Preferred Irrigation Supplier?
- Thread starter ohiobruce
- Start date
Charlie Dodgson
Well-known member
@ohiobruce
I use DiG Maverick 12 Outlet Manifold Kits in a large outdoor table system. They are available online from many suppliers for about $12. For my purpose with pots, I do not use the included emitters but instead use black spot-spitter spray stakes available from SiteOne Landscape Supply.
I use DiG Maverick 12 Outlet Manifold Kits in a large outdoor table system. They are available online from many suppliers for about $12. For my purpose with pots, I do not use the included emitters but instead use black spot-spitter spray stakes available from SiteOne Landscape Supply.
ohiobruce
Well-known member
@Charlie Dodgson Thanks for the info and pics. I have a lot to learn about this.
I've had good experiences with Drip Depot but I don't know how their prices compare.
TorontoJoe
Administrator
@ohiobruce
In the US
www.dripdepot.ca
In Canada
irrigationdirect.ca
I mention the latter because, as many of the items come from Europe, you may get a better deal with USD and having it shipped from Canada. Much of the best gear is made in Europe. All the emitters I get from Irrigation Direct are Italian made and have been very reliable. I leave my entire system (except for the timer) outside all winter here and this spring I only had to replace 4 emitters. It was pennies.
Both suppliers are known for excellent customer support and pre-sales help with design
I'm very impressed with iDrop Pressure Compensating emitters reliability and accuracy. Been using them for years.
Regardless, the most important factor I feel is that you go with a pro irrigation supplier. My experience has been that the big box stores charge a crap-ton more for way inferior components.
In the US
www.dripdepot.ca
In Canada
irrigationdirect.ca
I mention the latter because, as many of the items come from Europe, you may get a better deal with USD and having it shipped from Canada. Much of the best gear is made in Europe. All the emitters I get from Irrigation Direct are Italian made and have been very reliable. I leave my entire system (except for the timer) outside all winter here and this spring I only had to replace 4 emitters. It was pennies.
Both suppliers are known for excellent customer support and pre-sales help with design
I'm very impressed with iDrop Pressure Compensating emitters reliability and accuracy. Been using them for years.
Regardless, the most important factor I feel is that you go with a pro irrigation supplier. My experience has been that the big box stores charge a crap-ton more for way inferior components.
TorontoJoe
Administrator
I'm hoping one of our members will post a video of an installation. Setup is not difficult but can be made much easier with some visual advice.
TIPS
Get extra of "everything". Individually, components are cheap... but shipping sucks. Get extra parts now so you don't have to make small orders.
Get valves! Lots of valves! for every size of tubing you use. You will likely want to shut off irrigation to some part of your garden and not others. For instance, I cut off water on my alliums long before tomatoes are close to ready
Get the good cutters and hold punches. For a few extra bucks, you'll save yourself much time and frustration. Irrigation tubing is weird in differing weather.
Get micro-sprayers... in every pattern. 360, 180, 90, 45.... get them all. They're cheap and great for things like herb beds.
If you propagate, get some of the smallest, lowest flowing emitters you can find. Again for when you're away this is a good way to keep small pots alive
Get a fertilizer injector.... You've gone this far. Make feeding, lazy!
Protect your timer from the sun. Mine has been working great for years, I think in part because I haven't toasted it
Get a lot of goof plugs. You're going to need them!
ASK HERE FOR ADVICE! I didn't when I set up my system. I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation had I just came here and asked questions about how to do this and that.
Finally, get ready to open up your schedule! This is by far the biggest time-saver in my garden. When I first got mine dialed in, for weeks I felt lazy. It frees up so much time.
Hope this helps
TIPS
Get extra of "everything". Individually, components are cheap... but shipping sucks. Get extra parts now so you don't have to make small orders.
Get valves! Lots of valves! for every size of tubing you use. You will likely want to shut off irrigation to some part of your garden and not others. For instance, I cut off water on my alliums long before tomatoes are close to ready
Get the good cutters and hold punches. For a few extra bucks, you'll save yourself much time and frustration. Irrigation tubing is weird in differing weather.
Get micro-sprayers... in every pattern. 360, 180, 90, 45.... get them all. They're cheap and great for things like herb beds.
If you propagate, get some of the smallest, lowest flowing emitters you can find. Again for when you're away this is a good way to keep small pots alive
Get a fertilizer injector.... You've gone this far. Make feeding, lazy!
Protect your timer from the sun. Mine has been working great for years, I think in part because I haven't toasted it
Get a lot of goof plugs. You're going to need them!
ASK HERE FOR ADVICE! I didn't when I set up my system. I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation had I just came here and asked questions about how to do this and that.
Finally, get ready to open up your schedule! This is by far the biggest time-saver in my garden. When I first got mine dialed in, for weeks I felt lazy. It frees up so much time.
