Just a gardener here but I agree. Changed from drip to overhead and just way more productive on our homestead. No clogs or lost plants etc due to maintenance.
I live in the high desert. I find above ground watering useless. I have buried soaker hoses and have had great results. I do not have a farm like you, but it works very well for the home gardener. Love the channel. Great information in this and your other videos.
I have installed enough underground and drip systems to 100% agree! In my opinion impact heads are by far the most cost effective way to go. I absolutely love your content!
Thank you, I live in a place with higher humidity, but I am sick of watering by hand and was looking for a watering option. Your response is a further confirmation that this is a good method.
Seems like wind would be a concern now since you are spraying so high. Nothing takes the place of flood irrigation which has been proven for 1000's of years in dry/high country. I've tried what you did (drip and spray) and never had really good results. Then when I planted my home garden and really thought about it, I setup the water path so that i can flood one side of the field and the water works it's way to the other end of the field and saturates the ground. It really works well here in 100 degree Texas summer.
We live in central British Columbia, where gardening is a bit of a challenge. We use drip tape throughout the vegetable garden with great success. But.....we're setting up overhead sprinklers for use in a serious heat wave only. And overhead might be better when trying to germinate direct-sown seeds.
This is AWESOME! Curtis - I used sprinklers in Central Valley Cali - 2000 ft in arid mediterranean with decomposed granite (though some folks here have the heavy clay and more). It works SO well! Awesome!! Everyone thought I was crazy haha ;)
I'm in Central Utah. We have the problem of desert temperatures during the day and cool sometimes cold temps at night. In the Spring (last week) and the Fall temperatures can drop 40 degrees. We also have the Rocky Mountains to the East (granite mines) and West (copper mines) of us, with those mountains narrowing to form a canyon mouth 20 miles to the North so we can get wind gusts that blow (us) over with the lovely extreme of flat prairie to the South. This makes gardening here a climate contest. Oh, and the altitude is 4774'. Having said all that; the majority of people here grow some type of garden and we're crazy about it. Many of us also take pride in preserving, canning and bottling what we grow ourselves. It's very common to see apartment balconies with tomato plants or herbs growing in containers. So thanks for sharing your knowledge, research and learning about growing and gardening. New ideas and thoughts are always appreciated, especially when accompanied by clear information and step by step instructions.
Hi Mr. Stone, thanks so much for your videos. I enjoy the homesteading and also permaculture. I've also dabbled in aquaponics and decorative fountains. I appreciate all the plumbing you have done. Sometime I had difficulty with equalizing the water pressure throughout. How ever, if you you make a complete circle with your tubing and plug your sprinkler heads into the circle then all the water sprayers will have equal pressure. Thanks again. I look forward to learning more from your channel. Cheers.
Thanks Curtis , you're bang on. I'm overhead watering for the first time this year (it's a band aid set up right now , proper install is I/P) and the difference with direct seed crops is amazing. If your doing direct seed anything it's the only way to go.
What I heard you say was to fit your irrigation system to your conditions. Always pros and cons that have to be weighed. There is no single solution that fits every situation. This was a solid presentation clearly explained. Thank you.
After you get your system set up, you can test the soak by placing a few plastic cups around the plot to see how much water collects after you run your sprinklers thru a com[;ete cycle. Good luck and grow !
Hey Curtis. I'm in the Sierras mountains near Tahoe in cali. And I'm new to this area. I was in east Oakland before hand, homesteading there. Content like this is more valuable to me than my physics degree. I've got high iron clay soil. I've got 1.5 acres I'm farming. Cyber high five on this video! You're a bada$$! Thank you so so much
I use galvanized metal pipe for my garden hydrants.... it might work in your situation, and eliminate the wood stakes. - For each hydrant (starting below grade, and working up) : Endcap, 12" nipple (in the dirt), tee (at grade), 36" nipple, then hydrant above grade. Water feeds into the tee from a pipe on the ground with a barb to male pipe thread fitting. - I use a 6' steel bar to pound a 1" diameter hole into the clay. Push the hydrant down into the hole. Stamp around it. I pull them back out during the winter so they don't freeze.
This is a great idea! We only get 9 inches of rain per year (if we are lucky), and I didn't want to go through setting up a drip system everywhere. I think this would work great! Thanks!
Hi Curtis, you are a hero of our time and so humble to share all this knowledge freely. I have your book and I am in the process of installing a 50 bed system under overhead sprinklers. I am very interested in what your source is for all the parts, connectors, adapters, couplings, tubing, and filters? also in the book I believe it says poly sprinklers, but the link is for brass. Which do you prefer? THANK YOU!!!
I wish I had seen this years ago; clay soil and a valley that created a wind tunnel every evening - seeds just had such a poor germination rate! Got to the point only planted from starts, which got expensive until the greenhouse finally got built. Just bought your book and digital education; can't wait to get started with more information!
Love the videos Curtis. You can make a big improvement to this system by using Rainbird LF series sprinkler heads. These are specifically designed for agricultural applications, unlike the residential lawn sprinklers other people are recommending... The things you'll like are very even coverage, almost impossible to clog, very durable, and longer throw on less pressure and flow compared to normal impacts. The last bit is the most important thing for your application. It looks like you're relying on residential water, which can be sketchy sometimes. The LF sprinklers will work fine over a wide variety of GPM and PSI ranges, giving you more flexibility in how you lay out these systems. The even water distribution saves water $$$ because you don't need to overwater some sections to ensure less covered areas get enough. Also, they are probably cheaper than the impacts you're buying now.
I've always questioned the benefits of a miserly watering system that doesn't feed all the soil. We live in Salt Lake City, a very low humidity, dry climate, very hot in the summer. Last year for the heck of it we ran an oscillating head sprinkler in our backyard in addition to doing some drip irrigation and I'm convinced our soil is better for it.
Great video and lessons learned: 1. For general sunlight protection I highly recommend - painting outdoor items to protect them from UV sunlight - regular house paint works fine. 'Spar' Polyurethane - 1 qt can $18 has powerful UV blockers can be applied directly to wood, plastic, metal - just wipe the surface, sanding is optional, can be applied with a sponge.
