Drip watering of cucumbers using plastic bottles. Secrets of making drip irrigation from plastic bottles with your own hands

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If the air in the greenhouse is dry and hot, then in order to organize watering using dug plastic bottles, for each plant from the greenhouse you will need 1 and a half liter.

At moderate humidity and temperature it is advisable to use soil 1 bottle for 2-3 plants.

For irrigation moisture-loving or large greenhouse inhabitants are used 3-5 liter containers.

1 way “neck down”

Use a needle to make a series of small holes in the narrow part of the bottle located at the neck. Quantity vertical rows holes should correspond to the number of plants being irrigated.
Cut off the bottom.
Wrap the bottle in cotton to prevent soil particles from clogging the holes.
Dig a hole 10-15 cm deep between the roots of the plants.
Place a homemade sprinkler with closed lid neck down, with holes facing the root system.
Fill the bottle with soil, fill it to the top with water for irrigation and cover the bottom plastic cover to reduce liquid evaporation.

Don't make big punctures, the diameter of which exceeds the thickness of the needle. Through them, the water will leave the container early, which can cause the plant to suffer from dehydration.

Important. Do not use containers from aggressive liquids(solvents, glass cleaners) and oils. The remains of these substances on the walls of the bottle pollute the soil and have a detrimental effect on plants.

Method 2 “upside down”

It differs from the method described above in that there is no need to cut off the bottom of the container. Holes are being made with a distance from the bottom of 2-3 cm.

In case the water runs out in the bottle ahead of schedule, the liquid remaining at the bottom will be able to compensate for the lack of moisture for some time.

Bury the bottle in the soil up to the neck. Cover the neck, but do not tighten the plug so that the container does not shrink as it is emptied.

Interesting. The use of this method provides longer irrigation period due to the existing “reserve” of liquid at the bottom and a smaller area for moisture evaporation through the neck.

How does the method work?

Irrigation using bottles dug into the ground is based on movement of liquid from a more humid environment to a drier one, that is, along the humidity gradient. Speeding up the process assisted by water gravity.

When the earth is saturated with moisture, the flow of water from the bottle slows down due to the equalization of the gradient.

With this method The likelihood of drying out or over-moistening the soil is minimized.

Benefits of bottle irrigation

Undoubted cheapness thanks to the use of available material in the manufacture of the sprinkler.
Simple and fast application of the design.
Save time. The need to frequently visit the greenhouse to check soil moisture disappears.
Through the bottle it can enter the ground not only water, but also fertilizers dissolved in it. They arrive in doses and directly to the root system, bypassing the overlying soil layers.
Reliability: Now you don’t have to worry about the condition of the plants during a short trip.
Prevention of fungal diseases root system caused by excess soil moisture.
The need disappears loosening and softening the earth.
Water, located in a container dug into the ground, reaches a temperature environment And heated water reaches the roots.

What crops can be irrigated?

The drip irrigation method is suitable for plants that have above-ground shoots and fibrous root system :

cucumbers;
tomatoes;
cabbage;
pepper;
eggplant.

Warning. The method is not suitable for root crops (carrots, beets, turnips). If you are using plastic watering bottles in your greenhouse, hand watering cannot be completely ruled out due to the fact that leaf irrigation procedures play an important role for many plants.

Useful and inexpensive

Many experienced summer residents They use self-made irrigation systems and prefer them to factory ones. Don’t rush to throw away old plastic water bottles, because they often modern methods have more cheap analogues .

Useful video

You can learn in more detail how to organize watering in a greenhouse with plastic bottles in the video.

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In dry weather, gardeners have to pay a lot of attention to watering their plants, which requires a lot of time and a lot of water. These expenses are not always justified.

To reduce them, ordinary plastic bottles are used with great success, which are thrown away in huge quantities by short-sighted people, but their use can greatly make life easier for summer residents. Drip irrigation from bottles is very popular among summer residents. Scheme of drip irrigation from bottles. Any amateur gardener can organize drip irrigation from plastic bottles.

This system has many advantages: it is cheap, practically free, easy to manufacture and operate, and with a certain imagination it can decorate your garden. Another important advantage: with such watering, plants receive moisture directly to the roots, which is especially important for crops such as cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc. Of course, there are also disadvantages: this irrigation system cannot replace full watering, but for maintaining a sufficient amount of moisture while you are busy with other, more important things, it is a good helper.

Several ways to organize drip irrigation with plastic bottles

Several holes are pierced in the walls of a plastic bottle (1.5-2 l) with a needle or nail at a distance of about 3 cm from the bottom; they can be arranged in several rows in a checkerboard pattern. The number of holes is determined experimentally, because For various types soils require different amounts of water. The bottle is buried between the plants, bottom down, to a depth of 10-15 cm and filled with water through the neck as needed. You don’t have to close the lid, but if you want to close it, don’t forget to make a hole in it so that the bottle doesn’t shrink after the water pours out of it. The bottle is prepared in exactly the same way as in the first method, but the holes are pierced closer to the neck, after then cut off the bottom and bury it upside down, not forgetting to screw the lid on. To prevent the water from evaporating, cover the hole with the cut-off bottom; for convenience, you can turn it over. This method is more convenient for filling with water due to the wider inlet. You can not make holes, but tightly close the neck with foam rubber, but this is only suitable for heavy clay soil. In light sandy soil, the water will drain away very quickly. For very moisture-loving plants or with long breaks between waterings, you can use 5- liter bottles. In this case, holes need to be pierced only on one side of the plastic bottle along the entire height. A window is cut out in the opposite wall to pour water in and the bottle is buried horizontally, with the holes down. There are irrigation methods when the bottles are not buried, but suspended above the plant. In this case, holes are pierced in the lid or around the neck. You don’t have to pierce the holes at all, but adjust the amount of water poured out by gradually unscrewing the lid. This type of irrigation is good because the water warms up in the sun, and many plants love warm water, but it is more labor-intensive due to the need to install supports for bottles, and also has its disadvantages: the ground under the plant is washed away or water gets on the leaves, which has a bad effect on some plants, for example, tomatoes. To avoid water getting on the plant, you need to hang the bottles directly above the ground.

