Irrigation
After a very wet winter and early Spring we are hopeful for dry and sunny weather. We are still adjusting to the heat inside the poly tunnel / hoop house, even on a cloudy or slightly sunny day. So thinking ahead, we are needing to plan for even warmer days inside the poly tunnel / hoop house as the summer heads our way. That means keeping some temperature regulation and making sure plants get plenty of water.
The water is from rain water off buildings. This feeds into a large underground tank and then is pumped into an above ground tank, aimed at giving some pressure from the head of water which must be somewhere between about 5m to 10m. This is then pumped about 800m to the poly tunnel / hoop house.
We decided that we needed a buffer supply next to the poly tunnel / hoop house, so we sourced 4 IBS tanks. These hold 1000 litres each (1 tonne); they are cased in galvanised steel to reduce the light that would encourage algae. So we now have 4000 litres (4 tonnes) right in front of the poly tunnel / hoop house. The intent was to de-couple the reliance of water 800m away to ensure some control of the water for the plants’ needs in case on any supply issues. So far this is working well and a small water pump ensures pressure from the IBC tanks at close to mains pressure at the hose.
We have some sprinkler hoses (hoses with multiple holes along their length) and we have some standard hoses, where we generally have to stand watering the plants - enjoyable and mindful but time consuming.
However, we are now considering overhead sprinklers to be more efficient and more effective. Another area being researched is a delay switch that can be triggered for the sprinkler so that it pumps for a set period as well as the option of a pre-scheduled timer. The challenge is compounded when the power supply is 12 volts, not mains. Always great to have a challenge :-).