Great video Curtis ! Have looked into using Hunter MP Rotator Nozzles ? The nozzles rotate quietly and they can be set at different degs. Using a simple tool . 90, 180, 270, 360. Check them out. They are designed to have matched precipitation rate from the first to the last head because each nozzle is being regulated. That is why you can run more sprinklers on one system than a traditional one. You will still need to check They are designed to apply water at a slower rate to try and eliminate repeat watering due to run off which I know that you don't have worry about be do have to be concerned that the top 3" to 6, inches do not dry out. Thanks and I love all off your videos !
To equalize pressure at all spray heads or drip heads run a full loop on each zone. Yes more pipe but solves the problem perfectly. I did this for my drop & spray heads.
I prefer impulse sprinklers like the ones you've installed because they're durable but if you don't like the noise you could employ single stream rotary sprinkler heads. They spray the same way but they are silently gear driven. The heads closest to my house are rotors. Sometimes they'll need internal filters cleaned which is why the rest of my system is comprised of impulse sprinklers like yours.
You should run two heads on one zone. When you see that much water mist you are wasting water. I recommend using Hunter MPRotators 3000, 90 - 210 degrees distribution. Check your water pressure, you may be able to run three rotators
Thanks Curtis, I've been thinking about a dual/ hybrid system here. We have the same Cascadian soil and I completely understand your soil crust/ germination problem. On our permaculture side we do a bunch of tricks, well water, rainwater, mulch , cover crop, etc... but on our garden side it definitely needs overhead watering.
I've heard you mention before that you water at night. People tell me not to do that, because of the increased spread of disease from transpiration droplets that appear in the very early morning on hot days/cool nights. When it's hot I tend to Irrigate at 10am and 2pm, but I have mostly tomatoes on drip. Do you water at night because you are just more interested in the water soaking into the ground well?
I use T posts. You can get sprinkler heads that are designed to fit on top the T post. There are a couple of thumb screws that you tighten to keep them from coming off. I also use quick connects to connect the water hoses. Great video.
Dry, windy, clay ... sounds like my farm on Maui! I actually just installed a lot of drip this week for some beets, cukes, squash, peas ... haven't had rain in months!
Why didn't you go for a mulch system with your drip irrigation? Mulch layers would have prevented winds drying your top soil off and retained moisture in surface layers, as well as adding humus which would have enrighed your soil. More sustainable don't you think than spraying water (a scarce resource in high-montane/desert climates) on a timer. Just my two cents.
First off he is in Canada the worlds most fresh water rich country on the planet. Second on the scale he is doing in multiple lawns and areas mulch is a pain. The best option for him there is overhead because the drip dose not provide enough water for the climate.
I use a mulch with drip in my raised beds in southern California, and I can tell you it is a lot of work raking up the mulch and adding fresh mulch. While I am only gardening in 3 small raised beds, I would say that it probably would take an unreasonably long amount of time to do a mulch for larger plots because you can not turn over the mulch into the soil , as it will deprive the plants of nitrogen while the wood chips are composting in the soil. So, you have to rake up the mulch before replanting every time, and then compost the spent raked up wood chip/soil mixture . and add more compost and new wood chips to the plot again after planting new crops.
David Barlow tell us how to mulch a bed of densely planted arugula or baby spinach... most of Curtis's crops are not compatible with mulch. plus he needs overhead to keep the greens cool during heat, mulch doesn't do that.
Yeah man! I am not a fan of drip either especially for seedlings and any starter plant. Maybe effective for established plants but not for new ones. I currently hand water and chalk it up as a work out. Your sprinkler idea I like. I think I willd deploy.
Oh man you should look up opensprinkler. it's awesome. I've been using it for a couple years. can build it yourself if you are handy that way. next year I will be hooking up soil moisture sensors to run it off of for more efficient watering. one experiment I'm trying this year is running a zone of.misters that run for 2 minutes every 2 hours during the day to keep greens and spinach from bolting
problems i notice about your plot. no windbreaks. stop the wind less evaporation if you can get more leaf mould into the soil better and newspaper, grass clippings can act as a mulch slowing evaporation too. shade can also aid plants such as vegetables to grow better though i'm not sure what greens you are growing. so maybe a few fruit trees spaced around the plot could provide a few of these ideas?
I really like those impact sprinkler head options with the diff size nozzle...i currently have orbit gear drives...and find them way too costly to replace as i have 10 on my property. very cool for my lawn and future veg garden.
I guess it depends on your environment but getting the plants wet here causes all kinds of problems. Definitely a simpler system. We use pvc drilled, never clogs. Zone 10b.
I did like the idea of the Drip(not directly effected by sun(certainly depends on soil conditions)), but I certainly can see the "time saver"(permanent(essentially)) that the timed spray system would introduce.
Just a data point: I do the same kind of thing with T posts, often with the posts on double duty holding fence or training wire in addition to sprinkler mounting.
Great video for me also, I live in dry windy high desert of Idaho. Will put this in my notes for our farm start up. One question, how much did your water consumption go up? Thanks a bunch!
Hey small fix up but I noticed the straps you're using to strap the hose onto the 2x4 are indoor straps. Eventually it will rust with the humidity and break off. Outdoor straps are normally brown.
