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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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El gusto es mio... A sand media filter is a must to remove any human hair and other bio matter/ soap scum/ etc. before going into any irrigation
products or to your trees. A bio friendly soap and detergent should also be considered... See Melaleuca.com for some possible products in the personal
care and home care cleaning lines they offer.
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
Member Is Offline
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RANCHO LA AGUJA - DRIPPING
After 6 years, our (drip) garden is thriving - only things that WON'T grow are herbs (go figure) and eggplant (?). Soil is sandy with little organic
content, so we plant and turn in alfalfa patches.
Broccoli did poorly (big plants, small heads) until I followed some web advice and put 20 Mule Team borax in the soil. Turns out brocoli needs boron .
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
Member Is Offline
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LA AGUJA - GARDEN SHOT
. . .and the alfalfa . . has really made a difference in veggie quality.
Wish someone could show us how to grow lavender!
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
Member Is Offline
Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Be careful with Boron - it is essential for plants but mostly at very low levels (< 1 ppm) It can be highly toxic to young plants at even 1 ppm and
is used as a general herbicide at higher concentrations. Once you overdose with boron it will take a lot of leaching to get it back to safe levels for
new planting.
One thing that can help drip systems is to pack crushed volcanic rock underneath your planting area before seeding. It really does help to retain
moisture and you may find that your watering frequency/quantity will decrease. It also will contribute a small amount of boron that meets the needs of
most boron sensitive plants.
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
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Thanks BajaGringo - we move each garden (7 rows of veggies) every time we plant to keep the bugs confused - takes about three years to come back to
the same place - but will be extra cautious about boron.
The Magdalena/La Paz llanos are ex-sea bed and not too much volcanic stuff around, but perhaps I could steal a sackful next time I am up between
Constitucion and Loreto - they seem to have mountainsides full of surplus volcanic rock!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Rob, is it emitterline or drip tape you are using for row watering? Was it picked because of availability or cost?
Before emitterline (which will last for many years), I used Reed/ Hardie Bi-Wall 19 mil drip tape for gardens and ground cover. Worked well, but it is
still thinner than poly hose emitterline and had to run in straight lines (not always the case in landscape use, but fine for crops).
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
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Mood: Sling time!
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DK - a Q for you:
i have only one zone and hence one elec valve controlled by my clock timer control box. starting 2 days ago it is showing "short" instead of time and
day on the dig read out.
the watering is NOT happening. it has never done this.
what would you do 1st to trouble shoot??
all the visible wires look good, and the valve appears ok. the run from the controller to the valve box in direct burial not in conduit. and crosses
30 ft of driveway too....dang!!
what say you?? get a multi meter and start checking continuity? man i hate yard problems...
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
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Mood: mellow
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Mike,
does your timer have batteries? That was the problem with mine when it acted that way.
Here in Loreto watering systems don't last long, they get plugged up by the hard water in short order.
[Edited on 6-16-2009 by vandenberg]
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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David, the drip system you did in my front yard is still going strong. All of my plants are growing and blooming! You need to stop by to see how it
looks.
It might be time for me to clean out the filter but I don't remember how you told me to do that.
Bob H
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by capt. mike
DK - a Q for you:
i have only one zone and hence one elec valve controlled by my clock timer control box. starting 2 days ago it is showing "short" instead of time and
day on the dig read out.
the watering is NOT happening. it has never done this.
what would you do 1st to trouble shoot??
all the visible wires look good, and the valve appears ok. the run from the controller to the valve box in direct burial not in conduit. and crosses
30 ft of driveway too....dang!!
what say you?? get a multi meter and start checking continuity? man i hate yard problems... |
Capt.Mike sent me this question in a u2u, which I read and answered first, before reading the forums...
Just for any others who are wondering what to do:
A 'short' readout or blown fuse can be caused by a defective valve solenoid... very easy to replace (with the water main shut off)...
To make sure it is the solenoid and not a cut wire, disconnect one (or both) wires at the valve and reset the controller and do a manual run of that
valve... if the controller doesn't go into the 'short' mode, odds are it is a defective solenoid.
If it still goes into 'short' mode with the solenod disconnected, then it is possible a shovel has cut into the cable... examin any place there has
been any gardening or digging and fix the cut wires.
If there was no damage to the cable of wires, disconnect the wires from the controller and reset/ manual run one more time... If it still reads
'short', that controller has a problem.
Don't buy cheap stuff at the giant home improvement stores... Go to an irrigation supply and get a quality product that will keep your expensive
plants and lawn alive!
Standard controller, I suggest a 'Rain Dial' or 'Total Control' (from Irritrol Systems)
Smart Controller (with a weather monitor option), I suggest the Smartline (from Weathermatic)
Battery powered controller (must be used with battery controller operated solenoid valves), I suggest the DIG 500 series... which is being phased out
for the new 700 series, I hear.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob H
David, the drip system you did in my front yard is still going strong. All of my plants are growing and blooming! You need to stop by to see how it
looks.
It might be time for me to clean out the filter but I don't remember how you told me to do that.
