Don't Make This Expensive Mistake On Your Raised Beds!

Don't make this mistake with your raised bed garden! I tried to save money and time but I ended up wasting more time and money. I added a drip irrigation system but it turned out to be trash. Now I have to redo everything but I'm doing it the way I should have to begin with. I'm running a faucet to every raised bed in our garden so we have complete control over the entire drip irrigation system.

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As we journey from home to homestead, I'll teach you how to become self-reliant. When the systems we rely on fail, know that you'll have the skills to provide for your family. Oh, and we'll have fun doing it! 👊

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Be sure to watch: "DIY Storage Solution With A Secret (You Won't Believe How It Works!)"
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[kendavis]

For suburbanites like me, the raised bed gardens are for two things. First, because every couple of years I get a decent home-grown tomato or three. The other is, it gives me something to go out and do to keep myself busy.
Also, they still make both the primer AND the glue for PVC in clear, in case you want to eliminate the technicolor effect.

[JohnAmerisun]

A little tip, PVC will experience degradation from UV light exposure, so it's advised to paint it with an outdoor grade paint to help it from breaking down quicker! Looks good!

[ICUDOG]

Don't forget to use a 3ft piece of rebar next to the pipe to strap it to, for a brace! Good job 👍

[WickedGT]

Hey Brother, love the channel. You've done some good work. However, I will point out. SCH-20 PVC like you have installed works fine for a limited amount of years. Eventually it will crush if your not careful about what you put on top of it. If by chance you do need to replace them due to cracking or whatever, I recomend SCH-40 for any in ground "dirt" type work with PVC pipe. SCH20 works great inside the home without any chance of crushing. But the 20 will even get crushed by your riding mower eventually.

Only reason I know this is by being a septic and plumber for many years. SCh-20 doesnt last in the dirt...It will be fine for a while. Just be aware it has limits.

[williamevans]

Disposable gloves are a must when using pipe glue.

[LaRa-youknowit]

I love that you show stuff when it goes wrong, we need to learn from your experience, thank you.

[lastchanceshinythings]

I use drip hoses rather than drip lines. Lines clog fast.

[voiceofraisin]

A couple of additional helps. Install a charcoal for the chlorine and a sediment filter to keep the drippers from getting clogged. Also, apply your pvc adhesive while the primer is still wet.

[timothymbess]

Some PVC expert will probably yell at me for this, but you can cut your gluing time in half by using the all-in-one primer/glue combo stuff. It's not advised for high pressure or residential application, but you're just making a low pressure garden bed. Also, if your pressure is low enough you can even just friction fit some of your pieces so they can be removed later. I have a bunch of friction fit pipes in my garden so the next spring I can remove them, till up the soil, replant new veggies, and then reinstall the pipes again.

[jimthompson]

Young man, you so impressed me when you admitted your little boo boo about the drip system....but when I saw how you were putting the Teflon tape on your threaded fitting...well, now I know why you are called HAXMAN!! (Had to have a plumber show me that trick after I wasted a roll of tape when it got away from me!) I'm surprised your mini Haxers weren't out bending shovels with you...kinda. Great information though!! Looking forward to seeing more of your "adventures" soon! Take care, be safe and God bless!

[NoctilucentArts]

I've been using the Digg brand of irrigation components, for about 6 years now. Love it! Super versatile with cool, cheap range of micro sprayers and valves and drip lines, etc. They even have misters for summertime. You can cover a patio with misters for like $5. With Digg - you could have snapped on some little valves that cost about 20-cents each and controlled the flow of those drippers more accurately. After every winter I expect to see a lot of broken pieces that froze and cracked or that I stepped on under snow - usually only have to replace one or 2 sprayers, and they cost like $2 each and take seconds to snap out and snap in.

[lesliehuegerich]

I have used this system for years and love it. But I used cutoff switches to cut off each bed when it does not need it. These switches are essential

[katrynlord]

For years I was sawing my PVC and then I found that same tool... Love it! Wish I'd have found it a long time ago.

[thomasmitchell]

I did a whole drip system for a retirement facility, a year later other gardeners tore it up and went back to hand watering. I learned my lesson can't tell stupid what to do.if your not supervising it for get it.

[GardenKatt]

Yep same here my first year. I waisted a lot, A LOT of money trying all the different ways to water the garden. I feel your pain.

[veganconservative]

I love people with a sense of humor. (Helps to keep the screaming levels down.)

Best purchase of my life? A no-seem-um head net together with a short-brim hat. Make sure you get one with plenty of length. In fact, get at least two because Murphy's Law is a thing.

[devdeque]

Don't be too hard on yourself. Projects are an everlasting learning experience. What you did then was apt for the time. You you did now is apt for the time. And the odds are if your future-self warned your past-self, the same would have happened. For those DIYers out there who don't have an indispensable budget. It's an unavoidable part of life.

[heyitsjel]

I've personally had a great experience with Netafim Techline AS drip line (1/2" or 13mm). It's pressure compensating - each drip hole delivers 3L/hr (0.8 gal/hr) in my configuration, and the holes are about a foot apart... if you need more water, you either run additional drip line in a given bed; run a specific zone for a longer period of time; or purchase it in different configurations (drip hole spacings). Pretty straight forward to install - run your main header pipes (PVC or pressure/ag poly), then at one end of the bed you reduce down to a smaller low density poly pipe (eg. 3/4" or 19mm), and use punch fittings to connect the 1/2" Techline to the low density poly pipe.

My system has been running pretty much flawlessly for a few years now; I've only had one small leak where a fencing contractor literally hit the drip line with a shovel (small tear in the 1/2" drip line), and one punch connector started hissing/leaking at a higher rate.

Keep up the great work! :)

[peterrayden]

I had the same idea to run 1inch pipe to all my beds... but then I thought the kids might get wet while they sleep... 😄

This is a great idea and seems real easy to do, but for me in winter time the pipes would freeze, so I'd have to think of a way to completely flush the pipe in winter.

[incaudavenenm]

Thank you Adam! I was getting ready to install drip irrigation. Now i get to modify my plans before learn your lesson