The number of comments you've received just since yesterday should give you a good idea of just how popular you are. I'm surprised, though, at the number of people who have no idea who you are or what you're trying to do. I for one couldn't be happier that you've ditched drip irrigation (I had my epiphany about twenty years ago). There seem to be so few people who grapple with climates like ours, which is one of the reasons why I benefit so much from both your successes and failures (I love these vloggers who toss a bunch of seeds into their gardens, let the rain take care of the rest, then emerge a few weeks later to a food jungle of every imaginable fruit and vegetable, all weed- and pest-free). You understand that what's best for the plant matters far more than your water bill, particularly since you're in the business of providing plants. I think you're going to be extremely happy with what you've done here. Incidentally, about the clay soil. If driving that hammer begins to rattle your teeth, consider renting an auger from Home Depot. Saves time and joints.
and I've tried subirrigation and soaker hoses which i haven't got to work well, and settled on pvc in ground to 2 different locations for sets of orbit valves then 1/2" poly with those little coloured spray heads in it to cover areas I need. I have some of the valves terminating in garden hose thread so I hook up some regular garden hose and regular sprinklers. it's good and I can change easily. ps. hi from vernon :)
Here in northern Colorado, it is dry and high. Water is expensive and in short supply, so overhead watering is just too much of a waste of water. More than half goes to evaporation. I used overhead sprinklers for years, but the cost of water has made this impractical. Drip is more work, the drip tape clogs, need replacement, etc. The bottom line for us is it saves hundreds of dollars per season in water costs and is better for Mother Earth. If I had an inexhaustible well, I'd go back to overhead tomorrow.
THANK you! This was very enlightening. I, too, have heavy soil - silt, not clay - in an arid climate. I'm smack dab in the Blue Hole on the northern Olympic Peninsula in WA.
HI! I'm wondering why did you choose that height? The reason I ask is because it seems like there would be more air evaporation with the higher distance to the ground. Do you find this to be the case or is there a risk/reward scenario that I'm not thinking of (maybe ease of adjustment?). Just curious. Any time we've done 'overhead' we've done from the ground an adjustable circular pattern head so you minimize the misting/evap. I'm also curious about watering mid-day. I use to live in an area with hard clay and high heat (100+) and we'd get leaf burn if we watered overhead mid-day.
hugelkultur for the win. I've been trenching 3' down and tossing in wood chips and logs to a little under grade (mixing in soil) then mounding the remaining soil to form a mound.
Cool irregation system. I have just installed a drip irregation system in my greenhouse. In that enviroment it works great. I use the Gardena Smart System.
Thanks for this video! NOT using drip is almost taboo...... glad somebody said something. Seems like it would be a pain in the ass to maintain anyhow. And easy to break.
For about 2 years I installed in ground sprinkles. And there was a fair amount of drip. We'd always come back and repair ad re-repair drip. Overhead is better in many cases, and in the case of the noon watering, if the water is say 68 degrees when it comes out can reduce the local air temperature for a while giving the crops a much needed afternoon break from the heat. I would use a Toro timer rather than a home depot timer, but that's just what I worked with. Granted I haven't installed in 13 years, I'm sure there's app based timers now!
Yes, I'm ready to toss drip irrigation, I have the hoses which seem to clog in spots with my well water. The plan next year is to pin prick the hoses systematically to turn it into sprinkler hoses
I think the best drip irrigation is just drilling 3/32 holes into 3/4 PVC pipe. Those black hoses you see with those pin-hole connections are crap. It also depends on the application. I have cedar hedges so a sprinkler would not do anything for them. Plus I find the drip system works well for tomatoes because it brings the water to the roots and not just getting the leaves wet. I also use a rain barrel collection system with a pump so I hardly have to pay for water. There is no universal way to water a garden though. I think it is all what best works for you and also cost vs. time.
Awesome advice. I think my DT gets too hot when I don't run it and burns the little seedlings sometimes. Going to get into a little overhead irrigation myself...
Try soaker hoses, you'll get better coverage and less evaporation. I would keep the overhead sprinklers and drip so you can adjust your watering accordingly. On a real hot day where you need to cool them off fast you can use the overhead first, then move to the soakers to get a deep water, and when the temp isn't extreme drip them when they are more mature.
How many labor hours do you think this saves by not having to deal with drip when turning over beds and such? Is it significant? Fortier talks about this as a reason for why he goes pretty much full sprinklers.
PE is vastly superior for this application. It can be reconfigured indefinitely. Some of the PE on my pool is over 40 years old, having been pulled from the well at my parents' old house by the previous owner. His timer does have zone valves. You can see them when he's showing the box. That's why it's a $100 timer instead of a $30 timer.
I use lawn irrigation timers and valves for my system. They are relatively inexpensive and they work well for pretty much any small system whether is low volume drip or impulse sprinklers. I like to pick up spare parts in the fall when they mark them down at the home improvement store. I installed water taps and power outlets at the same time down the middle of the garden. It allows me to rotate my crops.
if you water early in the morning you will have less evaporation, than if you water late in the afternoon. covering your soil with straw or some sort of mulch will also help keep your water demands down, but it may be a little messier than your row covers.
If you choose not to bury your distribution lines you may want to place something protective over them to minimize damage to them and tripping. I'd like to suggest used carpet as a possibility. I have used carpet between my 30" beds for the last 5 years. Hula hoes take care of the weeds that DO germinate on it. Also I recommend overshooting each head by 2" to eliminate dry spots at each head. That was always a problem in my lawn installs that I did as a landscape contractor in California. Great site, good info. I'm building a catapillar tunnel for my space this summer.
YOu might still have the same problem with overhead. the hot air and wind will evaporate much of the moisture. I was trying to grow in clay soil and the water had a hard time soaking into the earth. It would just evaporate away. I mixed the soil 50/50 with potting soil and it soaks in much better now. But you have to do it on a plant by plant basis or the cost of potting soil gets very high.
I felt the same, but starting to swing back again. Failed dripper points, and uneven pressure and distribution was my hate! Also clay here, big time. Now that I have a dripper pipe that can clean/unclog itself and evenly spreads water at 0.9 bars only, I am sold again. Overhead is just KILLING me with weed issues. Couch/Bermuda/Kweek loves overhead watering :(
The reason I said the previous is because you did mention you get a lot of wind. Well, overhead system is going to be way too subject to the windiness. How has it worked so far and what have you done to mitigate the blowing effect?
An expert is a person who has already made all of the mistakes! I live south of where you are, where its even hotter and drier. I'm not a commercial gardener but after 3 years of gardening here I've converted my drip systems to "shrubblers" (basically, mini overhead sprayers). Even though I have an ideal soil, I've found that drip systems do not provide enough dispersion watering for germination. Summer and winter squash as well as cucumbers seem to do well with drippers and overhead watering or these plants is a killer. Tomatoes, peppers seem to prefer "disperse" watering but not from overhead. I liked your idea of watering twice daily in our hot, windy climate.