Bob H |
Good to hear Bob... You have a Netafim Techline CV system with filtered inlet, self cleaning, pressure compensating, check valve emitters every 12
inches that each flow 0.63 GPH at 5-50 PSI or about 1 gallon per minute per 100 feet.
100 feet of drip emitterline uses about the same flow per minute as just one 10' spray head... and all of the water goes into the soil where the
plants roots are. A spray head put all the water into the air first, as a mist... where a third or more is lost to wind or run off as most soil cannot
absorb water at such a fast rate.
The filter comes apart by unscrewing the body, like opening a jar... Inside is a tube shaped filter screen... remove it and take it to your garden
hose to spray of any debris it has collected. Once a year inspection on city water should be enough... unless you are aware of any water main breaks
that will contaminate the water.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
Mike,
does your timer have batteries? That was the problem with mine when it acted that way.
Here in Loreto watering systems don't last long, they get plugged up by the hard water in short order.
[Edited on 6-16-2009 by vandenberg] |
I wish Mike would say what brand controller... he mentioned "dig readout" (DIG is a battery controller brand)...
but then said this: "the run from the controller to the valve box in direct burial not in conduit. and crosses 30 ft of driveway too...."
Battery powered controllers are usually installed on or next to the valves they operate and not any long distance away.
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sling time!
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thx DK and Vandenberg for all input.
i use "dig" as shorthand for digital.
the brand i have...well i am at the office now but i think it is rainbird or something? 6 station controller with a batt backup in case of power
outage but i think the batt is just to keep the clock and programming set - not to run the valve, it is a 9 v. transistor radio batt .
i will trouble shoot this weekend.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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Mike,
another thing to check is the solenoid. That's the gadget on top of the valve that opens the valve. They do go out occasionally. I have one out at
this moment as a matter of fact. Easy to replace, just screw in and connect the wires.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
Mike,
another thing to check is the solenoid. That's the gadget on top of the valve that opens the valve. They do go out occasionally. I have one out at
this moment as a matter of fact. Easy to replace, just screw in and connect the wires. |
10-4, as I said about 3 hours earlier, above..:
"Capt.Mike sent me this question in a u2u, which I read and answered first, before reading the forums...
Just for any others who are wondering what to do:
A 'short' readout or blown fuse can be caused by a defective valve solenoid... very easy to replace (with the water main shut off)...
To make sure it is the solenoid and not a cut wire, disconnect one (or both) wires at the valve and reset the controller and do a manual run of that
valve... if the controller doesn't go into the 'short' mode, odds are it is a defective solenoid."
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Hi DK - we use 8" spaced T-Tape for the actual garden rows (you can see the T-Tape in the alfalfa shot above). We use T-Tape because the gardens move
all the time to confuse the local life.
The valve lines (there are 23 of them, most for garden, others dedicated to mangos, avocados etc) are run out into the field using 1" PVC (you can see
them in the right of the alfalfa picture) and into standpipes, from where we run 1/2" flex tubing and connect the T-Tape into the flex tubes.
The great thing about this setup is that I can irrigate new garden rows by just reprogramming the computer (Hunter, with 32 stations - we cheat by
connecting as many as 4 valves to a station, more than that and the station becomes unreliable, sometimes opening the valves, sometimes not).
[Edited on 6-17-2009 by rob]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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"...(Hunter, with 32 stations - we cheat by connecting as many as 4 valves to a station, more than that and the station becomes unreliable, sometimes
opening the valves, sometimes not)."
Yah, you think!? LOL
Seriously, you can safely operate TWO valves per station.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob H
David, the drip system you did in my front yard is still going strong. All of my plants are growing and blooming! You need to stop by to see how it
looks.
It might be time for me to clean out the filter but I don't remember how you told me to do that.
Bob H |
Good to hear Bob... You have a Netafim Techline CV system with filtered inlet, self cleaning, pressure compensating, check valve emitters every 12
inches that each flow 0.63 GPH at 5-50 PSI or about 1 gallon per minute per 100 feet.
100 feet of drip emitterline uses about the same flow per minute as just one 10' spray head... and all of the water goes into the soil where the
plants roots are. A spray head put all the water into the air first, as a mist... where a third or more is lost to wind or run off as most soil cannot
absorb water at such a fast rate.
The filter comes apart by unscrewing the body, like opening a jar... Inside is a tube shaped filter screen... remove it and take it to your garden
hose to spray of any debris it has collected. Once a year inspection on city water should be enough... unless you are aware of any water main breaks
that will contaminate the water. |
Thanks David, seems simple enough. Do I have to shut the water off to the house before uscrewing the filter body?
Bob H
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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No, the filter is AFTER the sprinkler valve, so check it when that zone is NOT running!
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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gardening
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
No, the filter is AFTER the sprinkler valve, so check it when that zone is NOT running! |
Thanks for all the WORK!!!
Would offer for small garden food and herb production..
Square Foot Gardening.. has a lot of benifits due to small scale, yet one can produce a suprising amount from small areas...
Please find additional information at this link "Square Foot Gardening"
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