Drip irrigation T-tape

Last year I discovered T-tape.
Drip irrigation with built in emitters 12 inches apart. This is different than the standard drip irrigation systems
Farmers use it for row crops
The price was reasonable
I just checked the price on the web
100 ft roll $8.50
750 ft roll $55.00
4100 ft roll $160.00
a water pressure regulator is about $10.00
I used a 200 mash filter at about$17.00
This year I will add a Vacuum break

I tried it for sweet corn and part of the vegetable garden
What I liked about it was
I would turn the water on for about 12 to 15 hours.
That’s watering, really soaking deep
Then not water again for 5 to 10 days depending upon need
Then deep water again
The logic was that the roots would follow the water down deep

I was real pleased with the results. I had the best sweet corn I have ever raised.
It worked great on the cucumbers and pumpkins
That’s all that I had watered with T-tape

Like everything I do. I had problems.

In the sweet corn I just ran the T-tape between the rows of Sweet corn. Down one row then turn and go up the next row then turn and go down the next row.
( see the picture)
I had planed to move the T-tape and water another part of the garden. It didn’t work that way. This was deep soaking and when I tried to move the T-tape
Which was wound around the sweet corn rows you could go 8 inches to a foot deep in mud. I did not move it
This year I will not wind the T-tape around the rows
I will use a PVC header and run one length down each row
Then if I want to move it I can stand at one end of a row and pull the T-tape out
(see picture)

I will be making a PVC header and gluing in the fitting to attach the T-tape
I think maybe 10 foot long then connected together by a short length of garden hose.
So that I can move parts of it with out worrying about break something

One type of fitting has a shut off valve in it so you can control which rows get watered.

I tried using a garden hose header with drill a hole and push in barb connecters.
By the end of summer I was very unhappy with that type of fitting.
With the heat of summer and all they started leaking badly.

I am throwing this out to be digested.
What has been your experience with T-tape How do you use it
I hope to learn from your experiences.
If someone had pointed out the pitfall of winding the T-tape up and down the rows
It would have save me much head ache (grin)

I have spring water so I don’t pay a water bill

larry - sounds like a good plan to me but i don't know what you mean by ""t-tape". is it similar to a soaker hose? from your diagram it looks like you have a large garden plot. hope everythings works out. happy gardening.

Larry as far as I am concerned T tape is where its at. I dont use pvc for the header I use poly tube and employ those barbed adapters you don't seem to fond of. The other end of the adapter employes a screwed connector to attatach the t tape to the adapter with. I use plastic shut off valves to direct the flow from the header to the lines I want to water.

There are two tape thickness that I know of and I picked the heavyer one think it may be 10 mill.I also use the one with eight inch hole spacing because my soil is sandy loam.

If you use the punch method and use the poly tube that those barbed fittings were really designed for leak problems will be nill if done properly. I use a like system under the soffets of my house to water thirty some hanging baskets and it works well. When you use this type system with set gallonage drippers or sprayers you do not need to use a pressure reducer you can regulste the pressure with the valve.

I am sure you have your reasons for pulling your systen apart to move it but the tape is so cheap I just leave mine in place and add more systems.

Anyway there are lots of fittings available to hook all that stuff up with I like to split my areas up so I can give each area the amount of water it needs. Lots of ways to do lots of things I am not saying my way is best but it works really well. Ernie

We are real old time we use the recommended layflat with the connectors that are made for it. You can drive a tractor over it, never pick the stuff up! Laid in place all winter!
We get our supplies from the same place we buy the majority of our seeds. 8 MIL, 58", 1500 ft roll is $41.30; 7500 ft is 159.95. These come in 8", 12", & 16" spacing.
Also have 6MIL, 4MIL, 10MIL, 15MIL. 2" layflat is $53.50 for 100 Ft chuck. The connectors are 75¢ each.
Bernie
We use short lenghts of the layflat so we can water only certain crops. We used to use a gauge, but of corse they got run over or some other mishap. Don't need them, just a shut off valve in front of the layflat. You soon know how much water you can let in.
We have a big flower bed that we just run the t-tape around & here & there. Don't take long to wet that sucker down. Does wonders for the flowers!
We also have a 750 gallon barrel on a wagon that we use in remote locations. Just hook it up & gravity takes care of pressure!

