Greenhouse watering advice, please

[VickiC]

Hi everyone,
I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong forum. If so, someone please advise me.

The few years that I have had my greenhouse, I have watered using distilled water gallon jugs (We use the distilled water for my husband's cpap). They stay lined up empty on the floor in front of each bench all of the time until watering day rolls around. When it does, I fill each with water and if that particular week my orchids are to be fertilized, I simply measure and add the fertilizer to each jug, otherwise water with plain water-one week each month, by the way.

I know many of you use an RO system, which I think is very good, but I'm not ready to choose that route quite yet....maybe someday. I only want to step up about one step from the jugs at this time.

My thoughts are using two large 35 or 50 gallon jugs with fertilizer mixed in one, plain water in the other with one spigot on each. If this is feasible and has been a successful watering tool, I seriously doubt that I am the first one who thought of this.

My question is: do any of you water in this way, and if so, I would appreciate your advice....pros and cons, please. I would appreciate other thoughts and/or advice, as well.
Vicki

[Ray]

Hi Vicki.

There is nothing wrong with upgrading from milk jugs to drums, but are you thinking of using them to fill a container for watering, or watering from them directly? If it's the latter, you'll need a pump, as gravity won't really push the water though the hose sufficiently unless you really elevate the drums.

[Discus]

The milk jug route sounds quite labour intensive!
Pressure sprayers make a nice intermediate between using jugs and creating a full on watering system.

I'd be tempted to use a 1000l Intermediate bulk container and then a pressure pump along with a hose with a demand valve and "wand" attached to it. A useful addition to such a system is a "proportioner" to which you attach a suitable concentration of fertiliser. Ray has a good article on those Proportioners

If you don't want to use a pump, you'll have to site the container up quite high to get adequate "head" as Ray suggests.

The large tank (even if it's not an IBC) then becomes something it's fairly easy to upgrade with an RO unit when you're ready for that. Float valves are very useful accessories to keep your tank "topped up".

[VickiC]

Thank you for the info, Ray.

In answer to your question, I would like to fill a container for watering rather than water directly.

Thanks again,
Vicki

Originally Posted by Ray

Hi Vicki.

There is nothing wrong with upgrading from milk jugs to drums, but are you thinking of using them to fill a container for watering, or watering from them directly? If it's the latter, you'll need a pump, as gravity won't really push the water though the hose sufficiently unless you really elevate the drums.

---------- Post added at 08:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 PM ----------

Thanks to you and Ray for the info. The two of you have given me good food for thought.
I appreciate your help,
Vicki

Originally Posted by Discus

The milk jug route sounds quite labour intensive!
Pressure sprayers make a nice intermediate between using jugs and creating a full on watering system.

I'd be tempted to use a 1000l Intermediate bulk container and then a pressure pump along with a hose with a demand valve and "wand" attached to it. A useful addition to such a system is a "proportioner" to which you attach a suitable concentration of fertiliser. Ray has a good article on those Proportioners

If you don't want to use a pump, you'll have to site the container up quite high to get adequate "head" as Ray suggests.

The large tank (even if it's not an IBC) then becomes something it's fairly easy to upgrade with an RO unit when you're ready for that. Float valves are very useful accessories to keep your tank "topped up".