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Aug 3, 2013 3:41 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
After a couple of hours of watering my backyard plants, I need a tutorial on micro sprinkler systems. I have miles of the black bendable pipe, sprinkler heads, a punch, etc. I bought it all years ago from a Master Gardener co-op. DH installed the sprinklers where "he thought they should be," They were fine that fall, but in spring, I moved pots, added plants, spread mulch and nothing was in the right spot. I wound up taking them out. I want to do it myself this time!!! Where can I find a tutorial? I looked on the web, but most are for drip systems. I have a sprinkler system, but it isn't catching everything, so I drag hoses.
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Aug 7, 2013 1:16 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
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I did a search with the following parameters, taking out the "drip" part and saw there are bunches of youtube videos and other things. Copy and paste the following (make sure the minus sign comes before drip):

how to install a micro sprinkler system -drip

Hope you find something useful!

Also, I use DuckduckGo instead of Yahoo or Google .. try it .. you might like it .. they don't keep records of where you go and what you do.

https://duckduckgo.com/

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Aug 7, 2013 2:44 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Thanks X!!! I'll take a look at them. Appreciate it. Never thought about youtube....
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Aug 7, 2013 7:20 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
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Sandi, that's the great beauty of micro systems. They're so easy to change, as collectors like us change our gardens each year. If your miles of black tubing is already in place but you need to change the location of the sprinklers, you just need a package of 'Goof Plugs'. HD or Lowe's both have a big section with all the parts for microsprinkler systems. Use the Goof Plugs to remove an emitter from the black tubing, and (obviously) plug the hole.

I just love putting in microsprinklers. It's like playing with Legos and also water at the same time. I've converted my whole garden to micro, and also installed a complete system at my daughter's in Salt Lake City.Btw, if you don't get hard freezes where you are, you don't need to bury the black tubing, unless it's out in the open and you'll trip over it. Just lay it on the ground and cover it with mulch. Makes it easier to pull it up again when you need to add or change location of sprinklers.

I learned it in Master Gardener classes. Just out of curiosity, I looked at Travis County's master gardener site. They have a book out that might be really helpful to you. Here's the link http://www.tcmastergardeners.o... IF you don't want to buy a book, you could try calling them at their Help Desk. Here's the contact info http://www.tcmastergardeners.o...
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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Aug 14, 2013 10:46 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Thanks, Elaine. I used to answer that phone at the Help Desk! I also used to be co-manager of the Master Gardeners' greenhouse at Zilker Botanical Garden. I just figured there was fresher info from folks here that had already experienced installing them.

After reading up on the micro-sprinklers, I realized that what I really needed was something that would water higher to reach the leaves on my spider mite-prone brugmansias. DH came up with some "prototype" sprinklers that I can move around until I find the right spots and the right sprinkler heads. Last week, we had other things get in the way, so I'm going to post my practice sprinklers now. Once I figure out where I want them, DH will camouflage them in the beds. Then he'll use a 5 ft piece of hose on each one with a quick-connect that hangs out of the flower bed so I don't have to tear up the beds to get to the hose to move it to another sprinkler. That's the plan at present. I only need a few to get the spots the in-ground sprinklers don't catch. When we figure it out, we can hopefully put them on a timer.

DH also found an old Rainbird that he tried as a sprinkler base. I like it really well because I can place it, time the sprinkler, then just roll it down the side bed. Still working on the sprinkler head selections and the height of the pipes.

Thumb of 2013-08-14/Bubbles/54eb0f The base is in concrete. Not sure what he'll use for the next ones (but won' be tin cans).


Thumb of 2013-08-14/Bubbles/028b03 I love that the pipe can be as high as I want it.


Thumb of 2013-08-14/Bubbles/f35241 It will be nice not to have to move pots around on watering day to reach a sprinkler.
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Aug 16, 2013 3:21 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
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I love repurposing the old sprinkler base and the cement bucket base, too.

