# Best way to irrigate a strip



## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

I have 23ft x 3ft bed between my house and driveway I need water. Trying to keep water off the house and driveway. Any suggestions?


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## SeanBB (Jul 11, 2020)

Drip irrigation is your friend here...do you have existing sprinkler heads already in place?


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## stevehollx (Apr 8, 2020)

Looks like you have a spigot near the A/C?

Orbit garden hose timer
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-1-Port-Single-Dial-Timer-62056/100126132?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US

Pressure regulator to drop to allow for drip line:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rain-Bird-3-4-in-FHT-25-psi-Regulator-HT07525PS/202262484?g_store=3608&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US

Adapter to 1/4" drip line:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mister-Landscaper-1-4-in-Polypropylene-Drip-Irrigation-Female-Adapter/1115067

Then some 1/4" drip hose with barbs punched at each bush.


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

I do have a head centered up against the house. It's on a riser with a kRain 180 4 inch pop up it gets on the house and soaks my driveway pavers causes algae hence staining same


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

It's a 1/2 riser


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

There are 1/2 inch pressure regulating drip manifolds that you can thread onto the riser.

Here is an example
https://www.dripdepot.com/item/hendrickson-bros-pressure-regulating-drip-manifold-with-flow-control?gclid=Cj0KCQiAx9mABhD0ARIsAEfpavSFDq9i3Q5QpKWNT0Rgf4TqaBPpKlMJv3Pc-kHR4Ql6GlHoz068IiAaAnYQEALw_wcB


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

Do i use micro pipe with the stakes for each bush? What heads for the stakes? What should the flow setting be? That zone valve runs at about 45-50 psi Where should I position the stake/head in relation to each bush?


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

I agree drip is the way to go for that area. I'm a little new to drip irrigation, but here's what I would do with what you have there:

Adapter from existing spray body to pressure regulator and filter.
https://store.rainbird.com/1800retro-drip-irrigation-retrofit-kit-for-1800-series-spray-bodies.html

Half inch "blank" drip tubing:
https://store.rainbird.com/t63-050-1-2-in-blank-distribution-tubing-for-drip-irrigation-50-ft.html

Pressure compensating emitters (I'd use at least two per shrub):
https://store.rainbird.com/sw20-30pk-2-0-gph-spot-watering-emitters-bag-of-30.html

Emitter insertion tool:
https://store.rainbird.com/et-1pk-emitter-installation-tool.html

Quarter inch distribution tubing:
https://store.rainbird.com/t22-50-1-4-in-blank-tubing-50-ft.html

Stakes and bug caps:
https://store.rainbird.com/ts25-10pk-1-4-in-drip-tubing-stake-bag-of-10.html

Half inch line closures:
https://store.rainbird.com/ec50-2pk-1-2-in-drip-end-closure-2-pack.html

Run the half inch line from the existing spray body to each end of the bed and close the ends with the closures. Install emitters directly into the half inch line - I'd use at least two for each shrub. Run quarter inch distribution tubing from emitter to shrub, set on stake and install bug caps (included with each stake). If using two emitters per shrub, place one on each side 180 degrees apart; if using three per shrub, place 120 degrees apart, etc.

The emitters in the link are 2 GPH each so two at each shrub would be 14 emitters total (if I counted your shrubs right). That's total 28 GPH or less than half a GPM. Negligible. In my climate for those small shrubs, I'd run it for about a half hour twice a week and go from there. Florida is likely a good bit hotter but less dry so keep an eye on soil moisture and adjust as needed.

As a caveat, I'm assuming you're not using an irrigation well. The flow would be too low for a well pump.


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

Thank you for your advice. I'm sorry for not including that info. Yes I am In fact using a shallow well. How will that effect set up?


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Does the well have a pressure tank and switch or is it just an irrigation well with well pump? If it has standard domestic pressure tank and switch, should be ok. If it's a straight irrigation well pump that just runs (very common around here at least) then more zone info and some figuring of flow for that zone is needed - must meet minimum pump flow requirements for the pump to cool itself.


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

It has a 2 gallon pressure tank with a pressure switch. 28 gpm runs for the the most part at 45-50psi


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

Yes a 1 hp pump 2 gallon tank with pressure switch 45-50 psi and 28 gpm


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

If that one head is the only one on that zone, you may want to increase the tank size significantly. At only 0.5 GPM draw and a 2 gallon tank with 28 GPM from the pump, the pump will be constantly short cycling. At a 28 GPM pump, minimum recommended tank size is over 40 gallons. A tank that big isn't exactly inexpensive either.

It may be easiest to just run that area as a drip off "city water" and leave the irrigation well for areas with higher water demand. It's not a whole lot of water. My guess is those plants won't use even a couple hundred gallons a month. Water is pretty expensive here but even with expensive water that would be less than $2 per month.

I might as well add that the whole irrigation well conundrum is one of the factors that slowed my adoption of using drip anywhere. Each zone needs a spreadsheet of every plant, how many emitters or feet of emitter hose at each, emitter flow for each or per foot, and check steps for minimum and maximum pump flow. Around here, usually end up with some large drip zones (like over 100 plants minimum on each zone) to avoid burning out the pump due to insufficient flow. I got the hang of it and really like the drip concept now, but finding the time for the learning curve and the motivation to dive in took a while. The easiest for small drip zones is city water.


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

There is more than one head on this zone. It is zone 4 of 6 zones. Half on my shrubs are on this zone and this strip is currently being watered with one 4 " popup 15' 180 degree radius head. I am pretty sure there with be enough water shed to prevent the pump from cycling.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

LawnCowboy said:


> There is more than one head on this zone. It is zone 4 of 6 zones. Half on my shrubs are on this zone and this strip is currently being watered with one 4 " popup 15' 180 degree radius head. I am pretty sure there with be enough water shed to prevent the pump from cycling.


👍


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Sorry, I don't think mature shrubs in shade need anything beyond natural. I would bet disease is a bigger concern


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## LawnCowboy (Apr 23, 2020)

UPDATE*****
As you can see I have 7 shrubs with two risers. I went to North Florida Irrigation they totally hooked me up. I bought 2- Rain Bird 6-port Free flow manifolds will 1/2 threaded male adapters. 1 roll of 1/4 inch distribution tubing and 12 shrubblers(5 extra). I glued the Manifolds on the cut off risers 3 inches off the ground. Ran one shrubbler per bush and adjusted the flow on each. Took me all of 45 mins. Make sure you add at least a foot or more of slack on each tubing length. WORKS BEAUTIFULY. NO MORE WATER ON DRIVEWAY
This a great forum. Thanks for all your suggestions and help. Lawn Cowboy over and out.


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