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It is important that the holes are small, literally 1-1.5 mm, so that the water does not pour out too quickly. To prevent the holes from becoming clogged with soil, you can stretch old nylon stockings over the bottles or wrap them in cotton cloth. Diagram of a drip irrigation system made from plastic bottles: 1 - racks; 2 - fastening bottles to the crossbar; 4 - plastic bottles without a bottom; 5 - water; 6 - plants.

Ideally, the number of bottles should correspond to the number of plants; the optimal quantity is one bottle for 3-4 bushes of cucumbers or tomatoes or for two heads of cabbage. Of course, the required amount largely depends on how often you come to your site, on the characteristics of the soil, and most importantly, on climatic and weather conditions. These methods can be used not only for garden plants

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, but also for garden and berry bushes, for example, for roses, currants, gooseberries, etc.

Additional bonuses With this method of watering, plants receive more moisture with less water consumption, the number of weeds is reduced, and the need for frequent loosening of the soil disappears. Since the above-ground part of the plants remains dry, the likelihood of rot and fungal diseases is reduced. Such irrigation can be used not only for watering, but also for adding liquid fertilizers to the soil, and most importantly, it allows gardeners who come to their garden only on weekends , do not worry about your plantings on hot summer days. With the onset summer season

Ensuring that plants are properly watered during dry weather is also especially important. Watering with a hose or watering can requires large quantities of water.

And quite a lot of time is spent on this watering. People throw away a huge amount of plastic bottles. And as always there are craftsmen who use regular bottles made of plastic for drip watering of plants.

The use of this method by summer residents makes their life easier in many ways. Any amateur gardener is able to organize drip irrigation on his site with his own hands from plastic bottles. At the same time, using a little imagination, you can also decorate your site. The drip irrigation system has many advantages.

It does not require special skills from a person in its manufacture and further operation. This irrigation system is quite easy to make.

Very cheap, practically free. But the most important advantage, and probably the most important, is that with such watering the moisture goes directly to the roots of the plant itself. For crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants and many others, this is especially important.

This method does not replace full watering. But it allows you to keep the soil moist and allows the gardener to do other, more important things. There are several ways to set up a drip irrigation system.

In the first method, several holes are pierced in a checkerboard pattern in the walls of 1.5 or 2.0 liter bottles at a distance of about 3 cm from the bottom with a small nail or thick needle. How many holes are needed can only be decided by experience.

The soil happens different types. This means that the water consumption will be different. The bottle is buried in the ground, bottom down, between the plants. The depth is chosen somewhere around 10-15 cm.

As needed, water is poured through the neck. Whether or not to cap the bottle is up to you.

If you decide to close it with a cork, be sure to pierce a hole in it and the bottle will not shrink after all the water has poured out of it. In the second option, prepare the bottle in the same way as in the first method. Only the holes need to be pierced not in the bottom area, but closer to the neck.

The bottom must be cut off, but not completely. Leave about 1.0 cm. It will serve as a kind of lid, the water will not evaporate. Bury it with the neck down, after screwing on the lid.

This method is good because the inlet hole is wide and it is more convenient to add water to the bottle. When there are long breaks between waterings or your plant is moisture-loving, you can use bottles larger capacity(5 liters). Holes are pierced only on one side.

A small hole is cut out on the opposite side to fill in water. They are laid (buried) with the holes down, horizontally. Some gardeners prefer not to bury the bottles, but to hang them with the neck down above the plants.

In this case, holes are pierced around the neck or in the cork itself. Bottled water warms up in the sun, which has a beneficial effect on many plants. This method of irrigation during installation is quite labor-intensive. Supports for bottles must be installed.

Water hits the leaves and erodes the soil under the plant. This is unacceptable for some plants (tomato). Late blight will appear. The plant and fruits may die.

Therefore, bottles must be suspended directly above the ground. This is the only way to avoid water getting on the plant. With any of the methods described above, using a small amount of water, the plant receives enough moisture. This irrigation is convenient for summer residents who have the opportunity to come only on weekends. We recommend to your attention two useful videos on how to arrange drip irrigation with your own hands from plastic bottles:

Thanks for the repost, friends:

Watering from plastic bottles

We take a plastic bottle, remove the sticker and rinse it. Next we need to drill two holes with a diameter of 2 millimeters. If this is not possible, then you can take a small nail, heat it over an open fire and make holes in the lid.

In general, the number of holes must be selected experimentally. If the soil is sandy, then two will be enough, if clay, then four. After making holes in the lid of a plastic bottle that is intended for watering.

It is necessary to cut off the bottom, cut off about one third of the bottle. The next step is to place the bottle directly near the root of the tomato. Best time installation is directly during landing.

