Posted: 8/22/2016 1:24:10 PM EDT
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Earlier this year, I inherited 50 acres about an hour from my home. Power is available (although it is 500+ yards from where my ‘problem’ is). No county water or well, but there are two ponds that stay full year round but are not fed from springs as far as I can tell.
I have rooted several plants (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, muscadine) that I want to plant on the property next spring. My problem is irrigation/watering. I have googled, and not found exactly what I am looking for. I hope you guys can help me out or give me some new ideas. I’d like to have a water source for the plants during the dry months of summer. I have access to several plastic 55 gallon drums (and 5 gallon buckets) and was thinking of buying something like this to attach to a 55 gallon drum full of water to keep at least a minimum amount of water to the plants to keep them alive during the summer: https://www.amazon.com/Hydrospike-Hs-300-Worry-free-Automatic-Watering/dp/B002558KJQ/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1471886394&sr=8-20&keywords=self+watering I want to start small with 6 or 8 plants in the beginning. My plan as of now is to buy the Hydrospikes and attach to 1 or 2 of the 55 gallon drums. I can fill the drums from one of the ponds with a hand pump every 2 weeks or so (that is about the max I can make it to the property- once every two weeks). Does anyone have any better ideas? |
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If you are hauling in water, I would not bother screwing with 55 gallon barrels. I would go for 275 gallon totes (the big huge things with a pallet type bottom). Of course, those may cost money, and you want to be SURE what was in them. I suppose to say, 55 gallons WILL work, just more hassle. You need some kind of super efficient irrigation that works with very low pressure, and since you are only talking about a few dozen plants, irrigation line (Menards has it for something like $17 for 100ft) with small holes drilled in sounds like a good plan. Get a simple battery operated irrigation timer that works on basically zero pressure and just hook it all together. Oh, you will need to elevate your water barrels at least a few feet. Can be simple cinder blocks, or bury 4x4s and make a platform: up to you. |
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Quoted:
If you are hauling in water, I would not bother screwing with 55 gallon barrels. I would go for 275 gallon totes (the big huge things with a pallet type bottom). Of course, those may cost money, and you want to be SURE what was in them. I suppose to say, 55 gallons WILL work, just more hassle. You need some kind of super efficient irrigation that works with very low pressure, and since you are only talking about a few dozen plants, irrigation line (Menards has it for something like $17 for 100ft) with small holes drilled in sounds like a good plan. Get a simple battery operated irrigation timer that works on basically zero pressure and just hook it all together. Oh, you will need to elevate your water barrels at least a few feet. Can be simple cinder blocks, or bury 4x4s and make a platform: up to you. Thanks. I will look into battery powered timers. Any suggestions? Cost is not a huge issue, but the equipment will be left unattended for weeks at a time and would prefer someone not steal my brand new expensive (insert item here). I already have the 55 gallon drums, that is why I am starting there. The plants will be 50 yards from one of the ponds- so I was thinking some simple hand pump to refill the barrels periodically. |
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Quoted: Thanks. I will look into battery powered timers. Any suggestions? Cost is not a huge issue, but the equipment will be left unattended for weeks at a time and would prefer someone not steal my brand new expensive (insert item here). I already have the 55 gallon drums, that is why I am starting there. The plants will be 50 yards from one of the ponds- so I was thinking some simple hand pump to refill the barrels periodically. Quoted: Quoted: If you are hauling in water, I would not bother screwing with 55 gallon barrels. I would go for 275 gallon totes (the big huge things with a pallet type bottom). Of course, those may cost money, and you want to be SURE what was in them. I suppose to say, 55 gallons WILL work, just more hassle. You need some kind of super efficient irrigation that works with very low pressure, and since you are only talking about a few dozen plants, irrigation line (Menards has it for something like $17 for 100ft) with small holes drilled in sounds like a good plan. Get a simple battery operated irrigation timer that works on basically zero pressure and just hook it all together. Oh, you will need to elevate your water barrels at least a few feet. Can be simple cinder blocks, or bury 4x4s and make a platform: up to you. Thanks. I will look into battery powered timers. Any suggestions? Cost is not a huge issue, but the equipment will be left unattended for weeks at a time and would prefer someone not steal my brand new expensive (insert item here). I already have the 55 gallon drums, that is why I am starting there. The plants will be 50 yards from one of the ponds- so I was thinking some simple hand pump to refill the barrels periodically. If they would work, or something similar, you should be into this thing for around $50, plus whatever value you put on a barrel or two. Me, pumping over 100 gallons of water, by hand, 50 yards, isn't my idea of fun. I would use some kind of powered pump. Either electric and use a generator to run it, or a gas job. A small electric pump that cost $40 would work fine and while it fills you can be weeding/spraying/inspecting your plants. The smallest generator, or even a power inverter, should run it just fine. |
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50 yds from the pond?