Have you experinced that the plants get sunburned when watering at noon? I avoid misting my tomatoes and chilli in the daytime. The waterdroplets on the leaves turn into mini magnifying lenses
oh, I know an a little late, but the timer is the same as the ones I use, the solenoid wire can be sliced and extended, I got on running good and is under ground about ten feet from the timer
I have just used sprinklers. One of those tripod sprinklers covers all 6 of my raised beds. Hook it up once and done. I run it for several minutes each day and done. Never had any issues with diseases or anything like that. I feel like those issues are overblown. What do people do when it rains every day down south? Put umbrellas over their beds?
I am always surprised at how most of these small, human scale farming techniques you Canadians are coming up with are still relevant to my context in Central Texas. This however, is not. Water is definitely the limiting factor in my neck of the woods. Drip tape is annoying to work with but it would probably still be worth the time to just hand water to get good germination and then switch on the drip to conserve water in most places that experience drought.
Evaporation from overhead irrigation is much higher than surface irrigation. Overhead irrigation facilitates even distribution over the entire root zone. Water applied by overhead irrigation contains higher levels of dissolved oxygen and nitrogen.
In Las Vegas overhead is the only way to go. Shade cloth as well. I got shit for it (evaporation blah blah blah) but I have great germination and still rocking it with lettuce as well. FYI, teflon tape should be applied thin at the first part of the thread and thick towards the end thus giving a perfect seal. Perfect vid at a perfect time as always.
You might till too much for this to apply, but soil microbes/worms will be happier if all of the soil stays moist, not just around plant roots. I know that drip saves water, but in closely planted or mulched beds using no-till, I like to keep the entire bed moist. That keeps it ready to add more plants later.
4 years late, but on those Rainbird impacts you need to change the swing arm spring to the looser setting if you use the red or black nozzles. Check their CZcams channel for instructions.
Impact heads in wind and arid conditions? I can't say that seems like a very good choice to me. And I can't see how drip would be a major cause of dried out seedlings in clay and wind if your irrigation schedule is correct.
Agreed, windy here in Tulbagh, and the overheads are mad. When the south-easter comes up, I over irrigate one side, and under irrigate the other side. Also, water wastage.
I'm not understanding how sprinklers negate the problems cited of the surface drying out. Won't the soil dry out regardless of if the water is dripped on it or sprayed on it? What makes the difference?
We run an ancillary system with sprayers when we plant seeds. This wets the surface. Once the plant emerges, we turn it off and go back to the regular system.
Problem was probably caused by wrong distances between the drippers and over watering for this reason you save up to 80% of your water for the same effect .... Evaporative waste is massive .. But if you use sprinklers you have to have double coverage from both sprinklers to the base of each sprinkler .... According to a measurement system by 'kristaler' (or maybe cristaler) to keep less fungal diseases water only early morning with the dew ...
benjamin ruck thanks that was my only concern being down in the south is overhead and fungal disease hopefully watering in the morning will prevent that
Use T-posts and sch 40 PVC. It will last forever and will not blow apart. The Black poly pipe over time will blow apart at the clamps due to the heat/cool expansion and contraction
My apologies for not reading previous comments... I guess I don't have time. But, looking at your video, it seems the sprinkler height is excessive and too in the wind. I realize you're going to get that with any overhead system, it's just that I think your operation could be more efficient with a low-lying system. From what I've seen on your videos, you do lots of lettuce... Seems like your system could be a foot and a half up and still work well. And, the heads are pretty archaic. I would splurge on a different sprinkler head as others have brought up. Either way, great job on making a decision and moving forward. That's been one of the things that irk me about myself. HESITATION sucks! But it's more often a budget restriction to make changes right away.
You can adjust the "precipitation rate" between 90 degree, 180 degree and 270 degree heads by varying the nozzle sizes. That's actually what they are for.
Drip irritation is more like it...Have you given thought about overhead sprinklers in high tunnels, but so you can water each bed separately? I saw photos of Neversink farm using it. My problem is I want to use both overhead for the baby greens and drip for the crops that grow through landscape fabric. Something that I am trying to figure out now and how it works with the water pressure and getting the timing right.
Just a gardener here but I agree. Changed from drip to overhead and just way more productive on our homestead. No clogs or lost plants etc due to maintenance.
I live in the high desert. I find above ground watering useless. I have buried soaker hoses and have had great results. I do not have a farm like you, but it works very well for the home gardener. Love the channel. Great information in this and your other videos.
Right? Wasn't drip irrigation discovered in a desert climate (Israel).
I have installed enough underground and drip systems to 100% agree! In my opinion impact heads are by far the most cost effective way to go. I absolutely love your content!
Thank you, I live in a place with higher humidity, but I am sick of watering by hand and was looking for a watering option. Your response is a further confirmation that this is a good method.
Seems like wind would be a concern now since you are spraying so high. Nothing takes the place of flood irrigation which has been proven for 1000's of years in dry/high country. I've tried what you did (drip and spray) and never had really good results. Then when I planted my home garden and really thought about it, I setup the water path so that i can flood one side of the field and the water works it's way to the other end of the field and saturates the ground. It really works well here in 100 degree Texas summer.
We live in central British Columbia, where gardening is a bit of a challenge. We use drip tape throughout the vegetable garden with great success. But.....we're setting up overhead sprinklers for use in a serious heat wave only. And overhead might be better when trying to germinate direct-sown seeds.
When at scale...the details matter. Great video...overhead is my go to for larger, more uniform watering.