But don’t despair, it can be installed in a few weeks. We retreat 15-20 cm from the tomato stem. Dig a hole 10-15 cm, but be careful not to damage the roots of the tomato plant. Next, insert the bottle with the lid down at an angle of 30-45° and carefully bury it.

Watering is as follows: we walk along the beds and fill the bottles with water; when watering from plastic bottles, the water will slowly flow directly to the roots of the tomato. You can also feed the plant, saving fertilizer.

Use plastic bottles in your garden! Crafts for the garden

You can also use these bottles to water cucumber, pepper, eggplant, pumpkin and many other plants in your garden. Way watering from plastic bottles suitable for those who cannot visit the garden or dacha every day.

Drip irrigation through plastic bottles

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One of the main problems of those amateur vegetable growers who do not spend the entire summer months constantly growing summer cottage, is to ensure systematic and uniform watering of your garden pets. In watering, an important role is played by the uniform supply of life-giving moisture to the roots of vegetable crops, while this condition difficult to comply with if you irrigate the soil using an ordinary watering can.

The ideal solution in in this case, of course, is a drip irrigation system, but not all summer residents can afford it. Therefore, particularly savvy individuals came up with the idea of producing a real drip irrigation through plastic bottles.This method of irrigation allows for the transportation of water and dissolved in it mineral fertilizers directly to the roots of vegetable, flower and fruit plants.

To organize a “bottle” watering system, you will need to stock up on a significant number of 1.5-liter plastic bottles (but you can also take 2-liter ones). It is advisable to select these containers with narrow and long necks, and they must also be equipped with stoppers.

Then, in the upper part of the bottles (the one that will be buried in the soil), 14-16 holes must be made in each along their perimeter. An awl, nail or drill heated over a fire will do for this job. The last thing left to do is to cut off the bottom of the bottles.

When planting cucumber seedlings, the bottles are buried in the soil with their necks down at the level of the plant root system (approximately to a depth of 15-20 centimeters). To prevent the holes through which water will flow from becoming clogged, cut nylon can be pulled over them (torn stockings, socks, tights, etc. can be used for these purposes).

If the plants are arranged in two rows, then the watering container is screwed into the center of the rectangle, formed by plants, i.e. in fact, one bottle is quite enough to provide water for 4 cucumbers. Drip irrigation through plastic bottles promotes the formation of additional roots in plants of this crop, which stretch into the deeper layers of the soil in search of water.

This, in turn, can provide a significant increase in the yield of crispy greens and even extend the season for their consumption. single row planting Tomatoes, plastic bottles with cut off bottoms are dug into the ground every 15-30 centimeters. To ensure that the plants are completely protected from the effects of drought, the soil between them and between the rows is mulched with mown grass or hay in a layer of up to 10 centimeters.

Under such shelter, the soil remains loose, breathable, and they actively breed in it. earthworms and other soil life. Thus, this method of watering saves not only water, but also our energy (there is no need to loosen the surface of the bed after each watering). Another advantage drip irrigation through plastic bottles is that it allows you to combine watering with fertilizing, thereby making the work of the summer resident even more significantly easier.

When using mineral fertilizers, the required dose simply needs to be put directly into the bottles - in dry form. The water will deliver everything directly to the root system of the plants.

But with organic fertilizers you should be careful: use only weak solutions to avoid overfeeding. For example, I do this: I dissolve a liter of slurry or chicken droppings in a bucket of water, and then I dilute the resulting solution another 20 times and pour it into bottles.

Thus, a double benefit is obtained: the plants receive both watering and moderate nutrition. For watering fruits, berry bushes for each plant you will need at least three 2-liter bottles, which need to be dug in on three sides in the form of a kind of right triangle. I hope you are convinced that organizing watering through bottles has a lot of advantages, not to mention what it looks like your beds will be much neater, cleaner and more well-groomed. This is perhaps one of the most obvious and simple solutions to the watering problem for those busy summer residents who do not have the opportunity to visit their plot regularly enough at the height of the season.

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Experienced gardeners know that the best way Watering a tomato is subsoil watering. Plastic bottles work very well for this watering. The benefits of subsurface watering for a tomato plant are very significant.

Firstly, the materials are free. Secondly, saving water, time and fertilizers. All nutrients and the water goes directly to the tomato roots.

Thirdly, high air humidity is eliminated, which has a beneficial effect on the plant and the infection and spread of viral and bacterial diseases of the tomato is eliminated. There are several types of watering: from a hose directly along the rows of plants, sprinkling using finely dispersed sprinklers, and drip irrigation.

All of these types require time or money. But our task is to grow a healthy and rich harvest with minimum costs. For this we will need plastic bottles. I like to use two or two and a half liter bottles.

Take a plastic bottle, remove the sticker and rinse. Ready bottle for watering Next, we need to drill two holes with a diameter of 2 millimeters.

If this is not possible, then you can take a small nail, heat it over an open fire and make holes in the lid. In general, the number of holes must be selected experimentally. If the soil is sandy, then two will be enough, if clay, then four.

After making holes in the lid of a plastic bottle that is intended for watering. It is necessary to cut off the bottom, cut off about one third of the bottle. The next step is to place the bottle directly near the root of the tomato.

The best time for installation is directly during planting. But don’t despair, it can be installed in a few weeks. We retreat 15-20 cm from the tomato stem. Dig a hole 10-15 cm, but be careful not to damage the roots of the tomato plant.

Next, we insert the bottle with the lid down at an angle of 30-45° and carefully bury it. Watering is as follows: we walk along the beds and fill the bottles with water; when watering from plastic bottles, the water will slowly flow directly to the roots of the tomato. You can also feed the plant, saving fertilizer.

