved or expensive plants. Don't suggest family as that has been tried and found wanting. I am thinking of rigging something up from our water butt.
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Post by Fi on May 21, 2007 14:40:02 GMT
As a first step, if you haven't already done it, a thick mulch at the base of your plants will slow down water loss through evaporation. Also, you can try taking 2 litre plastic drinks bottles, cut the base off and then bury them next to plants with the top (without cap) pointing downwards. If you water into them, the water goes to where it's needed, near the roots and again evaporation is minimised. This could also perhaps be a good way of training family waterers - tell them to fill each bottle up to the top before moving to the next one. Alternatively buried trickle irrigation can be very efficient, but whether it's possible to get times so that your butt doesn't empty all in one go is beyond my knowledge. Sorry.
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Post by faeryboots on May 21, 2007 14:59:19 GMT
I have always used a friend's son. He gets £15.00 for the week but loses .50p for everything that is lost due to lack of water. He has never lost anything.
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Post by ivy noidea on May 21, 2007 18:20:37 GMT
In the past we have used a timed irrigation system - took PMN a while to set it up with the buried hoses and little sprinkler things that had to be put in the hose but it worked well. The controller was battery powered and you could set it up to twice a day from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours!!!!
We couldn't use it last year because of the hosepipe and sprinkler ban though.
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Post by carlott on May 21, 2007 18:26:01 GMT
In the past we have used a timed irrigation system - took PMN a while to set it up with the buried hoses and little sprinkler things that had to be put in the hose but it worked well. The controller was battery powered and you could set it up to twice a day from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours!!!!
We couldn't use it last year because of the hosepipe and sprinkler ban though. I would be happy to look after it for you as you will no doubt have a ban again and we won't ;D Seriously - let me know the name and I will look into it. I have seen one at around £30-00 for the timer and then the kit is extra depending on how many bits are needed.
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Post by ivy noidea on May 21, 2007 18:47:59 GMT
In the past we have used a timed irrigation system - took PMN a while to set it up with the buried hoses and little sprinkler things that had to be put in the hose but it worked well. The controller was battery powered and you could set it up to twice a day from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours!!!!
We couldn't use it last year because of the hosepipe and sprinkler ban though. I would be happy to look after it for you as you will no doubt have a ban again and we won't ;D Seriously - let me know the name and I will look into it. I have seen one at around £30-00 for the timer and then the kit is extra depending on how many bits are needed. Ours is a Hozelock one and we got it in B&Q. One end fits on the tap (which you leave open all the time and the timer just lets the water flow at the appropriate time) and the other end is attached to one end of the hose. The cost of the extra bits depends on how many joins you have to make in your hose but we managed with just one join taking one hose to the front of the house and the other round the borders at the back. We also added extensions of fine hose to the tubs and hanging baskets because we didn't trust the tygs to water them if we were away!
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Post by smiffy on May 22, 2007 4:18:24 GMT
A more efficient one to Ivy's is the drip system. Buried under the mulch it means that evaporation is reduced.
Plants will survive on little or no water per week, if not less! Put your irrigation system around the areas that need it most. Roses can survive for two weeks according to information we have been given. However, my roses hardley had any water over our hot summer due to restricitions, and my stubborness to water them while others wasted water daily watering their gardens.
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Post by idiotmittens on May 22, 2007 15:27:54 GMT
Any suggestions folks as last year we nearly lost a number of well loved or expensive plants. Don't suggest family as that has been tried and found wanting. I am thinking of rigging something up from our water butt. Hi Carl Search ebay for 'micro irrigation' - there are loads of kits on there for around a tenner. I got one to water all the tomato & chilli growbags in our greenhouse. It runs off a pair of waterbutts, but you can attach it to an outside tap as well if necessary. Works very well.
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Post by carlott on May 22, 2007 16:32:39 GMT
Thank you each and thanks to IM for suggesting eBay - there are one or three interesting offers.
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