This is AWESOME! Curtis - I used sprinklers in Central Valley Cali - 2000 ft in arid mediterranean with decomposed granite (though some folks here have the heavy clay and more). It works SO well! Awesome!! Everyone thought I was crazy haha ;)
I'm in Central Utah. We have the problem of desert temperatures during the day and cool sometimes cold temps at night. In the Spring (last week) and the Fall temperatures can drop 40 degrees. We also have the Rocky Mountains to the East (granite mines) and West (copper mines) of us, with those mountains narrowing to form a canyon mouth 20 miles to the North so we can get wind gusts that blow (us) over with the lovely extreme of flat prairie to the South. This makes gardening here a climate contest. Oh, and the altitude is 4774'. Having said all that; the majority of people here grow some type of garden and we're crazy about it. Many of us also take pride in preserving, canning and bottling what we grow ourselves. It's very common to see apartment balconies with tomato plants or herbs growing in containers. So thanks for sharing your knowledge, research and learning about growing and gardening. New ideas and thoughts are always appreciated, especially when accompanied by clear information and step by step instructions.
Hi Mr. Stone, thanks so much for your videos. I enjoy the homesteading and also permaculture. I've also dabbled in aquaponics and decorative fountains. I appreciate all the plumbing you have done.
Sometime I had difficulty with equalizing the water pressure throughout. How ever, if you you make a complete circle with your tubing and plug your sprinkler heads into the circle then all the water sprayers will have equal pressure. Thanks again. I look forward to learning more from your channel. Cheers.
Thanks Curtis , you're bang on. I'm overhead watering for the first time this year (it's a band aid set up right now , proper install is I/P) and the difference with direct seed crops is amazing. If your doing direct seed anything it's the only way to go.
What I heard you say was to fit your irrigation system to your conditions. Always pros and cons that have to be weighed. There is no single solution that fits every situation. This was a solid presentation clearly explained. Thank you.
After you get your system set up, you can test the soak by placing a few plastic cups around the plot to see how much water collects after you run your sprinklers thru a com[;ete cycle. Good luck and grow !
Hey Curtis. I'm in the Sierras mountains near Tahoe in cali. And I'm new to this area. I was in east Oakland before hand, homesteading there. Content like this is more valuable to me than my physics degree. I've got high iron clay soil. I've got 1.5 acres I'm farming. Cyber high five on this video! You're a bada$$! Thank you so so much
I use galvanized metal pipe for my garden hydrants.... it might work in your situation, and eliminate the wood stakes.
- For each hydrant (starting below grade, and working up) : Endcap, 12" nipple (in the dirt), tee (at grade), 36" nipple, then hydrant above grade. Water feeds into the tee from a pipe on the ground with a barb to male pipe thread fitting.
- I use a 6' steel bar to pound a 1" diameter hole into the clay. Push the hydrant down into the hole. Stamp around it. I pull them back out during the winter so they don't freeze.
Thanks man! Setting up my irrigation here in Missoula Montana, you just answered a lot of the obstacles I was working through plus some.
This is a great idea! We only get 9 inches of rain per year (if we are lucky), and I didn't want to go through setting up a drip system everywhere. I think this would work great! Thanks!
Hi Curtis, you are a hero of our time and so humble to share all this knowledge freely. I have your book and I am in the process of installing a 50 bed system under overhead sprinklers. I am very interested in what your source is for all the parts, connectors, adapters, couplings, tubing, and filters? also in the book I believe it says poly sprinklers, but the link is for brass. Which do you prefer? THANK YOU!!!
I wish I had seen this years ago; clay soil and a valley that created a wind tunnel every evening - seeds just had such a poor germination rate! Got to the point only planted from starts, which got expensive until the greenhouse finally got built. Just bought your book and digital education; can't wait to get started with more information!
Love the videos Curtis. You can make a big improvement to this system by using Rainbird LF series sprinkler heads. These are specifically designed for agricultural applications, unlike the residential lawn sprinklers other people are recommending... The things you'll like are very even coverage, almost impossible to clog, very durable, and longer throw on less pressure and flow compared to normal impacts. The last bit is the most important thing for your application. It looks like you're relying on residential water, which can be sketchy sometimes. The LF sprinklers will work fine over a wide variety of GPM and PSI ranges, giving you more flexibility in how you lay out these systems. The even water distribution saves water $$$ because you don't need to overwater some sections to ensure less covered areas get enough. Also, they are probably cheaper than the impacts you're buying now.
I've always questioned the benefits of a miserly watering system that doesn't feed all the soil. We live in Salt Lake City, a very low humidity, dry climate, very hot in the summer. Last year for the heck of it we ran an oscillating head sprinkler in our backyard in addition to doing some drip irrigation and I'm convinced our soil is better for it.
Great video and lessons learned: 1. For general sunlight protection I highly recommend - painting outdoor items to protect them from UV sunlight - regular house paint works fine. 'Spar' Polyurethane - 1 qt can $18 has powerful UV blockers can be applied directly to wood, plastic, metal - just wipe the surface, sanding is optional, can be applied with a sponge.
Great video Curtis ! Have looked into using Hunter MP Rotator Nozzles ? The nozzles rotate quietly and they can be set at different degs. Using a simple tool . 90, 180, 270, 360. Check them out. They are designed to have matched precipitation rate from the first to the last head because each nozzle is being regulated. That is why you can run more sprinklers on one system than a traditional one. You will still need to check They are designed to apply water at a slower rate to try and eliminate repeat watering due to run off which I know that you don't have worry about be do have to be concerned that the top 3" to 6, inches do not dry out. Thanks and I love all off your videos !
I've tried drip so I'm really glad to see you go to overhead. I really enjoy your videos.
To equalize pressure at all spray heads or drip heads run a full loop on each zone. Yes more pipe but solves the problem perfectly. I did this for my drop & spray heads.
I prefer impulse sprinklers like the ones you've installed because they're durable but if you don't like the noise you could employ single stream rotary sprinkler heads. They spray the same way but they are silently gear driven. The heads closest to my house are rotors. Sometimes they'll need internal filters cleaned which is why the rest of my system is comprised of impulse sprinklers like yours.
You should run two heads on one zone. When you see that much water mist you are wasting water.
I recommend using Hunter MPRotators 3000, 90 - 210 degrees distribution.
Check your water pressure, you may be able to run three rotators
Thanks Curtis, I've been thinking about a dual/ hybrid system here. We have the same Cascadian soil and I completely understand your soil crust/ germination problem. On our permaculture side we do a bunch of tricks, well water, rainwater, mulch , cover crop, etc... but on our garden side it definitely needs overhead watering.