You can also use these bottles to water cucumber, pepper, eggplant, pumpkin and many other plants in your garden. The method of watering from plastic bottles is suitable for those who cannot visit the garden or dacha every day.

The gentle spring sun warms the earth, and thousands of summer residents rush to their plots. The villagers also meticulously inspect their gardens. The hot time for planting is approaching, but it is not enough for plants to get into fertile soil; they need proper watering to grow, especially in dry weather.

Many summer residents resort to drip irrigation, which does not require large volumes of water and a long time for control. Making drip irrigation from plastic bottles with your own hands is quite simple and even a beginner can do it.

Creating a drip irrigation system from plastic bottles is accessible to everyone

Attractive aspects of drip irrigation from plastic bottles

It is easy to evaluate the advantages of an irrigation structure assembled from plastic bottles: just remember the availability of the source material. Let's add to them a number of advantages:

installation of a system from bottles does not require practically any financial costs, the main thing is to stock up required quantity plastic containers;
you can build a structure without any creative skills;
self-watering, made by yourself, is suitable for use in both open ground, and in greenhouses, conservatories and greenhouses;
perfect for irrigating green hedges, flower beds, shrubs, and beds;
saving time and effort: bottles are easily and quickly filled with water;
dosed moisture goes directly to the roots of the plants;
the flow of water is carried out evenly, without washing away the roots with a stream of water;
when used in a greenhouse, drip irrigation does not over-moisten the soil surface, preventing the appearance of weeds, and soil compaction does not occur;
soil covered with mulch does not require additional loosening;
the moisture concentration in the greenhouse is minimal, which reduces the risk of dampness and the spread of diseases;
in the absence of a central water supply on the site, this irrigation system provides significant savings in water resources;
water poured into bottles warms up quickly, which is important for some garden crops- for example, cucumbers;
easy to install, all design parts can be easily replaced with new ones;
when using counters for tap water consumption indicators change slightly.

A few shortcomings do not change the picture

The obvious advantages of irrigating plants using plastic bottles outweigh its disadvantages, but, unfortunately, they exist. You should know that:

organizing such a system over a large area with open ground is impractical and time-consuming;
drip irrigation is optimal as a temporary measure to maintain soil moisture; it cannot serve as an alternative to full irrigation;
plastic bottles are not suitable for watering on heavy clay soils (their irrigation holes quickly become clogged).

Watering options from plastic bottles

Ways to place plastic bottles

Placing plastic containers for organizing drip irrigation can be done different ways, choosing optimally suitable option for your situation. Craftsmen who build the structure with their own hands suggest digging containers into the ground, hanging them over the garden bed, and equipping them with dispensers in the form of canisters, tubes or bottles. Let's look at several ways to perform drip irrigation.

The choice of method should be determined by the convenience of implementing the irrigation system, its purpose (type of plant crop), as well as the type of soil and climate.

Installing bottles upside down

An option that is equally suitable for caring for plants in greenhouses and in open ground, is often used by many summer residents. For creating homemade system irrigation is necessary:

Having retreated 3 cm from the bottom of the bottle, make holes in it using a well-hot nail, needle, or awl.
The holes can be staggered or in parallel rows. Calculate the number of holes based on the type of soil: for dense soil they are made more holes, for loose soil they will be needed less.
If you plan to irrigate cucumbers, the bottles should be buried upside down.
The lid does not need to be screwed on. If you decide to leave the lid, it is better to make a puncture in it so that after the water runs out, the bottle does not shrink.

Placing watering bottles upside down

Neck down

The option is similar to the first method, but with minor design changes. To make it easier to fill the prepared container with water, cut off the bottom. Then carry out the following steps:

holes in the selected container are pierced along the perimeter of the neck;
you can do without holes if you insert foam rubber into the neck of the bottle, which will gradually release moisture into the soil (an option for heavy loamy soil);
if holes are selected, screw the lid on and bury the container in the ground with the neck down;
To slow down the evaporation of moisture from the bottle, the cut bottom is put in place, upside down (you don’t have to cut off the bottom completely and pour water by bending the bottom to the side).

Drip irrigation from bottles on the side

Big bottles on the side

Five-liter watering containers are a good option for those who do not have the opportunity to frequently visit their dacha. With their help, long-term watering of the site is ensured. The irrigation design looks like this:

holes in the bottle are pierced on one side so as to fill the entire area of one side;
the water filling valve is cut out on the opposite side;
The container is buried in the soil in a position on its side, laying down the side on which the small holes for irrigation are located.

Hanging over the plant

The hanging model of homemade drip irrigation has proven itself well in greenhouses. Plastic containers are suspended directly above the plant. Advantages of the hanging method:

the soil near the roots is not washed away;
the bottled water warms up well;
easily achieved optimal humidity air in the greenhouse.

The watering container is filled with water and hung on a support with the stopper down, having previously made several holes near the neck. There is no need to make holes, without screwing the cap of the bottle all the way, regulating the flow of water in small quantities.

The disadvantage of this method is the need to install supports for hanging bottles. In addition, it is necessary to properly direct the watering so that water from the holes does not drip onto the leaves of the plants: moisture can cause sunburn of the crop. To prevent water from getting on the leaves, containers should be hung closer to the ground or use droppers as in the photo.

