PROJECT "My 6 acres"

You have a plot of land. You have been using it for many years, recently bought it, or unexpectedly you inherited a house in the village.
How to make sure that technical progress reaches this lost world? How to make sure that the land from which you feed yourself, if you are a rural resident, gives you the maximum return?
You can't do without modern technology and equipment here. So what equipment is needed for landscaping a summer house, a garden, a farm or just a plot of land next to the house?

Let's try to create an ideal plot. Here you will have to apply a lot of knowledge, diligence and ingenuity. This is a job for a creative person. Many "techies" will be able to apply their talent not only in production or in the field of high technology, but also in their own dacha!

Types of equipment

A motor cultivator or a lawn mower, today you will not surprise anyone.
What else is important for your land to feel comfortable? Well, of course, WATER!
Recently, more and more attention is paid to the rational use of water. When it was practically free, you could water the plants without thinking, but now the situation has changed. Water must be used economically and efficiently. The best choice is drip and microsprinkler irrigation. Such irrigation systems are easily automated and use water precisely and purposefully.

Project "At Igor's Dacha"

We decided to discuss this project in relation to a specific plot of land - Igor's dacha.

This is what the pipeline layout diagram looks like: picture on the left.
The water supply to the plot is carried out with water from a well, which is pumped into a tank and only then distributed throughout the plot.
The plot is divided into several zones, for which we will have to organize irrigation in different ways.

VEGETABLE GARDEN:

A drip system is used here irrigation, divided into two subgroups, by plant species. For example, watering potatoes should be organized somewhat differently than watering cucumbers or greens. In principle, the garden can be divided into more sections. You just have to install additional solenoid valves and slightly change the water distribution. This is not difficult and the owner of the site can do this at any time, depending on the need. For watering the garden, the water pressure in the storage tank, if it is raised to a height of at least 1.5-2.0 meters, will be quite sufficient and your garden will be watered by gravity. <>

LAWN:

This is perhaps the most difficult part of the project. The lawn is watered by sprinklers and for their normal operation, an additional pump will need to be installed, since the natural water pressure in the storage tank will not be enough. The pump should be small, but it should be able to create pressure in the pipes of at least 2.0-2.5 atmospheres.
Lawn watering works as follows. You need to program the watering time and, upon command from the controller, the pump should turn on and, at the same time, the solenoid valve should open, supplying water to one of the three lawn areas. After watering the first section, turn on the water supply to the second, and then to the third section.
We recommend using "Pop-Up" sprinklers for watering lawns - "Watered - hid." They are convenient primarily because when not in use, they are at ground level and you can walk on the lawn without fear of tripping over a sprinkler sticking out of the ground. When caring for the lawn, they also do not interfere, and you can safely work with your lawn mower or rake up trash.

FLOWER BEDS AND FLOWER BEDS:

The most suitable equipment for watering are mini sprinklers. However, if you grow roses, for example, then drip irrigation will be most suitable for your rose garden.

GARDEN, VINEYARD AND BERRY BEDS:

Suitable for watering the garden drip and sprinkler irrigation. For grapes, raspberries, currants, gooseberries and other berry crops - drip irrigation.
For strawberries, of course, drip irrigation and the beds on which you grow strawberries, it is advisable to cover with black film mulch. The crop will ripen earlier, and the berries will not be damaged by contact with the ground.

It should be noted that there is a huge variety of sprinkler models and during the design, you need to take into account their placement relative to each other and relative to the edge of the lawn, flower bed or garden bed.
When ordering sprinklers, you need to consider the irrigation radius and sector. Sprinklers are produced for both circular and sector irrigation. The sector that is watered can be, for example, 90, 180 or 270 degrees.
Therefore, having installed four sprinklers at the corners of a 5x5 meter plot, which work for a 90-degree sector and irrigate a radius of 3 meters, you can be sure that your flowerbed or lawn will be evenly watered, and the paths around it will remain dry.

Mounting parts

To assemble (mount) the irrigation system, you will need special parts for reliable connection of pipes - fittings.
Think carefully about the layout of all pipelines and their connections. Fittings should be ordered with a small reserve, since the layout of the pipelines may change, and you will urgently need additional fittings. Well, anything can happen. The fitting may break. So a small reserve will not hurt you. They are inexpensive, so these additional costs will not affect the overall cost of the project.

Filters

For reliable and long-lasting operation of your irrigation system, it is very important to use only plastic pipes and water must enter the system through a filter.

Filters are available for connection to a system with a diameter of 3/4 inches to 2.0 inches. The design of the filter element can be made of mesh or a pack of disks. Disc filters are more complex and therefore more expensive.
The type and size of the filter is selected depending on the total water consumption for irrigation.

Periodically, filters need to be cleaned from the dirt that collects in them.

Note to the housewife: such filters purify water quite effectively and many use them for rough purification of drinking water.

Fertilization with irrigation

Our plot is becoming increasingly civilized look!

Plants are watered, everything is automated. But how can we make sure that fertilizers are delivered to plants automatically?
There are special devices for this - fertigators. There are complex computer systems that are used in large greenhouse enterprises, but there are also inexpensive, simple systems for delivering soluble fertilizers for feeding plants, or a complete nutrient solution for growing plants in hydroponics. On the right in the photo is an injector-dispenser for adding dissolved fertilizers to irrigation water.
On the left is a more complex system designed for fairly large irrigated areas or greenhouses.
If your site is equipped with such a system for feeding and fertilizing plants, then rest assured that the harvest will be amazing!

Additional equipment

Additional equipment can include all electrical equipment and automation. These are pumps, an electrical panel, and a distribution box in which a filter, solenoid valves, and part of the piping are located.
It is also worth considering the protection of separately installed solenoid valves.