Hi Flora,

Just curious. What are trying to do with easy disconnects/connects? What was your trouble with soaker hoses? Not precise water or poor distribution? If you are doing SFG then more permanent pvc to the beds and threaded pvc pieces with hole drilled every 12" for the beds. What is your pressure and flow? Aloha

I have 2 parts to my garden, one being 9 - 2.5'x 20'L raised beds that I rotate the veges in each year so I designed a water system for each bed according to their needs with a screw on/off valve at each bed. As the veges get moved so do the corresponding water systems...it is very simple and has worked pretty good.
The other bed is not raised, and gets covered in 4 - 15'x15' sections of black plastic with holes cut for the individual plants which contain corn, potatoes, squash and melons. The water system goes underneath the plastic and has not worked well as I had just drilled holes in the black poly and they have plugged with dirt.
The soaker hoses, in the raised beds are getting old and will need replaced and are fairly expensive here compared to other methods. Plus there is a slight hill in which the bottom beds get more water than the top.
The pressure coming off the mainline will be 25psi with my pressure reducer, but wicked 65+ without. Will likely have to only open the mainline valve part way. I also have a filter and backflow preventer.
I have no problem using pvc, but I already have the 1/2 black poly so thought I might as well use it.
I find it is the fittings that run up the $ tab, so wanted to use existing hardware that I already had if possible.
I found some pressure compensating flat emitters that fit on 1/2 black poly (100 for $10.00)usually they are .25 each.....hoping would work and the existing hardware can be recommissioned.
What do you think?

Hi Flora,

Sounds like your system is great. You have a good grasp on what to do. One good thing is that you have good pressure at the source and have to reduce it. The emitters allow you to control and quantify what each plant gets. My only suggestion is to have the pressure regulator at the high point of your system which means you have to run pvc to that point. If you have slope to your garden this gives you less pressure loss along the pipe or more pressure at the low end. Sounds like 25 psi is too low for the number of holes or length of soaker in your system. Do you know how to calculate flow available to each lateral? With emitters you can add up the total flow plus 20% that you would need to supply the lateral with. Maybe all you need is to increase the pressure to 30 psi to get more even flow. Your poly & fittings should handle that pressure but not much more. Check with a landscape irrigation supplier about the details to accomplish it. By the way, Do you know about the "Three Sisters Planting"? Good luck. Aloha.

Hi,

I have been using T-tape for about 3 years now. I use a filter and 10psi pressure regulator upstream. For the mainline tubing I use DIG .700 diameter tubing and use a standard auger to poke a hole.

I bought a kit from Irrigation Mart (irrigationmart.com) that included all the necessary components. The fittings are unique to T-tape. As I expanded my irrigation this spring, I had to go to the website to order additional fittings.

The kit had everything I needed to get started. I take up the t-tape in the fall and store it for use the following spring.

Strongly recommend the product.

Best regards and best of luck!!!!!!!!