Drip irrigation from above and below the root

Right to the root

Irrigation at the root is a modernized irrigation method in which the efficiency of the process is increased through the use of a rod from ballpoint pen. The bottle serves as a container for water, and the moisture is released through the rod. We start by trimming the writing part of the rod, then rinse it well so that no paste particles remain. In order not to bother with washing the rods, it is better to use plastic straws for a cocktail. Close one end of the tube tightly by inserting a toothpick or a planed match into it. You can simply bend the tube at a distance of 10-15mm from the end and secure it with narrow tape. We retreat 2cm from the clogged edge and pierce a hole with a needle.

We make a hole for inserting the rod in the container itself: if you plan to insert the bottle upside down, pierce it at the level of the narrowing of the bottle; if the rod will be inserted near the bottom, step back 10-15 cm from it. We insert the tube into the container so that the closed end is on the outside. The entry point of the rod into the wall of the bottle is sealed with sealant. Fill the container with water and install.

The advantage of this method is that the water goes directly to the root system of the plants. The intensity of watering can be adjusted by the diameter of the hole. Practical use method led craftsmen to the optimal calculation of irrigation. If you take a 2-liter bottle, you can provide drip irrigation for 5 days, provided that no more than 10 drops of moisture come out of the container in 5 minutes.

The practical experience of those who have assembled similar structures more than once will be useful to beginning DIYers. Various plastic bottles are suitable for organizing micro-irrigation, but there are some secrets in their use. Here are some useful tips:

If the design is designed for caring for cucumber beds, it is better to take 2-liter containers; in some cases, 5-liter bottles are also suitable.
The diameter of the punctures should be as small as possible (1-1.5mm) so that the water does not drain away too quickly.
You can protect bottles from soil getting into them by wrapping them in burlap or old stockings.
The amount of containers required is calculated based on the number of plants. The ideal ratio is 1 bottle per 1 plant bush.
The amount of watering depends on weather conditions, soil type, and frequency of visiting the site. For bushes in open ground during the growing season, 3-4 liters of water per week is enough. When flowers and ovaries appear, the plant requires 6 liters of water. If the weather is hot, for normal irrigation you need 12 liters of water for 3 days. The moisture consumption in the greenhouse must be increased due to its intense evaporation.

The degree of watering can be adjusted as needed.

The ideal period for installing bottles in the soil is the moment of planting seeds.
The container with water should be placed at a distance of 15cm from the plant. The depth of the bottle is 10-15cm. The container can be placed either vertically or slightly tilted by 30-40 degrees.

Homemade automatic watering is actively used and is a great help for many summer residents. The bottles are used for irrigating tomatoes, eggplants, berry bushes, and flower beds. Simple design does not require special financial investments, easy to assemble, does not deteriorate for a long time, and withstands weather conditions well. In addition, drip irrigation protects the plant root from excessive dampness and drought. The following video has been carefully selected and will certainly help you understand what is presented.

If you have several greenhouses at your summer cottage in which cucumbers, tomatoes and others are grown vegetable crops, then you know exactly how much time and effort it takes to care for them. What to do if work and other matters do not allow you to be at the dacha every 2-3 days? How to ensure watering of vegetables in a greenhouse, prevent them from drying out and get a rich harvest? The solution to this problem is a drip irrigation system.

Such a system not only saves time and eliminates the need to visit personal plot every two days, but also provides other benefits. And for those who want to learn more about the benefits of drip irrigation and how to do it themselves, this article has been created.

Drip irrigation refers to a special crop irrigation system in which moisture drops into the ground to the roots of plants grown in a greenhouse. You can organize drip irrigation in the following ways.

Specialized droppers dug into the soil in the root zone of each individual plant.

Drip tape spreading along plants in a greenhouse. One side of the tape is connected to the water supply, the other to the plug. When water is supplied, it slowly, in separate drops, seeps through the tape material.

Sprinklers - special equipment, which is not cheap.

Homemade drip tape from rubber hose, in which many holes are made using an awl or something similar.

Improvised droppers made from plastic bottles with many holes.

In our case, the last option will be considered as the simplest and most inexpensive to manufacture. The creation of such a system will be discussed in more detail below, but now let’s look at general benefits all drip irrigation systems.

Saving water. Compared to a conventional hose or watering can, drip irrigation systems use significantly less liquid with equal or even higher irrigation efficiency.
Reasonable moisture distribution. By overdoing it with watering the plants with a hose, a summer resident can turn the soil in a greenhouse into a marshy swamp. With drip irrigation this is not possible.
Save time. Any drip irrigation system - both connected to a water supply and autonomous - requires less maintenance time compared to traditional irrigation methods.
By delivering water directly to the roots of plants, they growth accelerates, and with such a system the harvest in the greenhouse can be obtained faster. In addition, the roots of vegetables and other crops are not washed away.
The ground remains mostly dry, air humidity in the greenhouse remains normal. As a result, the likelihood of weeds appearing and diseases developing in plants is reduced.
Depletion rate reduction and soil erosion.

Advantages and disadvantages of bottled drip irrigation

The design of such a system looks like in the following way: A plastic bottle with small diameter holes is dug in near each individual plant in the greenhouse. The bottle is filled with water, which seeps through small holes and nourishes the roots of the plants.

Important! Sometimes the bottles are not dug into the ground, but are suspended under the roof of the greenhouse near each individual plant. In such cases, it is important to ensure that most of the moisture does not fall on the leaves, but on the ground, directly at the roots.

The individual advantages of drip irrigation are discussed above, but what are the advantages of the scheme using bottles? They are as follows.

