Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

If you use a pressure reducer or something, can you use a lager (1/16 inch) drill bit rather than than a number 57 drill bit recommended for drilling the first 30 feet of plastic irrigation pipe? Or must a smaller size drill bit always be used for the first 30 feet and a larger size bit always be used for over 30 feet? And what of longer runs? Would bigger diameter pipe be needed and if so, after how many feet? How would or by how much would irrigation output volume be affected ahead of the 10 feet junction (because of smaller holes) and just after the 10 feet junction (because of larger holes)?

One last question. How WIDE a ribbon area will the three holes (every 4 inches) be expected to adequately cover in average soil and also in sand. I think there may be a difference.

All comments and ideas appreciated. Thanks Chuck G.

Chuck & Group:

A #57 bit is recommended on the first 30', no matter the pressure. 1/16th" after that. We don't recommend beds longer than 50', nor do we recommend different sized pipe.

We haven't done measurements on output, but the system works well.

Beds are 18" wide, ridge tip to ridge tip, and about 12" wide in the planting area. The pipe, with holes drilled at 45 degree angles, handles any type soil, just by raising or lowering the pipe a bit with different sized blocks.

Jim Kennard

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