When gardens have ample access to water, the harvest is much more impressive. After a good rain you can really notice the extra growth everywhere. Multiple days without rain can slow the growth of a garden.
Drip Irrigation
Instead of hand watering the cabin garden terrace and other garden rows, I will use 1/2 inch garden or irrigation hose with a tiny hole drilled into the hose at each plant - for drip irrigation.
Cabin Terrace Garden Hose Irrigation
In the picture below you can see the garden terrace that is just off the southwest corner of the cabin. The kitchen herbs corner of the garden will not be irrigated, but you can see the irrigation hose laid for the tomato, cucumber, pepper, and the wild strawberry and pickling cucumber rows.
On the right side of the picture above you can see the green garden hose that attached to a rain barrel to feed the irrigation grid. The green garden hose I recently purchased in 100 ft lengths for $35 each. For irrigating the production garden rows I have ordered 500 ft of bulk 1/2 inch irrigation hose for $80 - a much more reasonable price in bulk.
1/2 inch Garden Hose Irrigation Grid
The 1/2 inch garden hose was cut to the required lengths to make the irrigation grid. A 1/2 inch T-connector is used where the rain barrel hose enters the irrigation grid - and also for the two connection points of the middle row.
The remaining three corners used 1/2 inch elbow-connectors to complete the irrigation grid.
Rain Barrel Tap Opened
The rain barrel tap has been turned on, gravity is feeding the garden hose irrigation grid.
Garden Hose Micro Bit Drilling
No water will come out of the irrigation grid until the drip irrigation holes are drilled. For this delicate task I am using a 1/32 inch or 0.79 mm drill bit. The drill bit is so small that it comes with two in the pack just in case one snaps.
I was very careful to drill straight in and straight out with no bending of the drill bit - the small bit did not break.
Drip Irrigation Hole Drilling Demonstration Video
Pepper and Tomato Plants Irrigated
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Cucumber and Wild Strawberry Plants Irrigated
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No More Carrying Water ;)
I'll simply turn on the rain barrel tap whenever there has been a couple days without rain. Soon I will be digging a large water catchment just uphill from this terrace garden - with a 1/2 inch hose outlet providing irrigation water for the multiple hose drip irrigated garden beds.
Previous posts that may be of interest to you:
- Back Acres: Starting a 300 foot Siphon from the Cistern to fill the Hot Tub
- Off-Grid: Rebuilding the Rocket Stove Boiler and Connecting Outdoor Plumbing for Spring Showers
- Off-Grid: Wood Stove Top Boiler and Standard Garden Hose Connectors
- Prepare: Water Containment for Emergency, Conservation, and Off-Grid Living