[SEL] O.T. O.T. Need Help On Water Flow Problem

Mark Shulaw frappi at wcoil.com
Thu Jun 4 15:05:24 PDT 2009


Dave,  "In our region" I am with you, no water for Tomato plants. 
Watering just promotes shallow root development. Water the hole when 
planted and leave the rest to the rain.  Mark


At 05:08 PM 6/4/2009, you wrote:
>I just LOVE the TOTAL BS of this thread. I plant about 5-6 doz. tomato
>plants each year and have NEVER given any thought to watering them--
>that's what rain is for. I would think I get 30-40 bu. a year and give
>the vast majority away.
>         Dave
>PS, I do hope this thread continues. Jennie says I easier to get along
>with when I laugh so hard that my sides hurt every evening!
>PPS, doG save us from "Greenie Magazines!"
>PPPS, Paul, I pretty sure you can get a stimulus grant from POTUS for
>this project!
>
>On Jun 4, 2009, at 3:41 PM, Jerry Evans wrote:
>
> > At 06:00 PM 04/06/2009, you wrote:
> >> Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 12:50:27 -0500
> >> From: "Elden DuRand" <edurand at mchsi.com>
> >> Subject: Re: [SEL] O.T. O.T. Need Help On Water Flow Problem
> >> Paul:
> >> I think what I'd do would be to use the PVC pipe as a manifold to
> >> which I
> >> would attach a number of irrigation drip heads.
> >>
> >> Go to a big box store and look at the Rainbird and other systems.
> >> You can
> >> get drip heads that can be used with 1/2" NPT (I think) PVC nipples
> >> which,
> >> in turn, are screwed into 1/2" NPT holes in the manifold.
> >> They are adjustable so you can balance the system close enough for
> >> Mother
> >> Nature.
> >> What, me engineer??!!
> >> Take care - Elden
> >> http://www.oldengine.org/members/durand
> >
> > Hi Paul,
> >         I'm getting into this thread a bit late but have been
> > following
> > it. It would appear that you are following plans from some "Greenie
> > Magazine" :-) - have the Tomato plants read the same article ?
> >         I liked Ron Carolls answer as well as many others.
> >         If I remember correctly (I'm not going to read all the replies
> > again) you have 2 main pipes going down the length (which is not
> > very long)
> > and they are closed on the ends.
> >
> >         This is what I would do:
> >
> >         1) I would use a slightly bigger pipe for these lengthwise
> > pipes
> > (lets just say 3/4") (it reduces friction and increases volume) (I
> > also
> > think that at the volume/pressure you are using that this will not
> > make any
> > appreciable difference to the tomato plants) and I would NOT have them
> > closed at the end - I would join them (maybe with another piece of
> > the same
> > size pipe) which would in effect give you a "circuit" ie. (with no
> > holes
> > yet) the pressure would be equal throughout the circuit.
> >         2) Then drill your holes (but I prefer the adjustable microjet
> > nozzles or Ron Carrol's idea using screws and washers). When
> > deciding on
> > the size holes (assuming you are NOT using aforementioned adjustable
> > microjet nozzles) you should drill go for something like this.
> >         i) The "area" of the inlet pipe. (I'm going to change to
> > metric
> > here - it's easier for me to work out but the principle is exactly the
> > same.) 3/4" inch pipe is (as near as dammit) 19mm pipe. (I'm also
> > going to
> > use this as an internal measurement for the sake of not letting this
> > turn
> > into an encyclopaedia).
> >         The mathematical formula for working out the "area" of a
> > circle is
> > "pi" X radius squared) (I do not know how to write this correctly on
> > my
> > keyboard).
> >         Now I'll try to explain this as easily as possible
> > (apologies to
> > all others for this "long winded explanation").
> >         To all you guys who understand these things I do apologise
> > but I'm
> > gonna try to explain this thing in a way that someone who does not
> > understand will get the picture.
> >         "pi" is a mathematical formula described by some ancient
> > Greek -
> > you do not need to know how he arrived at it - just use it. Roughly
> > it is
> > (22 divided by seven) or "the answer"  (3.1428571)
> >         Your 19mm pipe has an internal diameter of 19mm (surprise).
> > So the
> > "area" of this opening is ("pi" X  (times) the radius) (if the
> > diameter is
> > 19 mm then the radius is half of that or 9.5 mm
> >         This equals pi (22 divided by seven) or 3.1428571)
> > multiplied by
> > the radius of the 19mm pipe
> >         3.1428571 x 9.5(the radius - or 1/2 of the diameter of the
> > pipe)
> > equals 29.857 (unless my cheap Taiwanese calculator is lying to me).
> > This
> > is the delivery area of your pipe. 29.857
> >         Now divide this by the number of "delivery points" that you
> > need.
> > In your case you mentioned 16 (tomato plants). So divide the answer
> > above
> > by 16 - ie. 29.857 divided by 16 = 1.8660625. and this will give you
> > your
> > answer for the area of the holes you need. Now you need to convert
> > this
> > "area" back to a diameter (so you know what size drill to use). Now,
> > for
> > tonight, I've forgotten the formula  needed here so I will use
> > "Google" (to
> > work out the "diameter of a circle" from the area").
> >         This gave me an answer of "1.5414099285872527" - If "Google"
> > was
> > correct then you need to drill all your holes "1.5 mm".
> >         What I would do is to drill these holes approximately half
> > of this
> > size and put a bucket under any one of the holes and measure how
> > long it
> > takes to provide your required amount of water (always trying to
> > bear in
> > mind that the tomato plants have read the same article.) It's more
> > accurate
> > to have "half size" holes and leave the tap (faucet) open for twice
> > as long.
> >         Sometimes "maths" or "science" can baffle us all - have the
> > tomato
> > plants also read this article?
> >         Now, the above method will only work if your delivery (where
> > the
> > water comes from) pressure is always exactly the same. Do you really
> > think
> > that the tomato plants give a damn?
> >
> > Understand that this answer will only be relevant if your water
> > pressure is
> > always exactly the same ie. "all things being equal".
> >
> >         Paul, I've been there, done that and bought the "t"shirt.
> > Fresh
> > "homegrown" veggies are really great and they are also "so green".
> > But, at
> > the end of the day, they will always cost you more than you can buy
> > them
> > for at the local vegetable shop. The reason is that you will grow
> > veggies
> > "in season" at the same time as the "big producers" put theirs on the
> > market. Unless you are planning to produce "out of season" (which
> > involves
> > major investment in greenhouses and similar) you will not win
> > financially.
> >         Just my opinion. Be prepared to have that "They came from my
> > garden" expression cost you Bucks.
> > Jerry
> >
> > Keep the revs up (or down)
> > Jerry Evans
> > Near Johannesburg in Sunny South Africa.
> > Etched Brass Engine Plates made to order:
> > <www.oldengine.org/members/evans/plates/index.htm>
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > SEL mailing list
> > SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> > http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
>
>_______________________________________________
>SEL mailing list
>SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
>http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
>
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.53/2155 - Release Date: 
>06/04/09 17:55:00




More information about the sel mailing list