I hope you all enjoyed seeing the trips I've been on recently, now there are still some things to catch up on, but they're all back at my (seemingly very small) grow room.:peeking:
First up, I put together a new set of irrigation manifolds for the flowering and mother spaces, and took a few photos to help me share a brief DIY with you all here on The Farm. Even though I already had functional manifolds for the flowering and veg'ing areas, I thought it was time for a revised system that used less PVC pipe length and therefore required less muscle from my pumps to pressurize the manifold fully. The result, I'm very proud (and probably a bit lucky) to say, is a very functional, completely automated system that requires nothing more than refilling the tank when it gets empty, which is about every 6 days. . . allowing me to take the perfect length Thanksgiving holiday, without even hiring a plant sitter!
Let's begin with the material required for this style manifold. Needless to say there are many other options for functional materials and designs, I will just be highlighting one here that I learned to build from a very generous member of The Farm (leadsled) who used to have a DIY thread on it (lost with time).
-PVC piping, I used 1/2" pipe this time around, which just happen to also be the diameter of my pump output ;)
-You will also want to consider any bends or turns in your design, make sure you have any needed 90° or 'T' pieces, along with getting an end cap(s) for where needed.
-In addition to these necessities, I chose to use a couple threaded connectors throughout my manifolds at certain points (like the connection to the pump) incase I ever want to swap out parts of the manifold in the future and I also incorporated a flexible 18" PVC connector to add some mobility to my manifold/pump for when I need to empty the reservoirs for cleaning.
-And don't forget the PVC primer + glue!
The next two supplies/tools can really jack up the project budget if you don't already have them on hand, but that's what neighbors are for, right?
-You will need a power drill with a 9.5mm (3/8") drill bit and a PVC cutter
And these last crucial supplies can likely be found at your local hydro store, if not readily available at the hardware store you have already ventured to for the PVC.
-1/4" drip tubing
-
Botanicare Top Hat rubber gromets (9.5mm outside diameter)
-Button drip emitters (I chose 1/2 GPH Pressure Compensating emitters) and dripper stakes
-Now all you need is a pump (preferably with some kind of intake filter) and a reservoir of your choosing. I went with 500GPM Magdrive pumps and 20 gallon reservoirs.
Putting the system together is as simple as playing with K'nex or even legos, just bridge the distance from your pump in the reservoir and the location of your growing plants.
Let's build one! (remember to put everything together loosely without glue until it has been cut and drilled in the perfect spots)
^Already got the water path up and out of the reservoir
^And with the use of the flexible 18" piece and a 90° piece I ran the PVC water path all the way to the other end of my growing tray! (Don't forget to cap it)
Got the 3/8" holes drilled in proximity to my plant pots, where I want them.
^and shoved those rubber top hat grommets into their new home.
Which should allow the 1/4" drip tubing to fit snuggly in afterward, creating a water tight seal without any glue. Now cut the tubing to the appropriate length to reach each plant.
Pop the button emitter on the other end and use the stake to secure it above your media, near but not touching the base of your plant. Now just glue the PVC together and you should be ready to run!
Wasn't that easy?! :D
To be continued . . .