Micro Irrigation

Micro Irrigation Systems

During the summer, having grown fed up of watering cans and hose pipes, I constructed an automatic micro-irrigation system, from water timer to mini sprinklers. It's a fantastic bit of kit - good fun to sort out, fascinating to see in action, flexible, useful and water efficient.

Hozelock End-Line Adjustable Mini Sprinkler

If you've ever felt a bit fed up with lugging the aforementioned watering can about the garden,  soaked yourself yet again while struggling with the hose pipe, or are simply concerned with being a bit more water efficient, try micro irrigation. It's still early days for me, but watering 12 containers, a mini grow house and 20 metres of border is done at the the turn of a tap, and completed in about 5 minutes while I get on with something else altogether! In fact, I don't even have to turn the tap on at all, if I don't feel like it or am on holiday: I have a timer attached directly to my outside tap which can be set to water the garden one or more times a day, for a variable period, at whatever time of day I see fit.

rotating mini sprinkler

I have about 30 miniature sprinklers and sprayers attached to 15 metres of 12mm bore supply hose via a total of 10 metres of 4mm bore micro tubing. The supply hose is itself attach to some standard garden hose to extend it and take it to the proper part of the garden. Between these two hoses is a pressure regulator - the components in this sort of setup fit together using a push-fit  system. Normal tap pressure (anything over about 1.5 bar) may cause the various parts to fly off, thoroughly soaking a few small areas at the front end and leaving the rest to turn to desert!

I'm going to expand the system as I dig out new borders in my (new to me, moved in in the winter) garden ready for next summer, meaning that the only bit of watering that I have to get involved in by next year should be shifting the lawn sprinkler about. I would highly recommend this for all gardeners with access to an outside tap, especially those with containers or a greenhouse, or for people blessed with larger gardens and long borders.

I'll try keep you all updated with new posts on the progress and expansion of the system, and maybe add a few photos of my setup. In the meantime, check out the Hozelock system (the one I'm using) on Hozelock's website, or at Swell UK ltd, online.

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