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  • From: mckemie AT inetport.com
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Sprinklers
  • Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 15:14:52 -0500


On Sat, Sep 16, 2000 at 01:05:09PM -0800, Martin Koenig wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a sprinkler that really works?
>
> I have a small 1 1/2 acre farm with a drip system set up for my raised
> beds but this time of year I am trying to get cover crops into my field
> crop areas (my goal is always mid-September) and then hope for rain.
> Trouble is, the seed can then sit there for weeks in dusty soil (no rain
>
> since June) waiting for the rains to arrive. I understand that
> inoculated legumes should be irrigated immediately after planting (if
> nature doesn't cooperate) and I would love to find a sprinkler that can
> do the job efficiently, I have tried many different sprinklers over the
> past number of years and they either break after a short time (including
>
> two different Gardena sprinklers) or they do not water evenly.
>
> Any suggestions, along with sources for puchasing such sprinklers would
> be greatly appreciated!
>
You don't say how large an area you are trying to bring up, but I have
had fair luck in fields that are 50'+ wide and 300'+ length with two
types:
1) A string of micro sprinklers on moveable stakes can water a strip
10-15' wide and about two hundred feet long (about 30 sprinklers) when
fed from a single 16mm tube attached to a hose bib. The sprinklers cost
about $1 each while the 16mm tube is about $.05 per foot. I normally run
such a configuration 1/2 to 1 day per set.
2) A small "Water Reel" will provide quite uniform coverage, but cost
about $2000 and requires around 20gpm at 40psi or more. This will
cover a strip nearly 200' in length and 60-80' wide with a single 3/4"
impact sprinkler head.

Much of my irrigation is from T-Tape buried in 5' c-c beds and I do
have a very difficult time getting anything germinated in dry weather
with the T-Tape alone.

I recommend Irrigation Mart in Louisana as a source:
http://www.irrigation-mart.com/

--
Onward! Through the Fog!
Willie
http://austinfarm.org/homegrown



  • Sprinklers, Martin Koenig, 09/16/2000
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: Sprinklers, mckemie, 09/16/2000

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