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Farming- a bunch of catastrophies that result in a lifestyle

No experience with drip tape, or drip line other than having seen it in fields.
My patch will be a covered 25' x 100' area containing 5 plants next year, allowing 500 sq ft for each plant.
I'm looking now for next year and have a multitude of questions:
1. Tape or tubing?
2. How far apart do you space them? (I'm looking at .5GPH tape currently)
3. What pressure is needed to get .5 GPH?
4. I want to continue to water via the ditch that I use now, however at moment I only use 1/6 HP sump pump, can this be used?
6. can a sump be used for drip line application?
7. Does any one have some good contacts for drip tape/line that I could use to plan this out?

7/24/2014 7:04:25 PM

Deerfield, Michigan

I'm also going to drip tape next year. Will be interested in some feedback.

7/24/2014 10:20:01 PM

Mtn. Green, Utah

Columbus Irrigation was able to point me in the right direction and designed a complete system that I am very happy with. An internet search will get you in touch with them. Ask for Dan. He knows giant pumpkins and really knows irrigation. Good luck.

7/25/2014 12:23:01 AM

Muddy Waters

Dans the Man!! If I need it he ships it same day. His # is 419 281 7000

7/25/2014 5:43:36 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

For drip to be effective you need a flat level surface

7/25/2014 7:29:42 AM

Farming- a bunch of catastrophies that result in a lifestyle

Got the level surface, so no problem there, thanks guys for the contact information!!!

7/25/2014 7:38:24 AM

Wi

Drip works under pressure so it doesn't really have to be flat to work well.

T-tape is your best bet.

Spacing is dependent on soil type. In other words if you have sand 12" might be necessary. Clay you can probably stretch to 24" spacing. Reason being the water goes into the soil in sort of a "cone shape." The more sandy the soil the straighter down it goes and therefore tighter spacing required.

The amount of water required is completely dependent on how much T-tape you are running. I can run a 3 plant zone on 10gpm no problem. We use the low flow 8" oc 15 mil.

I would never water from anything but city or well water....IMO.

7/25/2014 8:53:30 AM

Farming- a bunch of catastrophies that result in a lifestyle

The ditch I water from is a 'closed system', and is tested monthly. I went the cost a few years back and bought the pro test kit, some where around 500 bucks then, but it tells me everything that is in it. Pumpkins love it, so that is what I will continue to use as it is proven over a long period of time.

7/25/2014 9:14:54 AM

Springfield, VT

I have 8 mil T tape running through my patch which is not level. It is run both across the slope and down the slope and works well in both places. You do need enough flow to make it work. The tape will need a pressure regulator with a pumped system. Mine is run from a gravity feed system stream fed. A bit of junk does get into the lines which can be flushed out with end caps. I have bought the T tape from the drip store in the past this year I used amazon.

7/25/2014 9:27:04 AM

Farming- a bunch of catastrophies that result in a lifestyle

Sent Dan a diagram. I need 10 pounds of pressure at the head of the supply line and he says that will operate one of my 'zones' (20 x 25, 13 lines) at a time. I'm wondering if I put a 55 gallon drum on a small scaffold, say 5' high, would it create enough pressure? Wonder how one figures that out...*wanders off to google it* LOL

7/25/2014 10:43:24 AM

East Jordan, MI

If you are using ditch water through Drip tape you will most assuredly have clogs, even with filtering. Make sure you tell Dan you are using water from a ditch.

7/26/2014 8:30:41 AM