My rooftop container garden

talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 10:14 am

Sir will post detailed answers. For the start I leave it unattended for as long as a season changes. And I lost only succulents to overwatering. Had no 2lph drippers at that time. Got them now

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talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 5:03 pm

The project is 2 years old. By the time I created the first post here, all the 6 sites with independent drip irrigation systems were installed.
Each system at its source involves a water timer. The water timer can be manual (a timed dial u have to set each time u turn the tap on for a required duration) or as in my case they can be automatic with AA cells in them and watering cycles u can set to the nearest minute of the day/night. In 3 of the 6 locations I have pressure pumps with automatic switches attached. The minute the water timer opens its valve, the automatic switch turns on the pump and the Irrigation cycle begins.
The need for pressure pump is at the rooftop where due to the lack of sufficient gravitational force the pressure is insufficient to serve all the planters.
The water timer is followed by a 200 mesh-stainless steel filter, the purpose is to sieve out sand particles that might choke the drippers (outflow) in case of omission.
Then comes the 1/2"-5/8" dripline that serves as arteries in our body and finally the 1/4" micro-drippers that take off from this 1/2" dripline at the site of a planter (like capillaries in a tissue). The micro-dripline ends in a dripper that tailors the outflow according to its capacity.
In effect the system is as simple as a hose-just the added convenience of automated irrigation times, tailored flow and water at the source of need.

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talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 5:16 pm

The maintenance needs? Well everything needs maintenance. My mother thinks the system just takes care of it all without and fixes and my father, being skeptic, asks if the system is working alright, from time to time eg when yesterday he saw the Mali going upstairs, he asked isn't the drip irrigation working, I said yup it is. The Mali is going to de-weed the planters.
The batteries need changing, so have to know what their status is currently.
The filters need cleaning in 4-6 months-not that they choke but still general maintenance
Some of the drippers can choke-only the UAE made ones that is. The Israel made (netafim) are self cleaning(whatever that means) but they never choke even if buried in soil.
The water timers I have are from rain drip (Amazon purchase) --- great timer with pressure reducing feature that doesn't allow water pressure to exceed 30 kpa above which the drippers could burst potentially. I bought 36 pieces of water timers from a local irrigation giant- they won't sell one or two pieces. I got the ones that are no longer in production by rainbird company. That was the catch and well 4-5 of the timers have developed fault. U can imagine that since they have been out of production for 6 years and god knows for how many more they have been sitting in a warehouse... I got them for 1k each. Amazon price for one is 3500-4500 so it was a gamble that kinda paid off... Still have two dozen timers in my store
That's about it for maintenance. The dripline is made out of uv resistant plastic and has a life of 20 years. It's black/opaque so no algae grows in it.

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talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 5:31 pm

Problems? When winter arrives I can't decide when to change watering from once daily to one a week or anything in between.
Planters with choked drainage hole can get neglected n plant rots if not checked (it's a problem that arose due to laziness on the part of the Gardner than the Irrigation Sys...

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talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 5:34 pm

As u can make out from the account above its so convenient as to make one lazy... It's a need for me since I have 9 different locations to water. I can't even get the Mali to move from place to place to water everyday impinging on privacy of the womenfolk

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talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 5:35 pm

I have made quite a few potting arrangement changes... Will post some more pics

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talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 5:43 pm

The raindrip timers (Amazon purchase) never developed a fault

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talha.bin.ayub · Post by **talha.bin.ayub** » November 30th, 2015, 5:45 pm

I believe it's a need on large scales ESP PHA plantations! They waste so much water and kill so many plants to under watering.

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