An outdoor faucet is all you need to connect your watering system.
The most efficient way to water your vegetables, ornamental plants, shrubs and trees is to use drip irrigation. Drip irrigation delivers water to the plant roots, right where it is needed. A simple drip watering system with emitters, microsprayers and/or soaker hoses can be set up within a few hours. An even simpler and less expensive method is to use soaker hoses only. Soaker hoses are porous hoses that allow water to seep out. A drip irrigation system with emitters or sprayers is useful when plants are spaced farther apart, while soaker hoses are a better choice for closely spaced plants. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Drip Irrigation System
1. Make a sketch of the area where you want to lay the tubing for watering your plants, to determine how much tubing and what accessories to buy.
2. Connect the unperforated tubing or a garden hose to an outdoor faucet and lay it out until you reach the garden beds or plants you want to water. Screw a water source connection kit containing a pressure regulator, filter and tubing connector--or just a backflow preventer--between the faucet and tubing or hose. Although a backflow preventer is not needed for drip irrigation to work, some localities require this safety measure to prevent water from flowing back and contaminating the main water supply.
3. Attach 1/2-inch drip tubing to the unperforated tubing or hose at the edge of the garden bed. Snake the drip tubing around the plants, leaving about 12 inches between adjacent tubing. When tubing needs to make a sharp turn, cut it with a bypass pruner or strong scissors and reattach it with a "T" or elbow connection.
4. Use plastic or metal ground stakes to hold the tubing in place.
5. Turn on the faucet and flush the lines with water. Close off the end of the drip tubing by folding it over and securing it with a 1/2-inch clamp.
6. Turn on the water and check for leaks. Cover the drip tubing with mulch for an attractive look and to prevent evaporation when the system is turned on.
Soaker Hoses
7. Lay down tubing or a garden hose until it reaches the edge of the garden bed to be watered. For more than one garden bed, attach extra hoses to the outdoor faucet with a "T" or "Y" connector.
8. Snake the soaker hose between or around plants, using stakes to keep it in place.
9. Cover soaker hoses with mulch.
Tags: drip tubing, outdoor faucet, soaker hoses, around plants, drip irrigation, edge garden