Cheapness. In fact, the system using plastic bottles is free - the main material for arranging drip irrigation can be found at home or purchased at a nominal price.
Easy to create. Setting up drip irrigation from plastic bottles does not require any technical knowledge or special skills from you; absolutely anyone can do it.
Simplifying the care of seedlings and plants in greenhouses– with such an irrigation scheme, there is no need to frequently visit the garden plot. Now you can go on trips for work and other needs, without worrying about the condition of the future harvest.
With bottles buried in the ground water will not get on leaves or flowers, which means the problem with sunburn of plants is solved.
Autonomy– unlike other drip irrigation systems, which require a water supply and more or less constant pressure in it, drip irrigation from bottles only requires the water itself.
Applying to vegetables, fruits and flowers water has the same temperature as air in a greenhouse, which has a positive effect on the condition and productivity of some crops.
Easy to repair or dismantle. If for some reason one of the elements of the system fails, then it is very easy to replace it - the bottle is dug out, and a new one is dug in in its place.

But the system also has its drawbacks. The disadvantages of drip irrigation using bottles are presented below.

The difficulty of creating such a system over a large area. Therefore, if you have many greenhouses, then it makes sense to think about another, more advanced method of drip irrigation.
There is a possibility of bottle openings becoming clogged, especially when used on soils containing a large number of clay.
Due to its primitiveness, such a system is not capable of completely replacing irrigation, so sometimes it will be necessary not only to add water to bottles, but also to supplement drip irrigation with the same watering can. For complete watering that requires a minimum of effort from you, it is preferable to use specialized drip tapes and dropper dispensers connected to the water supply.

Required materials and tools

To set up drip irrigation using regular plastic bottles, you will need following materials and tools:

plastic bottles;
a piece of cotton fabric or old nylon stockings;
shovel for digging holes for bottles;
ruler for measurements;
sharp nail, thick needle or awl;
a lighter, fire or other source of open flame on which you can heat a nail or needle.

Before you start arranging watering, you need to figure out what size bottles are suitable for the plants in your greenhouse. The choice depends on the crop being grown - some require more moisture, others, on the contrary, less. Also, consider the weather in your area - the higher the temperature, the more water you will need. And, of course, the volume of containers depends on how often you are willing to visit the dacha.

Important! Please note that the temperature inside the greenhouse is higher than outside. And plants will need more water. The increased moisture consumption is compensated by faster ripening and, subject to the cultivation technology, a bountiful harvest.

Table. How long does a bottle of a certain size last for one plant?

As you can see, it is not advisable to use small-volume containers - bottles with a volume of 0.5 to 1 liter will require frequent “refilling”, which will force you to visit your garden plot as often as before.

The best option is a container with a volume of 1.5-2 liters, when using which you can come to the dacha once a week to “refuel” the containers, additional watering and perform other work that the plants in the greenhouse require. If the crop you grow requires a lot of water, then you should give preference to large bottles with a volume of 5 liters. But keep in mind, five-liter plastic container takes up a lot of space and a hole for it must be prepared of the appropriate size.

Some summer residents may have a question: “Why do you need fabric for drip irrigation? Are there not enough bottles with holes? The problem is that these holes can become clogged and clogged with soil over time. To prevent this, from the outside (and sometimes from the inside) that part of the bottle where the holes are located should be wrapped in an old nylon stocking or a piece of cotton fabric. Water will seep through it, but the soil will not get inside.

Another issue that requires consideration is how many holes and what diameter should be made. Their number should depend on the properties of the soil - the worse it absorbs moisture, the more holes will be required. So, if you bury a bottle in a hole with its neck down, then for sandy soils 2-3 holes are enough, and for clay ones – 4-5.

Advice! If clay soil does not absorb water well, then the holes in the bottle cap can be replaced with a piece of foam rubber, which is used to plug the neck.

Holes in the bottle or cap are punched using a nail or needle heated on a stove/lighter. The optimal diameter is from 0.5 to 1 mm. Figures of 1.5-2 mm are the maximum permissible, with O At higher values, water will be consumed too quickly.

As for the ratio of bottles and plants in the greenhouse, then ideal option will be 1:1 - one plant per container. If there is not enough space or the crop does not require a lot of moisture, then you can use one bottle (preferably 2 or 5 liters) for 2, 3 or even 4 plants. But, accordingly, more holes will need to be made in the container.

Important! It is best to install a drip irrigation system from bottles at the time of planting seeds or seedlings in the greenhouse soil, so that when digging a hole you do not damage the root system of the crop.

Method number 1 - Dig into the ground

In total, there are four ways to arrange drip irrigation using plastic bottles. The most common of them is burying it in the hole upside down. It looks like this step by step:

Step 1. Near each plant separately or between two adjacent ones, a hole is dug with a depth of 10-15 cm and a diameter of equal to the diameter bottles.

Step 2. Using a ruler, measure 3-4 cm upward from the bottom of the bottle.

Step 3. Using a hot nail or needle, holes are made from this point in the bottle in 2-4 rows in a checkerboard pattern. The number of holes depends on the density of the soil, but on average it is about 10-15 pieces.

Step 4. The container is wrapped with fabric or nylon so that all holes are closed. This is necessary to protect the holes from being clogged with earth.

Step 5. The bottle is inserted into the hole bottom down.

Step 6. To prevent debris or soil from getting into the water from above, cover the neck with a piece of gauze or nylon.

Important! If you do not want water to evaporate from the container into the air, put a lid on the neck, but make at least one hole on it (the lid), otherwise the bottle will shrink when empty.

