SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Hey Sprinkler Talk folks,

My name is Patrick Meighan, and I live in Culver City, CA (West Los Angeles). My neighbors and I are in the process of setting up an organic community garden in an unused space in the rear of our communally-owned townhouse complex. The puzzle we're currently trying to unlock is irrigation. Specifically, doing irrigation inexpensively. I thought perhaps someone here may possibly have some wisdom to share, so here's our sitch...

We are fortunate enough to have access to a water source on our property (it's a working hose bib that's just popping out of the ground) kinda near our garden area. Our plan is to tap into that water source and run some subterranean pipe from there into the garden area (which starts about 20 feet away), where we'd have 4 hose bibs spread out amongst the 13 garden plots laid across a big triangle of land that's about 1200 square feet in total area. But because cost is a factor, we'd like to do this in as thrifty a fashion as possible.

The first landscaping plumber we brought in for an estimate quoted us something in the $4,000 range for parts, labor, digging, making the connection, the whole bit. Too rich for our blood.

When the second landscaping plumber came in, we asked for an estimate that assumed that we, the gardeners, would pre-dig the pipe trenches, and that he'd then design the system, bring the pipe, lay it in the pre-dug trenches, connect it to the water source (complete with a dedicated meter and any other required hardware), and install the 4 hose bibs. For that he quoted us $1,500. That's getting closer, but we'd still like to make it even yet more cost effective, if possible, which has us thinking DIY thoughts.

Here's the problem: none of us really has any plumbing experience.

So here's my question: do you think it would be advisable (and cost-effective) for us novice, no-plumbing-experience-but-willing-to-learn gardeners to dig the pipe trenches ourselves AND design the system ourselves AND purchase the pipe and hose bibs ourselves AND even lay the pipe and connect the hose bibs ourselves and then simply call in a professional plumber to make the connection to our water source (complete with a meter, and any other hardware necessary, like a backflow valve)? My hope is that doing the above would save us a lot of money and shrink our plumber's bill down to just a couple hundred bucks. My fear, though, is that our ignorance of the plumbing basics would cause us to make irredeemable mistakes, like buying the wrong type of pipe (i.e., PVC instead of copper, or vice versa), or buying the wrong size of pipe (i.e., too wide, or too narrow), or digging the wrong type of trench (too deep, or too shallow), or some other novice mistake that'll cost us untold amounts of time and money to correct after the fact.

So I turn to y'all for advice.

If anyone here can possibly give us some pointers on our irrigation quest (or perhaps refer us to someone else who can), we here at the (soon to be inaugurated) Rancho Higuera Community Garden would be forever in your debt.

Thanks so much for any wisdom or referrals y'all can spare,

Patrick Meighan
Culver City, CA

Quoted from "HooKooDooKu"

If you want it done on the cheap, what about drip irrigation tubes just running on the ground. It's definitly a DIY sort of project, and pretty cheap. Not to mention that I would think you would want drip irrigation for a garden.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not sure drip irrigation would be the right fit, though, as these'll be raised beds, 13 in all, with different folks, dealing with different and varying sun conditions, growing different veggies and flowers at different times (or, sometimes, growing nothing, or growing cover crop). You know, mongrelized community garden stuff. Also, personally, speaking as the guy who's nominally in charge of coordinating this whole thing, I confess that I have absolutely no experience with drip irrigation whatsoever. At the community garden I gardened at last year (before I moved to this townhouse complex and stupidly opened my mouth and suggested that we start up a community garden here) I became accustomed to the simple irrigation system they used there: a hose bib and a hose placed strategically at the nexus of every four garden plots. That system seemed to work okay, so that's the system I've envisioned for this new community garden. Maybe I just gotta broaden my mind some.

Anyway, any additional wisdom would be more than welcome!

Patrick Meighan
Culver City, CA

I really appreciate all the advice.

Patrick Meighan
Culver City, CA