watering systems

[wzazdzez]

Anyone have any advice for watering systems for new vineyards?

 

[ibglowin]

Drip.

Put the water only where it needs to be. At the base of each vine.

 

[mwestern]

Our watering system

We have buried 5/8" soaker hose at the base of all our plants and water 2hrs every other day in these 100* days in Missouri and it has worked great for the last 6 yrs. Mike

 

[deboard]

Not sure this would be cost effective for a large vineyard, but I created my own drip system.

I found the absolute cheapest water hose I could find (50 ft for 9 dollars, you might even get it cheaper). This is the kind of hose that kinks up if you look at it sideways. Very frustrating to use regularly, but I only had to deal with it once

I ended up needing 2 of these hoses to get to all the 9 spots I need to water.

I just snaked this around my plants loosely, and then buried it where I would need to mow. I used metal landscape stakes to keep it secure, but now that I'm done I'm not sure that I needed them. It helped to keep things in place while I positioned everything.

Once it was where I wanted it, I took a nail and made a hole in the hose at the base of each plant. Then I capped the end and voila! a drip system. Works great so far. I just have to hook another hose up to it and turn the water on just a bit.

Soaker hose would work as well, but they are generally more expensive and I felt like I would be watering things I didn't want to water as well.

 

[mwestern]

Sounds good

That sounds like a great solution to the problem,I'm a big Ebay watcher and we actually found 300' of 5/8" soaker hose with free shipping for $55 and it did our 5 rows completely just had to get a couple multi splitters and water everything at the same time. What ever works right ?

 

[vinividivici]

Here's what I'm thinking of doing:

Installing a 350 gallon barrel attached to my rain gutter downspout,
then attaching a 1" PVC pipe to it, and
running it underground out to the high point at the end of the four rows.
It will then come up to the top of a 100 gallon barrel that will be on a wooden
support stand. The water will be pumped up to that.

Then, install a 4-way manifold that will have four drip irrigation lines to each of the rows. Each vine (32 total) will have it's own drip. The irrigation will be gravity fed at this point. The pump from the source barrel is just to fill the 100 gallon barrel.

I've priced a kit that includes the 350 barrel, electric pump, and downspout attachment for ~ $1,000.

Might sound crazy, but we are on well water and my concern is with periods of drought. Capturing the rain gutter water will provide the vines with "free" water (pump not running, no electricity and no draining of the well if the hose is accidentally left on).


Bob

 

[mwestern]

Good Idea

Bob, Sounds like a good idea and will definitely save your well water during the drought season only there's not alot of rain to capture during the dry times. I not being a smart alleck just my first thought.;-) I would cover your plant bases with weed blocking cover and mulch them,it really seems to help keep our plants wetter longer. Keep us posted ......... Mike

 

[garymc]

Bob, if I understand, every drop of water that gets to them in this system gets pumped from 350 to 100? This doesn't sound like "free." I'd consider mulch and a timer if you really think you might leave the water on. Another thought would be a second well if you're thinking it would run your well dry.

 

[vinividivici]

Bob, if I understand, every drop of water that gets to them in this system gets pumped from 350 to 100? This doesn't sound like "free." I'd consider mulch and a timer if you really think you might leave the water on. Another thought would be a second well if you're thinking it would run your well dry.

Well, free water not electricity! You'd have to see the layout of the ground and the house location. I don't think it would take much to pump 100 gallons to fill the gravity feed tank. Then I'd still have 250 gallons in the catchment tank as a reserve. I'd only use the system if we didn't have rain for a number of days.

Re another well, we are drilled down to 175 feet on our house well. Couldn't afford another well - my homemade wine bottles would equate to $500 each!

Cheers,

Bob

 

[AUwiner]

I've always had plugging issues with drip systems so I tried something a little different and it turns out a whole lot cheaper. I buried 3/4 in. PVC pipe parallel and about 12in. to one side to my newly planted vines. Near each vine, I installed a tee in the PVC then ran a short piece from the tee to over near the plant. A 90 was then added and about a 12 in upright, then I capped the upright with an irrigation bubbler ($1 each from Lowes). This was repeated at each vine. I plugged one end of the trunk line and installed a garden hose coupling on a short upright on the other end. I just connect my regular garden hose when I want to water. The bubblers are adjustable and most of the water falls in about a 1ft. circle right by the vines. The whole thing was less than $15. All that is exposed are the uprights so its easy to get around everything.

 

[winemaker_3352]

We have buried 5/8" soaker hose at the base of all our plants and water 2hrs every other day in these 100* days in Missouri and it has worked great for the last 6 yrs. Mike

What part of MO are you from? Just curious as I am from the STL area.

 

[mwestern]

Location

We are located 50 miles NW of St.Louis in Foley,Mo..

 

[vinividivici]

Bob, if I understand, every drop of water that gets to them in this system gets pumped from 350 to 100? This doesn't sound like "free." I'd consider mulch and a timer if you really think you might leave the water on. Another thought would be a second well if you're thinking it would run your well dry.

I've backed off on the 350 gallon idea. Will be buying a 50 gallon rain barrel for the gutter downspout and a 125 gallon cistern for the gravity feed.

Still have to research the drip line end of it. I like AUwiner's idea and might go in that direction. Just not sure how fast the water comes out of his bubblers?

 

[TxBrew]

We have buried 5/8" soaker hose at the base of all our plants and water 2hrs every other day in these 100* days in Missouri and it has worked great for the last 6 yrs. Mike

How many inches of rain do you guys get a year?

 

[JohnnyRico]

I too am building a rain/drip system. Last year I never ran out of water and I only have a 60 gallon container.

My plan is to get a few 20 gallon food grade barrels to attach to my 60 gallon tank and run PVC down hill to my rows under ground. The PVC will come out of the ground at the front of each row, and run across the entire line of vines. I will then drill a small hole in the PVC above each trunk.

 

[vinividivici]

Johnny, what diameter PVC pipe are you going to be running?

Will you have a manifold that separates each row pipe?

I'm now changing my mind on all this and will not put a large cistern near the rows. Will use a large rain barrel and small pump right at the gutter downspout. Then attach a 4-spigot manifold with the four pipes running underground to the beginning of each row as you will do.

It would be great to see pictures of your system when you put it in.

Bob

 

[TxBrew]

vinividivici do you have a metal roof?

 

[vinividivici]

vinividivici do you have a metal roof?

No, regular roof shingles.

 

[TxBrew]

I read that using shingle roof collected water was not advised to irrigate because of the chemicals in the roofing that gets leached out.

 

[JohnnyRico]

Johnny, what diameter PVC pipe are you going to be running?

Will you have a manifold that separates each row pipe?

I'm now changing my mind on all this and will not put a large cistern near the rows. Will use a large rain barrel and small pump right at the gutter downspout. Then attach a 4-spigot manifold with the four pipes running underground to the beginning of each row as you will do.

It would be great to see pictures of your system when you put it in.

Bob

Im going with 3/4 pipe, each row will have its own line from one manifold. The trick for me is building a tall platform for which the water barrels will sit on. I want to create a set up where I can either turn open a valve to let water travel into the manifold and to the vines, or release water from a spout so I can fill up water buckets, attach a hose, etc.

Heck, I would build an outdoor shower while Im at it, but it probably wouldnt be as clean or hot as I would like it.