I've heard you mention before that you water at night. People tell me not to do that, because of the increased spread of disease from transpiration droplets that appear in the very early morning on hot days/cool nights. When it's hot I tend to Irrigate at 10am and 2pm, but I have mostly tomatoes on drip. Do you water at night because you are just more interested in the water soaking into the ground well?
+Jeb Gardener it really depends on where you are. For me it works well.
I love the way the sprinklers sound.
I use T posts. You can get sprinkler heads that are designed to fit on top the T post. There are a couple of thumb screws that you tighten to keep them from coming off. I also use quick connects to connect the water hoses. Great video.
Dry, windy, clay ... sounds like my farm on Maui! I actually just installed a lot of drip this week for some beets, cukes, squash, peas ... haven't had rain in months!
No rain in months.< WUUUT
Why didn't you go for a mulch system with your drip irrigation? Mulch layers would have prevented winds drying your top soil off and retained moisture in surface layers, as well as adding humus which would have enrighed your soil. More sustainable don't you think than spraying water (a scarce resource in high-montane/desert climates) on a timer. Just my two cents.
First off he is in Canada the worlds most fresh water rich country on the planet. Second on the scale he is doing in multiple lawns and areas mulch is a pain. The best option for him there is overhead because the drip dose not provide enough water for the climate.
There is nothing scarce about water. It's one of the most abundant resources on earth, and it's constantly being recycled and replenished in nature.
I use a mulch with drip in my raised beds in southern California, and I can tell you it is a lot of work raking up the mulch and adding fresh mulch. While I am only gardening in 3 small raised beds, I would say that it probably would take an unreasonably long amount of time to do a mulch for larger plots because you can not turn over the mulch into the soil , as it will deprive the plants of nitrogen while the wood chips are composting in the soil. So, you have to rake up the mulch before replanting every time, and then compost the spent raked up wood chip/soil mixture . and add more compost and new wood chips to the plot again after planting new crops.
David Barlow tell us how to mulch a bed of densely planted arugula or baby spinach... most of Curtis's crops are not compatible with mulch. plus he needs overhead to keep the greens cool during heat, mulch doesn't do that.
Are you irrigating though the row cover with the sprinkler?
Yeah man! I am not a fan of drip either especially for seedlings and any starter plant. Maybe effective for established plants but not for new ones. I currently hand water and chalk it up as a work out. Your sprinkler idea I like. I think I willd deploy.
Oh man you should look up opensprinkler. it's awesome. I've been using it for a couple years. can build it yourself if you are handy that way. next year I will be hooking up soil moisture sensors to run it off of for more efficient watering. one experiment I'm trying this year is running a zone of.misters that run for 2 minutes every 2 hours during the day to keep greens and spinach from bolting
First Last can u use shade cloth for bolting?
problems i notice about your plot. no windbreaks. stop the wind less evaporation if you can get more leaf mould into the soil better and newspaper, grass clippings can act as a mulch slowing evaporation too. shade can also aid plants such as vegetables to grow better though i'm not sure what greens you are growing. so maybe a few fruit trees spaced around the plot could provide a few of these ideas?
I really like those impact sprinkler head options with the diff size nozzle...i currently have orbit gear drives...and find them way too costly to replace as i have 10 on my property. very cool for my lawn and future veg garden.
I guess it depends on your environment but getting the plants wet here causes all kinds of problems. Definitely a simpler system. We use pvc drilled, never clogs. Zone 10b.
fungus and pests ?
I did like the idea of the Drip(not directly effected by sun(certainly depends on soil conditions)), but I certainly can see the "time saver"(permanent(essentially)) that the timed spray system would introduce.
Just a data point: I do the same kind of thing with T posts, often with the posts on double duty holding fence or training wire in addition to sprinkler mounting.
Great video for me also, I live in dry windy high desert of Idaho. Will put this in my notes for our farm start up. One question, how much did your water consumption go up? Thanks a bunch!
Looks so simple when you explain it. That takes the mystery out of it. How will those posts impact planting with the paper boxes? Many thanks.
Hey small fix up but I noticed the straps you're using to strap the hose onto the 2x4 are indoor straps. Eventually it will rust with the humidity and break off. Outdoor straps are normally brown.
If you want to avoid buying outdoor straps because they are expensive, just wrap electrical tape around the strap you have right now
I have a 20X80 garden and use two ratcheting sprinklers and water in the am before the sun hits it so it has time for the leaves to dry.
Smart work and I love the sound of sprinklers too
The number of comments you've received just since yesterday should give you a good idea of just how popular you are. I'm surprised, though, at the number of people who have no idea who you are or what you're trying to do. I for one couldn't be happier that you've ditched drip irrigation (I had my epiphany about twenty years ago). There seem to be so few people who grapple with climates like ours, which is one of the reasons why I benefit so much from both your successes and failures (I love these vloggers who toss a bunch of seeds into their gardens, let the rain take care of the rest, then emerge a few weeks later to a food jungle of every imaginable fruit and vegetable, all weed- and pest-free). You understand that what's best for the plant matters far more than your water bill, particularly since you're in the business of providing plants. I think you're going to be extremely happy with what you've done here.
Incidentally, about the clay soil. If driving that hammer begins to rattle your teeth, consider renting an auger from Home Depot. Saves time and joints.
Really glad you did this, I could not find the model numbers in the Kindle edition of your book.
and I've tried subirrigation and soaker hoses which i haven't got to work well, and settled on pvc in ground to 2 different locations for sets of orbit valves then 1/2" poly with those little coloured spray heads in it to cover areas I need. I have some of the valves terminating in garden hose thread so I hook up some regular garden hose and regular sprinklers. it's good and I can change easily. ps. hi from vernon :)
Here in northern Colorado, it is dry and high. Water is expensive and in short supply, so overhead watering is just too much of a waste of water. More than half goes to evaporation. I used overhead sprinklers for years, but the cost of water has made this impractical. Drip is more work, the drip tape clogs, need replacement, etc. The bottom line for us is it saves hundreds of dollars per season in water costs and is better for Mother Earth. If I had an inexhaustible well, I'd go back to overhead tomorrow.
