Thinking back from when I had drip active...

I used the 1/2 inch poly distribution tube under the benches and secured it with clamps designed for conduit. They are big plastic staples with a couple nails you can drive in. Hammering upside down isn't easy, but it is actually very simple.

I used some heads called "shrubblers" that worked pretty well rather than misters in one test. You can't really mix shrubblers with misters on the same distribution lines because the volume of water applied between a sprinkler and a mister is vastly different.

Another option is micro soaker hose. It comes in 1/4 diameter and either is made of dense porous foam or laser-drilled plastic tubing (perhaps more prone to clogging). It even comes in some of the plant kits you can get, for tomatoes I believe, and it is probably the solution that is least prone to dislodging because you can put it right down on the soil in a loop fed from a T fitting, and even use little wire staples to hold it right down on the soil surface.

Consider using a redundant system with two timers and two sets of 1/2" distribution tubing.

On the misters - I tried with success wiring some of the 1/4" distribution tubing with aluminum bonsai wire to make a bendable gooseneck 2 feet long or so. You can position them at any angle!

Regards,

Matt

so how many drippers did you use per plant ?

Hello Hodge,
Normally one dripper head per plant....a one gallon per hour driphead. They come one gallon per hour, two gallons per hour and four gallons per hour.
I have a huge boxwood in a training pot that has a four gallon dripper on it and a very large elm in a bonsai pot that has two drip heads on it, I believe they are two gallon drippers. But most of my junipers in bonsai pots have only 1 one gallon dripper on each plant. You need to play with it when you get it set up, if you use the timer, how long will you set the water to be on, how many times a day or a week? What ever seems to work for you.

Now that the winter is here I am only watering for 30 minutes twice a week.
This summer I will probably water for 30 minutes twice a day, every day.
Hope this helps.
susieq

Now are you using drippers, or the mister style ? Thanks for your help..

Hodge,
I am using drippers although I am thinking of adding a couple of mist heads too. But right now, just drippers. I think in the brutal heat of our summers here, misters might not be very effective. I suspect the mist would evaporate too quickly to help the trees at all.
susieq

Hello all

I had an emergency situation come up where I needed a quick temporary drip system for only a few trees and not for and extended time period. I went to the local Retirement Home and was able to get some past date IV drip bags (like used in hospitals). Rinse them out well (only salene solution) and they worked great temporarily. I was able to adjust the amount of drip. Could be a temporary solution while you figure out what system and configuration will work best for you, but be prepared to get some strange looks.

What a great solution!! Hehehehe... that must be quite a look, IV bags hanging over your trees.

Joanie

I am a fan of the micro soaker hose as it waters the entire pot, not just under the dripper (especially in very open soil mixes). There are two ways to wrap it around the pot - connect it to the source hose using a T fitting, or use a straight fitting with thin wire up the middle of the soaker hose (then bend to shape).

The disadvantage of the t-fitting is that it puts circle around the trunk, meaning one end has to be removed to take the plant off the stand; but otherwise it is a good solution ensuring even watering and allowing the pot to be rotated easily. Viasit this site to see it in use with this method: http://www.gsbf-bonsai.org/kusamura/collection/

The micro soaker hose also seems less susceptible to the plants on the end of the line getting less water due to pressure loss from having too many drippers. This is an impression, no science behind it.