Watering System for Patio Orchids

[D&S Mabel]

I am not sure exactly where to post this but since, even after an number of years of trying to grow orchids, I still consider myself a newbie, I'll try here.

Below are pictures from a couple different angles of my back patio. We have been doing OK with our orchids but I have been thinking lately of adding some type of overhead irrigation system so that I don't have to unwind, drag around and then rewind a hose each time I want to water the plants. I would really like to just turn a lever to address this chore which would leave me more time to putter with the plants themselves.

We have 30 - 40 vandas and a mixed bag from there with cat types, dens, oncs, you probably name it for a total of about 240 plants.

I am thinking that I need to run the system along where the roof eaves meet the porch support posts and the watering coverage area needs to be about 4' -5' wide by the length of the eaves (two runs of about 25' - 30' each) - we have plants hanging and kept underneath the length of this run.

I've started looking at micro-sprinkler heads and systems because of how narrow the watering area is but I am just not sure where to go with this. I don't want to sink money into it and find that it just doesn't work (in that it does not water the area I need or is uneven, etc).

I would appreciate any info / feedback / examples / thoughts / web info on the subject. If you've done the same, pictures would be a real plus.

Thanks all!!!

[Ross]

Only thought I have is where do you put all the snow? And what do you do with the giant icles?

[William]

A good one Ross. Are we lucky to live in Florida or what???? I'm in that same dilemma at my house. I'm into building a pergola type of orchid house, running some irrigation to it. A friend of mine has a battery operated system and it works quite nicely. It's kind of a hose with misters. Living up north must be tough for growing unless you have a greenhouse. Orchid fanatics find a way though.

[D&S Mabel]

There isn't any snow... this is the dry season. What little snow we do get shoveled into the pool so we don't have to add water in the spring. What icicles we have are quickly snapped up and used as drink swizzles for the frozen orange juice we get from that tree in the background.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by D&S Mabel

There isn't any snow... this is the dry season. What little snow we do get shoveled into the pool so we don't have to add water in the spring. What icicles we have are quickly snapped up and used as drink swizzles for the frozen orange juice we get from that tree in the background.

Fantastic response. Love it when someone rises to the bait (so to speak) and you've done well at that. Now, I feel urged to point out that the icles will yield more water in the pool then the snow. The snow could produce some great shlushies though. So you might want to rethink your strategies.

[epiphyte78]

Read your thread and was encouraged to try doing something with all misting system components that I purchased from Home Depot nearly a month ago.

Unfortunately, I was foiled at the second step. The first thing I did was to use some cutters to cut a 8' section of 1/2" poly tubing. Then I tried putting on the end cap and after around 2 hours of trying it dawned on me that it wasn't going to fit. Neither did the 3/4" swivel adapter (connects the 1/2" poly tubing to the hose or faucet). So I called the manufacturer of the end cap and they asked if I was using their tubing. Turned out I purchased some other company's 1/2" poly tubing. So I took the section I cut to home depot and sure enough, their 1/2" poly tubing had a smaller diameter than the other company's 1/2" poly tubing.

I purchased the smaller 1/2" poly tubing. It wasn't that expensive... 100' of tubing for less than $10. Here's a list of all the components that I have...

3/4" Swivel adapter (connects the 1/2" poly tubing to the hose or faucet)
Ratcheting PVC cutter (to cut the tubing)
100' 1/2" poly tubing
1/2" Tee (Connections sections of 1/2" poly tubing)
1/2" Elbow (Connections sections of 1/2" poly tubing)
100' 1/4" vinyl micro tubing
Hole punch (punches holes into 1/2" poly tubing to insert 1/4" tee)
1/4" Tee (Connects sections of 1/4" vinyl tubing or connects 1/4" vinyl tubing to 1/2" poly tubing)
Adjustable spray jet on 10/32" thread (coverage up to 10' diameter)
Fogger mister (very fine mist at 360 degrees... coverage 3' - 5' diameter)
Jet sprayer on 10/32" thread (coverage up to 10' to 12' diameter)
.8 GPH Fogger on barb
1/2" End cap

Hopefully that's all the necessary components. All in all it came out to under $100... if I remember correctly. I probably don't need all those various types of foggers, misters and sprayers but I wanted to test out their coverage.

In the next couple of days I'll try to set it up for my orchid tree and I'll try to take some pictures to upload.

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[William]

That sounds like you have the project well in hand. I would be interested in knowing the kind of heads you have and where you puchased them. Since I'm thinking of putting my pergola a distance from the house I think I'll be using 1/2" pvc to the spot and then do tubing from there. I'm planning on an electric timer going to a solenoid valve for on/off, that way I can have it go on two or more times a day.

[D&S Mabel]

One of the things I've been struggling with in trying to think this through is will a mister type head have enough output to sufficiently water, say, a cattleya 7' - 8' below the head? Not all the plants I want to water are hanging.

If not, will I need to use a more "normal" sprinkler nozzle like one that is designed to water a strip area (long and narrow)? I just don't know! Thoughts?

[William]

Perhaps someone has some sprayer/mister info out there. I was thinking that since I now water with a hose sprayer set to fine spray, I think a lawn type sprinkler head would work the same. The heads also come in different styles for coverage and different GPH output. I woder also how that Mist King I see on the OB would work...... I think it may be more for inside though.

[Ray]

Have you considered drip tubes, as opposed to sprayers?

You still run your "header" tube overhead, but instead of ordinary polyethylene or vinyl, its a polymer with a bit of a "memory", so when you poke a hole in it and stick the small drip tube in it, the polymer collapses around it to keep it sealed with no extra fittings. You then just drop the end of the drip tube into the pot (they often have lead weights to hold them in place).

Go to dripirrigation.com, and you'll get plenty of ideas.

I use overhead spraying in my greenhouse, and I can tell you that it is very thorough, but you have to water early so the plants dry by nightfall, or you'd be setting yourself up for crown rot issues.