THANK you! This was very enlightening.
I, too, have heavy soil - silt, not clay - in an arid climate. I'm smack dab in the Blue Hole on the northern Olympic Peninsula in WA.
HI! I'm wondering why did you choose that height? The reason I ask is because it seems like there would be more air evaporation with the higher distance to the ground. Do you find this to be the case or is there a risk/reward scenario that I'm not thinking of (maybe ease of adjustment?). Just curious. Any time we've done 'overhead' we've done from the ground an adjustable circular pattern head so you minimize the misting/evap. I'm also curious about watering mid-day. I use to live in an area with hard clay and high heat (100+) and we'd get leaf burn if we watered overhead mid-day.
THE BEST!!!! advice I have heard so far. You rock.
So glad to see this now before i set up my whole farm with drip
I’m going to try mulch no-dig gardening . I live in the desert also with clay soil.
If noise ever becomes a problem, Hunter PGS rotors will do the same job quietly.
Our climate and soil conditions are similar to yours. Thanks for sharing
hugelkultur for the win. I've been trenching 3' down and tossing in wood chips and logs to a little under grade (mixing in soil) then mounding the remaining soil to form a mound.
Your video is really good and really appreciate this demonstration.
Cool irregation system. I have just installed a drip irregation system in my greenhouse. In that enviroment it works great. I use the Gardena Smart System.
Thanks for this video! NOT using drip is almost taboo...... glad somebody said something. Seems like it would be a pain in the ass to maintain anyhow. And easy to break.
For about 2 years I installed in ground sprinkles. And there was a fair amount of drip. We'd always come back and repair ad re-repair drip. Overhead is better in many cases, and in the case of the noon watering, if the water is say 68 degrees when it comes out can reduce the local air temperature for a while giving the crops a much needed afternoon break from the heat. I would use a Toro timer rather than a home depot timer, but that's just what I worked with. Granted I haven't installed in 13 years, I'm sure there's app based timers now!
Yes, I'm ready to toss drip irrigation, I have the hoses which seem to clog in spots with my well water. The plan next year is to pin prick the hoses systematically to turn it into sprinkler hoses
Better have a pressure regulator or your pin pricks will turn into one gusher and no drips.
I think the best drip irrigation is just drilling 3/32 holes into 3/4 PVC pipe. Those black hoses you see with those pin-hole connections are crap. It also depends on the application. I have cedar hedges so a sprinkler would not do anything for them. Plus I find the drip system works well for tomatoes because it brings the water to the roots and not just getting the leaves wet. I also use a rain barrel collection system with a pump so I hardly have to pay for water.
There is no universal way to water a garden though. I think it is all what best works for you and also cost vs. time.
Hello. Your system is really amazing but I wonder how you get that powerful water pressure on your sprinklers
Awesome advice. I think my DT gets too hot when I don't run it and burns the little seedlings sometimes. Going to get into a little overhead irrigation myself...
Try soaker hoses, you'll get better coverage and less evaporation. I would keep the overhead sprinklers and drip so you can adjust your watering accordingly. On a real hot day where you need to cool them off fast you can use the overhead first, then move to the soakers to get a deep water, and when the temp isn't extreme drip them when they are more mature.
Clay soil + soaker hose = mud caked to hose + no flow
How many labor hours do you think this saves by not having to deal with drip when turning over beds and such? Is it significant? Fortier talks about this as a reason for why he goes pretty much full sprinklers.
+Ideias Radicais probably adds 5 minutes per bed per rotation.
he calls it "drip irritation"..:-P
Why not just run pvc pipe and run zones with electric lines like a lawn sprinkler. Timers are cheap and way less hassle I would think
PE is vastly superior for this application. It can be reconfigured indefinitely. Some of the PE on my pool is over 40 years old, having been pulled from the well at my parents' old house by the previous owner. His timer does have zone valves. You can see them when he's showing the box. That's why it's a $100 timer instead of a $30 timer.
I use lawn irrigation timers and valves for my system. They are relatively inexpensive and they work well for pretty much any small system whether is low volume drip or impulse sprinklers. I like to pick up spare parts in the fall when they mark them down at the home improvement store. I installed water taps and power outlets at the same time down the middle of the garden. It allows me to rotate my crops.
if you water early in the morning you will have less evaporation, than if you water late in the afternoon. covering your soil with straw or some sort of mulch will also help keep your water demands down, but it may be a little messier than your row covers.
If you choose not to bury your distribution lines you may want to place something protective over them to minimize damage to them and tripping. I'd like to suggest used carpet as a possibility. I have used carpet between my 30" beds for the last 5 years. Hula hoes take care of the weeds that DO germinate on it. Also I recommend overshooting each head by 2" to eliminate dry spots at each head. That was always a problem in my lawn installs that I did as a landscape contractor in California. Great site, good info. I'm building a catapillar tunnel for my space this summer.
YOu might still have the same problem with overhead. the hot air and wind will evaporate much of the moisture. I was trying to grow in clay soil and the water had a hard time soaking into the earth. It would just evaporate away. I mixed the soil 50/50 with potting soil and it soaks in much better now. But you have to do it on a plant by plant basis or the cost of potting soil gets very high.
I felt the same, but starting to swing back again. Failed dripper points, and uneven pressure and distribution was my hate!
Also clay here, big time.
Now that I have a dripper pipe that can clean/unclog itself and evenly spreads water at 0.9 bars only, I am sold again. Overhead is just KILLING me with weed issues. Couch/Bermuda/Kweek loves overhead watering :(
The reason I said the previous is because you did mention you get a lot of wind. Well, overhead system is going to be way too subject to the windiness. How has it worked so far and what have you done to mitigate the blowing effect?