Pick up a trash/transfer pump, a roll of semi-flex to use as a header, and drip tape to suit the need. Pick up 300' of 2" discharge as well, for flood irrigating during droughts. You're going to be hard pressed to keep up with just 4 Blueberry bushes, using barrels. Figure 6-8 gallons a day per bush, just in Evapotranspiration alone. If you get behind, there is no making up the deficit with drip systems, especially low volume drip, and you will have to flood or borrow a walker and a PTO pump. Something is keeping the ponds full. Spring or ground water. You'll need the pump to transfer one to the other, as needed, until you get a well in there. The problem with a gas powered pump, is getting out there every 3-4 days to irrigate. Using the same semi-flex header and Banjo couplers, you can leave a solar powered low volume pump out there, to fill in between flooding sessions, and toss the transfer pump in the truck. No way around the volume needed, and needing a pump. Good luck!. |
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Thanks guys. I was hoping I could come up with something I could 'set and forget' for at least a week at a time, preferably two. There is no way I can consistently make it to the property on a weekly basis.
I may end up planting and crossing my fingers for rain. After all, right now I have $0 in the plants (I have rooted them all from cuttings this spring). I lost a blackberry plant in my yard this year from lack of rain while I was out of town for 7 days, and it has me spooked. |
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Quoted: Thanks guys. I was hoping I could come up with something I could 'set and forget' for at least a week at a time, preferably two. There is no way I can consistently make it to the property on a weekly basis. I may end up planting and crossing my fingers for rain. After all, right now I have $0 in the plants (I have rooted them all from cuttings this spring). I lost a blackberry plant in my yard this year from lack of rain while I was out of town for 7 days, and it has me spooked. |
| I would see if you can make a self watering bucket system with the 5 gallon buckets, and then fill the 5 gallon from the 55 gallon drum using a solar pump and float switch. If the pump/solar ever failed for whatever reason, the 5 gallon bucket system should keep working for the mean time. |
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Quoted:
I don't see anything that needs more water than GA rain. Start them in very early spring and let nature take over. This. I planted blackberry and blueberry bushes all around my house here in N GA and I've given up on watering the blackberry (they are doing just fine on their own). I still water the blueberry as its more on the top of my hill and doesn't get as much run-off as the black. I walk down my street and the blackberry bushes are growing EVERYWHERE on the side of the road in ditches that haven't seen water in 2 or so weeks. |
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Quoted:
I don't see anything that needs more water than GA rain. Start them in very early spring and let nature take over. I lost a 3 year old, established blackberry plant this year due to lack of rain at my house. It was literally raining all around us, but we went for over 2 weeks with none. I am trying to avoid a situation such as that. At least I have some more ideas and things to research now. Thanks fellas. |
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Quoted:
I lost a 3 year old, established blackberry plant this year due to lack of rain at my house. It was literally raining all around us, but we went for over 2 weeks with none. I am trying to avoid a situation such as that. At least I have some more ideas and things to research now. Thanks fellas. Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't see anything that needs more water than GA rain. Start them in very early spring and let nature take over. I lost a 3 year old, established blackberry plant this year due to lack of rain at my house. It was literally raining all around us, but we went for over 2 weeks with none. I am trying to avoid a situation such as that. At least I have some more ideas and things to research now. Thanks fellas. Blackberries are tough. 2 weeks w/o rain won't kill them. They live all over out west where it doesn't rain for months. The canes die after 2 years but more should sprout. |