Method number 2 - Stick it in the ground with the neck down

The second method differs in that the bottle is inserted into the hole the other way around, bottom up. Accordingly, the holes are made either in the neck or in the lid. It looks like this.

Step 1. A hole is prepared with a shovel near the plant in the greenhouse. The diameter remains the same as in the first method, but the depth of the hole is much smaller - the height of the neck of the container.

Step 2. Several small holes are made in the neck or lid itself using a hot nail. Their number depends on how dense the soil is and how well it absorbs moisture - the better, the fewer holes there should be, and vice versa.

Step 3. Measure 4-6 cm from the bottom and cut off the bottom of the bottle using a stationery knife or ordinary scissors. If you do not want debris to get into the container from above or moisture to evaporate from it too quickly, the bottom should not be completely cut off, and then bent to the side, like the lid of a tin can.

Step 4. The part of the container where the holes are located is wrapped with fabric. If desired, the fabric can be placed inside the bottle itself.

Step 5. The neck of the bottle is buried in the hole. If desired, the container can be buried at an angle of 45 degrees towards the root system.

Compared to the first method, digging a hole for a similar design of an irrigation system is a little easier, but in this case the water is not delivered to the entire root system of the plant, but only to the lower part. The choice of the more preferable option is up to you.

Method number 3 – Hang over plants

If you do not want to expose the root system of greenhouse crops, then drip system watering can be placed not next to the plants, but above them. In addition, with this method, the soil around the roots is not washed away.

Step 1. A series of holes are made in the bottom of the bottle, as for the second method. And in the same way, part of the bottom is cut off from the container with scissors.

Step 2. Using a needle or nail, a couple more holes are made in the bottom of the bottle for wire or twine, on which the container will be hung in the greenhouse.

Step 3. The bottle is secured in such a way that the distance from the neck to the ground is from 35 cm to 50 cm.

Try to position the bottle so that most of the drops land on the ground near the stem, rather than on the leaves. Thus, more water will reach the roots, and the probability sunburn There will be significantly fewer leaves.

Method number 4 - Using special attachments

The last method of creating a drip irrigation system will require you to spend a little more money, but at the same time it will save you from digging holes and working with nails and bottles. At your local garden supply store, you can purchase special dispenser attachments that can be screwed onto bottles (except five-liter bottles) instead of regular caps.

Prices for watering cones for bottles

watering cone for bottle

The container with such a nozzle is turned upside down and inserted into the ground at some distance from the plant stem.

Watering when cultivating cucumbers is very important. There is a difference when growing in open ground and in greenhouses: in the methods, frequency and rates of watering. And it is also possible to get cucumber harvests even if you don’t water them.

How to water cucumbers: frequency, time and norm

Cucumber is a tropical plant and loves high humidity and sustainable warmth. As they develop and ripen, cucumbers require different amounts of watering. There is also a difference in irrigation when growing in open and protected soils. You should follow certain recommendations when watering:

no watering is required immediately after planting seeds or planting seedlings;
after 3–4 days the first watering is carried out;
before flowering, water depending on the drying of the soil (once every 4–5 days);
after the appearance of the ovaries - the most abundant watering(once every 2–3 days), and with the beginning of fruiting - every other day;
The best time to water is early morning or evening, after sunset. Daytime watering in the sun can cause burns on the leaves;
when rains come and the dampness in the soil increases, irrigation is stopped;
The irrigation rate in open ground is about 4–5 liters of water per m2 before flowering and 10–12 liters per sq. m. meter during the formation of ovaries and during the fruiting period;
in greenhouses, more moderate irrigation is used - about four liters per square meter. meter;
During periods of long heat, sprinkling is used - plant leaves are watered from a watering can (4–5 liters per sq.m.). At the same time, the water norm is reduced by 2–3 times.

When watering cucumbers, like others garden crops, there is a “golden” rule: do not flood.

Video: how often to water cucumbers in open ground

Temperature

When watering cucumbers, it is important to observe temperature regime. The water temperature during irrigation should not be lower than the ambient temperature.

Cucumbers in open ground should be watered with water heated to 18–20 o C. When the air is heated above 30 degrees, the water should be heated to 25 o C to avoid a large temperature difference. The best option is the use of water heated by the sun and settled in various containers(barrels, vats, etc.).

In greenhouses, the water temperature is higher, approximately 20–25 degrees, and should ideally correspond to the soil temperature.

Drip irrigation of cucumbers

Along with the traditional method of watering plants, gardeners in Lately began to widely use the drip system. When growing cucumbers, this method of watering is the most optimal because it allows you to automatically maintain the necessary balance of moisture in the soil.

IN industrial systems To regulate the water balance, droppers are used, connected to each plant. To control humidity, tensiometers are used, installed at the depth of the cucumber root zone (15–20 cm from the soil surface). Such devices are expensive and many gardeners make them from improvised materials. homemade options drip irrigation. The simplest is to supply water by gravity from a tank installed on a high base through a pipe PVC diameter 1–2 cm with diverted droppers from tubes with a diameter of 1–2 mm.

Drip irrigation when growing plants provides the following advantages compared to conventional:

supplying water and nutrients during watering and fertilizing directly to the roots of cucumbers;
no earthen crust is formed;
saving water and fertilizers due to timely regulation of the amount of supply;
significant reduction manual labor as a result of irrigation automation;
no danger of soil erosion and leaching of soil from under the roots of plants;
ease of operation;
significant increase in yield.

