Drip irrigation
How to make a DIY drip irrigation system
Are you planning to build a drip irrigation system? Claber experts come to your aid.
Read our guide for creating a do-it-yourself drip irrigation system with the support of Claber products, for you essential information and steps to create your own drip irrigation system.
Read our guide and learn how to create your own drip irrigation system, you will never make any mistakes again.
Learn about drip irrigation
Administering the right amount of water to each individual plant, only when and where it is needed: this is the fundamental concept of drip irrigation. An evolved practice, which releases many advantages for us and for our green friends! Frequent irrigation, with a perfectly calibrated quantity of water and without waste, keeps the soil well oxygenated and promotes the optimal development of the plants. It is also very simple to create a customized system, small or large, for every different need. The "starting point" of the system is the CONTROL UNIT FOR PROGRAMMED IRRIGATION. It allows you to automatically and personalizedly establish the quantity and frequency of daily watering. From the control unit, the water is distributed to the DRIPERS and MICRO SPRINKLERS, which guarantee a continuous and precise flow. The drippers are also adjustable, to dose the right quantity of water according to the different needs of the plants and the nature of the soil.
Saving water
Drip irrigation not only saves time, but also a precious resource for the garden and for nature: water. The pressure required by the system is in fact lower than traditional systems. A lower irrigation frequency can also be established on CLAY SOILS, where the water penetrates less deeply than on SANDY SOILS. In this way, the water will be used right up to the last… drop.
Watering too much or too little can cause serious damage to our plants. The VERSATILITY of drip irrigation also solves this problem in the best possible way: it is sufficient to respect the right irrigation methods, depending on the type of soil, plant and climate, as indicated in the previous table.
Potted plants
At home, on the terrace or on the patio, the vase is one of the most frequent "habitats" for a vast number of domestic plants. Drip irrigation represents a unique solution for very different needs, depending on the type of plant, also solving the problems caused by possible movements and rearrangements of the pots in the environment. In fact, ONE OR MORE IRRIGATION LINES can be created, diversifying the times and intensity of water administration, equipping them with drippers with "targeted" characteristics and easily modifying their arrangement in time and space.
The vegetable garden and the greenhouse
Even in the vegetable garden, different crops require diversified irrigation. Plants that have a particularly "delicate" relationship with water, such as tomatoes, can be irrigated with drippers, eliminating the risk of stagnation which can cause fungi.
The salad and newly sown land, however, are watered from above with micro-nebulizers mounted on rods held by special pegs: this will produce a fine rain, completely similar to natural rain.
The flowerbeds and the lawn
The drip system and micro-irrigation offer an extreme variety of specific solutions for each individual plant and area to be watered. For flowers, plants and shrubs, micro-sprinklers at 90, 180 and 360 degrees are fine, as are variable flow rate or self-compensating drippers, all characterized by the fundamental characteristic of not wasting water because they direct it towards the root system of the plant. For long, narrow surfaces, such as borders, use strip micro-sprinklers. Small surfaces or plants with delicate flowers? We recommend micro-nebulizers with their very fine and delicate rain. Important surfaces such as large flowerbeds or portions of lawn? The 360 degree rotating micro-sprinklers are very useful in this case. All micro-sprinklers can be installed on rods mounted on sturdy pegs: the height of the jet can thus be adjusted as desired based on the height of the plants. The range of the micro-sprinklers can also be modified with the appropriate adjustment tap.
Battery-powered programmer
Installing a drip system is simple, to obtain an excellent result simply follow the steps described in this guide.
The electronic programmer with the pressure reducer installed (code 91040) must be applied to the tap; the water will be conveyed from a 1/2" hose or alternatively directly from a 1/4" capillary tube. Connect the hose to the programmer using the automatic threaded fitting (code
91494) and the appropriate fitting (code 91345).
Collector tube
With the 1/2" collector tube it is possible to create a real irrigation circuit for larger balconies. In this case, the 1/4" capillary tube is used to connect each individual dripper
Pipe punch
The Claber tube punch (code 91185) allows you to make holes of the exact diameter, for a perfectly watertight connection between the collector tube and the capillary tubes. It also screws and adjusts the micro-sprinklers.
Capillary tubes
Cut some pieces of 1/4" pipe to size. After drilling the 1/2" pipe in correspondence with the branches you plan to use, connect each piece to the 1/2" pipe using the 2-way fitting ( code 91155).It is also possible to use a tap for capillary tube (code
91270), in this way you will have greater flexibility and control over the water flow of the individual outlets.
Drippers
Connect the drippers to the 1/4" hose, placing them next to the plants to be watered, guiding the path of the hose using the appropriate pegs. Once installation is complete, set the programmer and... don't forget to open the tap!
Micro sprinkler
The micro-sprinklers are positioned on pegs with height-adjustable rods and are connected to the ½" collector tube, using the ¼" capillary tube, always with the appropriate tube punch.
Available in various models for every need, they distribute the right amount of water on the desired area, watering with a delicate and uniform rainfall, similar to natural rain.
Winter protection
Before the winter frosts arrive, disconnect the programmer from the tap and place it inside the house, for example in the cellar or garage, taking care to remove the battery and throw it in the appropriate containers for separate waste collection.
At the beginning of the season, insert a new alkaline battery into the programmer.
Ready for a new season
At the end of the season, dismantle the drippers and wash them under a jet of water: they will be ready for next Spring, always with the guarantee of precise irrigation down to the last drop.
With Claber drippers, the restoration operation is easy and does not require tools: furthermore, this is the right time to modify or expand your system, with the products from the Rain Jet range.
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