I was hoping to have more irrigation done by now, but that did not end up happening this year. So I am hauling around 175 gallons (1500 pounds) of water by skid steer over to my garden every week or so. Probably will need to bring water more often when we get into the middle of the summer and when there's more plants in the ground. Its okay this is temporary, there's always next year to have a better system in place, but for now this works.
Placing these three barrels on wood pallets make it easy for me to move them using the skid steer and its fork attachment.
Using ratchet straps I make sure its secure before moving it. A second strap holds all three barrels together.
I fill up from my well, it takes about 30 minutes to fill up all three containers.
Once full we set off (slowly) to the third acre area where I am keeping my plants.
Placing it down its ready to be used. The containers sit high up on pallets to help with water flow. I carefully use water from the blue barrels first and then start using the reserve in the white barrel.
A quick selfie while in the skid steer. Have not got soaked yet today, but sometimes when I move the water the bung caps come lose and water comes flying out of them.. lol best to close the glass when driving them over to the garden area.
Driving it back to the workshop its good to have such a thing to move these. Pushing close to 1500 pounds the skid steer can handle it but not much else. I am not sure how I would do this otherwise, probably a few hundred feet of hose..lol So nice to fill them up and move them to where I need.
With the water onsite we can pump it out to the plants. A second strap can be seen holding all three barrels together so it has better stability on the pallets.
I use a car battery, a 12V DC transfer pump and a 3/4 inch 100 foot garden hose. I have a second 100 foot hose ready in case I cannot reach.
Pumping it from the white container requires me to drop the intake line into the barrel. But the blue ones are more easy and just attach at the bottom faucet.
When we turn on the water for the first time if its already really sunny outside we make sure to let that water exit the hose before watering. It gets very hot and would burn the plants, so its important to bleed that hot water off before starting.
We team up and they water and I turn the pump on and off. We switch sometimes and I do the watering and they do the switching of the pump. That way we do not waste water walking between raised garden beds.
Adjusting the nozzle we can give them a gentle mist or a jet to reach far away. I just have to make sure I do not turn it completely off while the pump is running or bad stuff could happen to the pump I would think.
Its a start, but eventually I plan on capturing rain water from my workshop and piping it over to the garden area. Its a long term project but I have an idea of how I wan to do it. Just need to get a dozen 250 gallon totes and then I can really get this setup going.
My FIL has a 5000 gallon tank behind his shop he stores rain water in. I would think it would cost about the same for one big tank over multiple totes. Then you only need one pump or can let the water pressure in the tank push your irrigation.
Oh very nice, I am hoping to have something close to that capacity in the future. I am probably going to get multiple totes and pipe them together.
How are you dear friend @solominer
It's a great job you do to water your plants, it's good that you have the mini charger to transport the water tanks.
Rainwater seems like a great idea
Shall I consult you? You have not thought about drilling a hole in the ground to extract water from the soil for irrigation, here in Argentina it is widely used in orchards to irrigate plants.
https://www.conexionsrl.com.ar/product/perforaciones/
I am doing good, yeah glad I have a system down.
Oh cool, I would need to look into that technology some more but it would be promising.
With this climate change the plants have suffered a lot, here there are fruit seasons that have CHANGED. Good Ideas for Maintaining Your Seedbed
Thanks, doing everything I can to beat the heat.
Those 330 gallon totes worked great for me.. I just bought more hose so I didn't have to move them...
!Pimp
Nice, yeah I am planning on getting a bunch of those.
It's a great initiative too.😊
thanks much
Welcome 😊
Good luck capturing rain hehehe but it is nice if you have plenty of rain during all summer!
Hah yeah my workshop has a huge roof on it so I hope to capture longs of rain eventually.
Hello @solominer
The great work you do to carry water to water your plants is admirable, it is evident that you really like plants because of the great effort you make to make them look good
Ah well I am doing everything I can to help out the plants.
It's really hard to move water from one side to the other. Can you transport water by opening a water channel? We generally water the plants and vegetables in our garden early in the morning or at night when the sun is not effective. It is said that watering during the hours when the sun is effective harms the plant.
Luckily these machines make it a little easier to move it.
Yeah long term I am going to be running PVC piping in the ground to run water out to garden area.
We tend to water the plants first thing in the morning.
Very extraordinary activity. I also work in the agricultural sector, of course plants. Good afternoon for today and good luck.
Nice, well its been quite the adventure..
thanks
OK, you're welcome. Have a nice day
Keep it up. You are doing well. I like your watering method. You are aware to not waste water.
Ah thank you.. glad you liked how I do this method of watering.
so much effort :D
look into some permaculture
maybe gathering water in the earth :)
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 18/58) Liquid rewards.
Oh cool. technically I already do that as I am getting this water from a well.
the aim in permaculture is to have the earth itself collect and save water
not just ground water below
the healthy earth, worms, plants, tree, roots, mychorriza itself
then you do not need a well, cuz the plants themselves are the well pumping water around and even filtering it
!discovery 30
This post was shared and voted inside the discord by the curators team of discovery-it
Join our Community and follow our Curation Trail
Discovery-it is also a Witness, vote for us here
Delegate to us for passive income. Check our 80% fee-back Program