water raised beds efficiently

[joan]

Hello. I am a new gardener and I have a big problem. I can't seem to find a way to efficiently water my raised beds. Even with mulch, I still need to water every three days. Hand watering takes *forever*.
I've tried the flat, perforated, dripper hoses and they don't work. They won't lie flat, even with the big yard staples. When they do partially lie flat, I have to go back and forth in the bed with them like a ribbon to get at least three "passes". The watering is still inconsistent. I've also tried broad, lawn sprinklers, but they are too wasteful.
I have nine 18"-deep beds that are 4'X8'. They are in a series near each other. What I'd love to find is a device that I could stick in each bed that will deliver the water like a soft rain shower. It must *completely* water all 32 sg. ft. If I had such a tool, then I could link them bed-to-bed with short garden hoses. Please tell me if you have any suggestions. I'd be so grateful. Sincerely, Joan

 

[beavis]

What I'd love to find is a device that I could stick in each bed that will deliver the water like a soft rain shower. It must *completely* water all 32 sg. ft

I wish such a device was available too, but I don't think it exists.

I have >1000 sq. ft. of raised beds and I rely on drip irrigation to deliver water. I will place a section of flexible 1/2" tubing down the center of the bed and then run emitters from that hose or by add 1/4" flexible hose with emitters connected directly to the 1/2" hose.

Its not ideal, but it is a dependable system.

 

[patandchickens]

I suppose it's too late now, but have you considered not USING raised beds, as that is one of the classic disadvantages of them, that they require significantly more water than ground-level beds?

I have seen thingies like I think you're looking for in garden magazine articles about fancy peoples' gardens... but am under the impression that a) ka-ching and b) they run off basically the same type plumbing as for a drip-emitter system, which you say you don't want. Perhaps there's something else out there, I dunno.

If you don't mind a conspicuous (and not entirely cheap) solution, I suppose you could put some form of traditional sprinkler up ABOVE each bed, so that it sprinkles downwards rather than the usual upwards. Some kinds of sprinklers would be better than others, in terms of your ability to adjust it to fairly-evenly water your 4x8 area. But you'd need to either move it every 20 minutes or whatever, or have one for each bed; and the posts/brackets would probably have to be permanent, and might be considered unsightly. Plus watering from overhead is rather wasteful.

Have you considered the leaky-bucket approach, where you put a leaky bucket (or perforated soda bottle half-buried in the ground, or any of a number of other similar arrangements) next to each plant or every so often down a row, and then just walk along filling them with your hose? It might or might not be faster than whatever type of hand-watering you're doing now, depending on a) what type of hand watering you're doing and b) how many beds are occupied by a small number of larger plants (which can be more efficient to water this way, since you are filling fewer containers)

Basically though raised beds just DO take more watering than if the plants are planted in the ground, and if you are growing things that require watering, then you are just GOING to be spending some time watering if you want to do that kind of gardening. I don't think there's necessarily a magic solution. Maybe learn to do a wee little 4x8-sized rain dance

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[digitS']

Might something like this help, Joan?

I put together 2 a couple of years ago. They work well for a narrow side yard.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

I like Steve's suggestion, That looks like it would be a time saving way to water a small bed. Have you tried the black, round, weeping soaker hoses? I like them, and if you lay them out in the sun to straighten when you first get them, they are much more cooperative. There is also a sprinkler called a NOODLEHEAD that has a completely adjustable spray pattern you can configure to any bed.

And welcome to the forum Joan!

 

[nachoqtpie]

That's really neat Steve! How did you make that?

 

[digitS']

1/2" pvc pipe
1/2" fittings
hacksaw
knife
can solvent
can glue
3 sprinklers

digitS'

 

[nachoqtpie]

neat!! May have to think about investing in a couple of those!

 

[patandchickens]

Very slick, Steve! I bet that would be just the ticket.


Pat

 

[digitS']

I build pvc bases for the garden rainbird sprinklers, also. Inch + pipe is best for them since there's more force with an impulse sprinkler and a danger they will tip over.

I used to figure $14 each for the pvc garden sprinklers but now the brass sprinkler head may cost me that much!

At least, the pipe and plastic fittings are cheap in the 1/2" size. Those little pop-up sprinklers are fairly cheap too.

Steve