I had to give up on the black tubing idea. Too much debris would get things clogged. Every once in awhile. I bump into some old black tubing when digging in my yard. I now have a perimeter two long garden hoses around 85% of our back and front yard. Using male/female end repair kits I have customized the different "shooters" that come off the hose line. At the end of the line is hooked to a standing hose handler that has a Y spigot attached to it so I can hand water in the most remote parts of our back yard and hanging plants if I want. We have a small back yard. But only one spigot from one side of the house is suppose to reach all areas. We have 4 spigots coming off the one with a timer on it. Our yard gets automatically watered from an above ground system

In the far corner sits a Rain Bird on an adjustable tripod It covers 2/3's of the back yard.

Recently I resodded an area that didn't have any sprinkler reaching the area in the front. Probably why it died in the first place! DH and I spent about 30 mins and $7 rigging up a pop up sprinkler normally used for an in ground sprinkling system, and pipe converters to fit into our garden hose. Now the area has a nice tall fine spray about 18" above the sod.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
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Aug 16, 2013 7:01 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Your description makes perfect sense. I want DH to look at it. We have PVC pipe buried around one side of the garden with tall sprinklers (that used to be pop-ups) at intervals. The problem is when I move things, or they grow taller and wider, the sprinklers are no longer tall enough or in the correct spot. It tends to drive DH batty. I still have to move sprinklers or hoses behind the pond. Makes it hard to go out of town without having someone coming in to take care of all the plants. I'm hoping this fall, I'll have a plan. Your set-up sounds great. I could hook the hoses on either sides of the sprinkler to the next one and so on. Is this correct?
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Aug 16, 2013 8:21 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Yes, Bubbles. Our front yard is a pretty simple set up and a good example: Three garden hose pieces. I have a Y splitter at the faucet and one hose to use for hand watering, etc. The other is for the sprinkler hose where the timer is set up. More on that later. The hose runs along the side of the house and the bushes, between the expansion joints and to the corner of the front lawn.
Another (plastic) Y joint there connects a Rain Bird there. Another section of hose continues from that Rain Bird on, between the lawn and the driveway where at the other corner is another Rain Bird. Back at the first Y joint, the hose continues in the other direction, follows between the lawn and the walkway and then crossing into the flower bed where another Rain Bird keeps that side well-watered.I was able to bury the hose and cover it up in the flower bed. You can see the hose between the lawn and the sidewalk and driveway but it is inconspicuous.
The Timers I bought at Walmart. They are pretty good and have run on one 9V battery for the past 5 years. You set the time, how often, how long and when. There is a manual setting as well. It is pretty easy to understand. We got them for the same reason as you, so we don;t have to worry about things getting water while we are away. The front yard has a single timer that turns on and off all three Rain Birds at the same time. I am lucky to have good water pressure at that faucet. The back yard will turn on 4 different sections of the yard at 4 different times. I can't remember but 5 years ago, I think they were $29 each? They connect between the faucet and the hose. For us, they have worked out wonderfully! Hope this helps.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Aug 16, 2013 8:41 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
It definitely does. We have those same timers, but I think we paid $40. each for them (and were glad to get them when everyone was also scrambling to find them when we went to water restrictions). One out front and one in the back. I sometimes forget to turn the faucets back to the timer positions and the sprinklers don't come on.

Thanks for sharing your instructions. I'll let you know how it all works out.
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Aug 17, 2013 10:58 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
I have foggers for my orchids up high and they water the brugs, too. Just longer lengths of micro tubing running up the trunk of the tallest brug puts a nice mist over them all. Very inconspicuous too.
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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Aug 18, 2013 4:28 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Foggers sound great! Sometime when you get a chance, can you take a photo of your brug fogger? It sure seems like a life saver!
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Aug 18, 2013 10:43 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
Sure will, Sandi. I am away until Friday and I laugh just to think what DH would say if I asked him to get a pic of my brug fogger Rolling on the floor laughing .
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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