This message was edited Apr 22, 2004 8:30 PM

Thanks for the feed back

Herbie43
Other than they both lay on the ground and emit water, No it not really anything like a soaker hose. You can do long runs and its cheap
from the web site…
.http://www.tsystemsinternational.com/NorthAmerica/Products/CommonQuestions.html
(quote)
1. What is T-Tape?
T-Tape is a high quality drip irrigation hose with integrated emitters. It is designed to deliver water with high uniformity to crops that are planted in rows. It is formed from a strip of thin but strong polyethylene plastic that is rolled into 3/8"(9.5mm), 5/8"(16mm), 7/8"(22mm) or 1-3/8"(35mm) diameter and "glued" at the seam. This polyethylene "glue" also forms a flow track within the seam. (end of quote)

Check dripworks at www.dripworksusa.com/store/ttape.html

So for it seems the cheapest drip irrigation system I’ve found
How ever I’m a beginner in drip irrigation so I don’t have the experience to give advice. (grin)

Eweed and Countygardens
There’s where experience helps. I bought a roll of T-tape and the boy selling was not really knowledge. He showed me the T-tape and where the fittings were.
You see, I used a garden hose and put the fittings in to it. Was not happy with it.
Looks like if I get the real stuff it will work.

The reason I was trying to move the tape is I just had a small amount. I bought a partial roll the store had to test the T-tape out. You are right, This year I will do the whole garden

Layflat and poly tube
That takes care of my headers, don’t need them as that’s what layflat is. Great Thanks

Is my thinking right when I think it’s better to turn it on and really soak the ground (like a big rain) then turn it off till you feel it needs rain? (Last year that was sometimes 5-7 days)

yep water deep and wait till it needs it then do it again, I even do it in the rain. Ernie

I have used T-Tape --it is good for a season but will have problems if used the next year--[cloged emitters , cracks--] esp if not used with pressure reducer---

Michaelp
From what I’ve read You got to use a vacuum break(the law if hook up to drinking water ) and a Filter (200 mash) and a pressure regulator (8-10 lb, I use 10 lb) watch out for a 20 lb looks the same, you got to read the label. The boy selling to me handed me a 20 lb regulator and said here’s what you need.
These things should get the most life out of the tape.
I also roll it up and store it away for the winter.

Now that I got some feed back, I know what to ask for (by name)
When you know what your looking for, and what to call it. Hee Hee makes differences in what you end up with.
Thanks everyone.
Larry

most places require a anti siphon valve if you are using city water or drinking grade water for irrigation--in the event the water presure fails the open faucet valve could possibly suck contaminated water back into your drinking water--it is the extra hardware attached to water fawcits out side most newer homes--[they are inexpensive]
also if you have mineral rich water mineral deposits will reduce the life of the built in emiter if you run some white vinager in the line at the end of the season it will disolve some of this-I have used Lime-Away--but I hesitate to recomend it on my limited experience- with this caustic product---

Well, Getting ready for this summer

Bought 100' of 2 inch layflat for use as a header $35.00
it's looks sort of like fire dept. hose, comes in different sizes
This is blue
Bought 100' of tubing to tap in to the layflat $10.00
only came in 100' roll
The T-tape and fitting I will reuse from last year

It's wild, I bought a $7.00 punch to cut holes in the layflat
to put the tubing in to the layflat. Thay said to put tubing about 12 in into the layflat, angled down stream, It will not push out. They say it works.
They suggested that I get the layflat hooked up to water
turn water on then cut hole
you will get wet but you will not cut thru the other side of the layflat
Using layflat as a header is a lot simpler then the way I was going to do.

Will let you all know how it works
Larry

Ha, As I set here writing this it started raining

We have lots hooked up. Seems like it can't rain around here anymore!
Really making a difference, too.
Bernie