The main disadvantage of drip irrigation systems is the clogging of the droppers. Therefore in homemade devices You should use settled water and install a fine mesh filter in the system.

Water consumption for drip irrigation of cucumbers

Saving water is one of the positive factors drip irrigation. Depending on the design of the system, soil type and weather conditions, the amount of water used can be reduced by up to 80% compared to other irrigation methods. This is achieved by the fact that only the roots of the cucumbers are irrigated and the water is not wasted. Water in drip irrigation devices can be supplied depending on weather conditions, irrigation rates and the intensity of the drip device for 1–3 days.

Video: DIY drip irrigation system

Bottle watering

One of the types of drip irrigation can be called watering using plastic bottles. This is the most economical option auto irrigation without use expensive materials and devices for uninterrupted watering.

There are several methods of bottle watering.

First way

For the irrigation device, you will need a one and a half or two liter plastic bottle and a used ballpoint pen refill, which will act as a dropper in the device. The rod is washed with solvent or gasoline to remove paste residues and plugged on one side with a toothpick, match, etc. A puncture is made 3–5 mm from the end using a sewing needle. The diameter of the puncture is determined experimentally, however, a hole equal to half the diameter of the rod is considered optimal.

The bottle is placed with the neck tightly closed in the ground or usually on the bottom. In the first option, the bottom of the bottle is cut off, the rod is installed in a hole located just above the hanger. In the second case, a hole is made 15–20 cm from the bottom of the bottle, the rod is secured, and the cap is removed. Containers are filled with water and placed near each bush.

Second way

In the bottle, stepping back 3–5 cm from the bottom, holes are pierced to its entire height. They are arranged in several rows, the number depends on the soil - the denser it is, the more holes. The optimal amount is determined experimentally. If the soil is too damp, use a bottle with a small number of holes; when the soil dries out, change to a bottle with a large number of holes. The bottles are buried to a depth of 10–20 cm between the plants, bottom down. The cork is removed.

Third way

Reminiscent of the previous one, but here the bottom is cut off. The punctures are made at the top of the bottle, closer to the throat. Screw on the lid and dig in with the neck down. To avoid rapid evaporation of moisture, the top of the bottle should be covered.

Fourth method

You can not place the bottles in the ground, but hang them above the bushes of plants. The holes, in this case, are pierced in the lid or just above the neck. The containers are filled with water and suspended from installed supports. To avoid burns in sunny weather, bottles are secured as close to the ground as possible.

If gardeners are unable to visit garden plots frequently, 5-liter bottles can be used instead of two-liter bottles. plastic containers from under the water. The period of autonomous watering in this option will increase for a longer period.

Compared to the traditional method of drip irrigation with the installation of containers, pipes, filters, etc., the bottle method of irrigation has both advantages and a number of disadvantages.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of bottle watering

Advantages	Flaws
Available and cheap source material.	It is difficult to build a bottle watering system for large areas in open ground.
Simple procedure for setting up the system.	The holes often become clogged with soil when using the system on heavy, clay soils.
Minimum expenditure of effort and time during operation: pour water into bottles and the process begins.	Bottle watering cannot replace full irrigation. It is necessary to additionally use traditional watering with a watering can.
Bottled water warms up well in the sun.
Easily replaceable system parts.
Excellent for use in greenhouses.

Video: bottle watering system - it's easy

Growing cucumbers without watering

Cucumbers are very moisture-loving and with a lack of watering they grow bitter and ugly, and the yield drops greatly. But what to do if there is no water near the plantings, and there is no way to deliver it for irrigation? Using the following agricultural techniques, you can grow cucumbers without watering in middle lane Russia.

The selected area should have a high (up to 0.5–0.8 m) groundwater table with loamy or clay soil.
The land is prepared in the fall - they dig it up and carry out work to retain snow: they install wind barriers from sheets of plywood, slate, and arrange snow banks along the border of the site. Most reliable way- use of a special snow-retaining polymer film on the posts (advantages: compact, easily rearranged, resistant to strong gusts of wind).
Prepare a place for planting (the beds should be level with the ground or a little deeper to collect rainwater): loosen upper layer, covered with light-proof material (film, roofing felt, roofing felt).
The work of weeding and loosening is eliminated, the need for watering is sharply reduced, since the film accumulates moisture well.
Make holes for planting seeds (they should not be larger than the thickness of the cucumber stem).
Dry seeds are sown to a depth of 1–2 cm.

Further care will consist of removing the weeds that have sprouted in the hole next to the cucumber vine. The plant roots will have enough heat and moisture until the end of the growing season.

Video: cucumbers under film without watering or weeding

The method of growing cucumbers without watering can be recommended only in the most extreme case, when it is really impossible to ensure the possibility of normal irrigation of the crop - after all, cucumbers really love water.

Sprinkling

Cucumbers require moisture for both the roots and the above-ground parts. The large leaves of the plant intensively evaporate water. To replenish moisture in the leaves and stems, sprinkler irrigation is carried out. In this case, watering cans, hoses with spray nozzles, and various types of sprinklers are used. However, it must be taken into account that sprinkling can be used when the cucumbers are completely healthy. If you suspect symptoms of the disease powdery mildew, spotting or anthracosis, the sprinkling irrigation method should be immediately eliminated and switch to drip irrigation.

Proper irrigation of such a moisture-loving crop as cucumber requires knowledge and practical experience. Having become familiar with various methods of watering and applying them when growing this wonderful vegetable, the gardener will always have a harvest.

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