Hope this helps
Botta_Bing
New member
Drip depot, plus they have tons of “how to” videos. Put in 1 system hooked to the house and another using gravity fed much further away.
ohiobruce
Well-known member
It sure does. Thanks for all of the advice. I'm going to start out by drawing a map of my garden with measurements. Then buy way more than I need.I'm hoping one of our members will post a video of an installation. Setup is not difficult but can be made much easier with some visual advice.
TIPS
Hope this helps
Earlier this week I visited a grower friend to give him some scions and show him how to graft pawpaw trees. While there, he showed me his irrigation system. He has a manifold with valves going to different areas in his garden and then splitters and valves in each separate area. He also has a fertilizer system too. That looks to be way better than spending an hour holding a garden hose every few days like I do now.
Kompakfigs
Well-known member
I’m so close to getting a 2 zone container gardening kit from drip depot and the kits can be modified. Definitely sketching a layout and re-arranging the pots helped with the decision making.
Charlie Dodgson
Well-known member
The spot-spitters and manifolds I purchase are manufactured in Vietnam for two companies based in California. Likewise, the tree pots sold by Stuewe & Sons in Oregon are manufactured in Vietnam.
MyFigStix
Well-known member
I am using RainBird I get from Lowe’s and like their fittings and tubing. But I feel the Drip Depot drip tubing has better spacing and better emitters. But both are all over my figs containers and raised beds. And since you asked @TorontoJoe, I just posted a video of my set up for fig containers. So here is my shameless plug but, you did kind of ask for it!!I'm hoping one of our members will post a video of an installation. Setup is not difficult but can be made much easier with some visual advice.
TIPS
Get extra of "everything". Individually, components are cheap... but shipping sucks. Get extra parts now so you don't have to make small orders.
Get valves! Lots of valves! for every size of tubing you use. You will likely want to shut off irrigation to some part of your garden and not others. For instance, I cut off water on my alliums long before tomatoes are close to ready
Get the good cutters and hold punches. For a few extra bucks, you'll save yourself much time and frustration. Irrigation tubing is weird in differing weather.
Get micro-sprayers... in every pattern. 360, 180, 90, 45.... get them all. They're cheap and great for things like herb beds.
If you propagate, get some of the smallest, lowest flowing emitters you can find. Again for when you're away this is a good way to keep small pots alive
Get a fertilizer injector.... You've gone this far. Make feeding, lazy!
Protect your timer from the sun. Mine has been working great for years, I think in part because I haven't toasted it
Get a lot of goof plugs. You're going to need them!
ASK HERE FOR ADVICE! I didn't when I set up my system. I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation had I just came here and asked questions about how to do this and that.
Finally, get ready to open up your schedule! This is by far the biggest time-saver in my garden. When I first got mine dialed in, for weeks I felt lazy. It frees up so much time.
Hope this helps
I Refused To Make 30 Drip Connections… So I Tried This Instead
TorontoJoe
Administrator
I was thinking of companies like Irritec or Gardena… but definitely, there are options
Charlie Dodgson
Well-known member
But where are their products manufactured?
TorontoJoe
Administrator
Irritec manufactures in the Zona Industriale Zappulla in Messina, Sicily. They have four manufacturing facilities there in close proximity. I briefly visited one of them a few years back. It's a good strategic location for them right near the ports of Termini Imerese.
Gardena's primary manufacturing is in Laichingen and Ulm, Germany with additional manufacturing in the Czech Republic. They're a division of Husqvarna, Sweden
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TorontoJoe
Administrator
If you send them the drawing of your system, they will do just that.
snarfing
Well-known member
Who is them
TorontoJoe
Administrator
@snarfing
In my case it was Irrigation Direct. Drip Depot and I assume Dripworks do the same thing.
You send a hand drawn sketch of your property with approximate number of plants and their location and relevant dimensions. They send you back something like this
Along with a parts list sort of like this.
This list and diagram don't match but you get the idea. They will include all the valves, timer, tubing, bublers, sprayers, emitters, barb fittings (elbows, t's, straight couple), mainline fittings, landscape staples,tools, pressure reducers, filters... etc, etc. And they don't charge for doing it. At least I think they still don't they didn't for me when I originally set up mine
In my case it was Irrigation Direct. Drip Depot and I assume Dripworks do the same thing.
You send a hand drawn sketch of your property with approximate number of plants and their location and relevant dimensions. They send you back something like this
Along with a parts list sort of like this.
This list and diagram don't match but you get the idea. They will include all the valves, timer, tubing, bublers, sprayers, emitters, barb fittings (elbows, t's, straight couple), mainline fittings, landscape staples,tools, pressure reducers, filters... etc, etc. And they don't charge for doing it. At least I think they still don't they didn't for me when I originally set up mine
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