An expert is a person who has already made all of the mistakes! I live south of where you are, where its even hotter and drier. I'm not a commercial gardener but after 3 years of gardening here I've converted my drip systems to "shrubblers" (basically, mini overhead sprayers). Even though I have an ideal soil, I've found that drip systems do not provide enough dispersion watering for germination. Summer and winter squash as well as cucumbers seem to do well with drippers and overhead watering or these plants is a killer. Tomatoes, peppers seem to prefer "disperse" watering but not from overhead.
I liked your idea of watering twice daily in our hot, windy climate.
Love what you do. 2 things with this though
1) Teflon tape sucks bad.... use good pipe dope (T-2)
2) Curious on how you resolve new weed issues
Have you experinced that the plants get sunburned when watering at noon? I avoid misting my tomatoes and chilli in the daytime. The waterdroplets on the leaves turn into mini magnifying lenses
+Morten Skogly not yet. With peppers it happens but not greens.
oh, I know an a little late, but the timer is the same as the ones I use, the solenoid wire can be sliced and extended, I got on running good and is under ground about ten feet from the timer
I have just used sprinklers. One of those tripod sprinklers covers all 6 of my raised beds. Hook it up once and done. I run it for several minutes each day and done. Never had any issues with diseases or anything like that. I feel like those issues are overblown. What do people do when it rains every day down south? Put umbrellas over their beds?
Very nice video. You explain a rather detailed system in clear and simple language. Great job on the field >and< producing this video. Thanks.
I am always surprised at how most of these small, human scale farming techniques you Canadians are coming up with are still relevant to my context in Central Texas. This however, is not. Water is definitely the limiting factor in my neck of the woods. Drip tape is annoying to work with but it would probably still be worth the time to just hand water to get good germination and then switch on the drip to conserve water in most places that experience drought.
Yep. Context is key. Today I'm sharing my context. I try to visit other farms from time to time to show theirs as well.
Thank you, Frances.
Seems like overhead sprinklers also grow a lot more weeds, are you spending more time weeding?
Evaporation from overhead irrigation is much higher than surface irrigation. Overhead irrigation facilitates even distribution over the entire root zone. Water applied by overhead irrigation contains higher levels of dissolved oxygen and nitrogen.
I've been told not to use anything that gets water on the foliage. If you do that you are inviting mold and mildew growth.
In Las Vegas overhead is the only way to go. Shade cloth as well. I got shit for it (evaporation blah blah blah) but I have great germination and still rocking it with lettuce as well.
FYI, teflon tape should be applied thin at the first part of the thread and thick towards the end thus giving a perfect seal.
Perfect vid at a perfect time as always.
Well done
hey, great tip on teflon!
Really enjoyed your video! Thanks for sharing. Will help me when setting up the watering in my garden. Nice!
The good news is you're improving the relative humidity.
i hate drips too
You might till too much for this to apply, but soil microbes/worms will be happier if all of the soil stays moist, not just around plant roots. I know that drip saves water, but in closely planted or mulched beds using no-till, I like to keep the entire bed moist. That keeps it ready to add more plants later.
Could I do a 20' X 20' garden with just a regular impact sprinkler?
4 years late, but on those Rainbird impacts you need to change the swing arm spring to the looser setting if you use the red or black nozzles.
Check their CZcams channel for instructions.
What are the best plants for overhead watering?
Impact heads in wind and arid conditions? I can't say that seems like a very good choice to me. And I can't see how drip would be a major cause of dried out seedlings in clay and wind if your irrigation schedule is correct.
Agreed, windy here in Tulbagh, and the overheads are mad. When the south-easter comes up, I over irrigate one side, and under irrigate the other side. Also, water wastage.
There's never a one size fits all. :)
8:10 Curtis has the rainbow sprinkler. It's a special kind of irrigation.
I'm not understanding how sprinklers negate the problems cited of the surface drying out. Won't the soil dry out regardless of if the water is dripped on it or sprayed on it? What makes the difference?
Aelanna64 , Drip irrigation moistens the soil in an upside down cone shape underground. The surface area is not all wetted.
We run an ancillary system with sprayers when we plant seeds. This wets the surface. Once the plant emerges, we turn it off and go back to the regular system.
I think overhead is good for tightly spaced items and minimal rows, but drip better for larger individual plants.
Problem was probably caused by wrong distances between the drippers and over watering for this reason you save up to 80% of your water for the same effect .... Evaporative waste is massive .. But if you use sprinklers you have to have double coverage from both sprinklers to the base of each sprinkler .... According to a measurement system by 'kristaler' (or maybe cristaler) to keep less fungal diseases water only early morning with the dew ...
benjamin ruck thanks that was my only concern being down in the south is overhead and fungal disease hopefully watering in the morning will prevent that
I too thought fungus, pest and water waste.
Use T-posts and sch 40 PVC. It will last forever and will not blow apart. The Black poly pipe over time will blow apart at the clamps due to the heat/cool expansion and contraction
My apologies for not reading previous comments... I guess I don't have time. But, looking at your video, it seems the sprinkler height is excessive and too in the wind. I realize you're going to get that with any overhead system, it's just that I think your operation could be more efficient with a low-lying system. From what I've seen on your videos, you do lots of lettuce... Seems like your system could be a foot and a half up and still work well. And, the heads are pretty archaic. I would splurge on a different sprinkler head as others have brought up. Either way, great job on making a decision and moving forward. That's been one of the things that irk me about myself. HESITATION sucks! But it's more often a budget restriction to make changes right away.
Which sprinkler head to you recommend?
You can adjust the "precipitation rate" between 90 degree, 180 degree and 270 degree heads by varying the nozzle sizes. That's actually what they are for.
this is in fact a great idea if you are direct sowing. Not recommended for containers.
5:31 ur correct but u start the tape from the edge were it start to screw.
Drip irritation is more like it...Have you given thought about overhead sprinklers in high tunnels, but so you can water each bed separately? I saw photos of Neversink farm using it. My problem is I want to use both overhead for the baby greens and drip for the crops that grow through landscape fabric. Something that I am trying to figure out now and how it works with the water pressure and getting the timing right.
thank you for doing these videos Curtis, I'm doing research watching your videos and others like it.