To ensure best fruit production possible we recommend using drip irrigation. It's the best cost-effective method of guaranteeing your plants of receiving all of their watering needs. We will be happy to assist you with all of your irrigation needs. Call or write for a more detailed flyer on drip irrigation.

Drip irrigation is the slow, even application of water directly to the root zone of a plant. No water is lost to the sun or wind. None is wasted on no-growth areas. This slow application over longer periods of time helps your plants achieve deeper roots and more abundant foliage.

By using emitters that are regulated at 1/2 gallon, 1 gallon or 2 gallons per hour, and are placed directly where the water is needed through 1/2" tubing, you can take of all your watering needs for the home garden, vineyard or orchard. You can feed your irrigation system off your well, city water, stream or pond.

Detailed information is available below:

Step by Step Guide to Determine What You Need
Drip Watering System Layout Examples
Step by Step Installation
System Maintenance
Drip Irrigation and the Muscadine Vineyard
Which Emitter Should I Use?
Questions and Answers about Drip Systems
Ask Us
Irrigation Supplies

Step 1: Make a sketch of the area you wish to irrigate. Include:

• Dimensions
• Row and plant spacing
• Variations in crops, trees, vegetables, flower garden, etc.
• Type and condition of soil
• Location of any walkways, driveways or obstructions

Step 2: Obtain information about your water source:

• Water supply & location (water meter, well, pond, etc.)
• Amount of water in gallons per minute (gpm) available at what pressure in pounds per square inch (psi). (If using well water, consult your pump dealer to find out this information; if using city water, call your local water company and ask them.)
• Check water quality, noting debris, high mineral content or algae which could clog the system.

Step 3: Determine what size emitter you would like to use.

The size emitter depends on you. If you use the 2 gallon per hour emitters, your watering time would be less than if using the 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon. The majority of our customers use the 1 gallon per hour.

We also carry Bowsmith Emitters that are great for irrigating from streams or lakes. They will not stop up. They can be used for any irrigation needs. They are only available in 1/2 gallon and 2 gallons per hour right now.

Step 4: If you wanted to fax your sketch to us (at 770-599-1727) of the total area to be irrigated, we would be happy to give you a detailed list of what we recommend and total cost involved.

Below are some basic items that should be included in most systems.

• Pressure Regulator - This will allow you to regulate your pressure at a level ideal for your drip system. (ACU-32)

  The components in your low-volume drip irrigation system work best when the water pressure is 25 psi or less. In some geogaphic areas you will find water pressures higher than 60 psi. Pressures this high can damage system components. To prevent this, a pressure regulator is recommended.
  Many municipalities require a Back Flow Preventer or Anti-Siphon Vacuum Breaker (ACU-28). This keeps the water from being siphoned from the watering system back up the hose and into your home's drinking water supply.

• 3/4" Female Hose to 1/2" Drip Tubing Adapter - This attaches your tubing to your hose faucets, garden hose or filters. It allows you to attach your irrigation tubing to your water source. (ACU-18)
• Emitters, Hole Punch for Emitters - The emitters are what supplies the water to your plants. Available in 1/2 gallon, 1 gallon and 2 gallons per hour. (ACU-37, ACU-1, ACU-38)
• Couplers - If you have two pieces of tubing you need to connect, this coupler would allow you to do that. It's available in quic-loc and compression. Quic-loc is easier to install. (ACU-22)
• Elbows for 1/2" Tubing - If you need to make a sharp turn with your tubing, this would allow you to do so easily. It is shaped just like an elbow. (ACU-24)
• Tees for 1/2" Tubing - This is in the shape of a "T" which is used on middle rows to branch the tubing off as needed. (ACU-23)
• End Closure for 1/2" Tubing - This would be used at the end of rows to close the tubing off. There are two different end closures available. ACU-26 is shaped lie a figure 8, and the tubing is placed in one hole and then folded back through the other hole. ACU-25 is a Flushable End Cap. When you need to flush lines you can easily remove either one and then replace it when done.
• Goof Plugs - This is used to plug a hole in your tubing which may have been misplaced or needing to be moved. (ACU-15)

Groups of Plants or Ground Covers

Rows and Gardens

Single Plants and Trees

Muscadine Vineyard or Bunch Grapes

Drip System Assembly

Hook the system to a faucet and run water for several minutes to flush out any dirt or debris that may have entered the lines during assembly. Turn off your water and add your hose end closures and your pressure reguators. Your drip system is now ready.

Installing Drip Emitters

• Punch a hole in the side of the 1/2" tubing with hole punch where drip emitter is desired. Use your Insert Tool (if using Micro Flappers) to push the emitter into the hole. Turn the emitter to the desired location so water drips to the side of the tubing where the plants are located.
• To run a drip emitter to a plant located away from the 1/2" tubing, connect the necessary length of 1/4" feeder tubing to a connector (ACU-9). Punch a hole in the 1/2" tubing with the hole punch. Push the connector into the hole in 1/2" tubing and screw the emitter into the other end of the feeder tube and place in the desired location.

  A single run of feeder tubing should not exceed 10 feet.

Each faucet or water source can support up to 200 gph of flow. To determine whether you are within this range, simply total up the gph capacity of each drip emitter.

NOTE: If you place a hole where you don't need it, just insert a goof plug (ACU-15)

Multi-Pattern Sprayer/Spinner and Sprinkler Installation

Multi-pattern sprinklers are designed for watering low dense plantings, e.g. ground covers, or flowers along a sidewalk, where you want to water only one side.
1. Insert Acu-Spinner or Acu-Sprayer into heavy walled riser (ACU-34)
2. Push riser directly onto a connector (ACU-9)
3. Punch hole in the top of the 1/2" tubing and connect the riser directly into the 1/2" tubing. Cover the 1/2" tubing with soil to keep the riser in the upright position.
Alternative Method
1. Insert sprayer/spinner onto riser.
2. Push riser directly onto a connector.
3. Install riser onto 12" support stake (ACU-35), then push feeder tubing from connector on riser onto connector on 1/2" tubing.
4. Push - don't drive - support stake into ground to desired height. Be sure and push far enough that the stake is sturdy. Remember to place sprayers/spinners so that water spray overlaps.

System MaintenanceTop of This Page

Once you drip system is installed, you can virtually forget about it except, of course, for turning on and off the water.

The drip system works most efficiently when used for longer periods of time at low pressure and low flow.

There are a number of variables to consider in determining how long you should water. Different plantings have different watering needs. Your soil type and climate also will affect the length of time you need to water.

Your drip system should be flushed and cleaned at least once per year. Simply remove the hose end caps or figure 8 closures from the system and run water through it for a few minutes.

Winterizing your Watering System - In areas that receive a hard freeze, it's a good idea to winterize your drip system by draining all the water from it. This can be accomplished by:

1. Unscrew the female hose ends from the outdoor faucet.
2. Attach an air compressor to the female hose end.
3. Remove end closures and end caps.
4. Use air pressure to blow all the water from the system.

Drip Irrigation and the Muscadine VineyardTop of This Page

Here at Ison's we feel drip irrigation is imperative to our vineyards.
1. It ensures large fruit size.
2. It increases plant growth.
3. It increases fruit quality.
4. It decreases diseases.
We saw a great improvement in our fruit crop once we installed our drip system.

Installation

• Tubing: We run the tubing 8 - 12 inches above the ground and attach it to the wire using drip locs.
• Emitters: We install a 1 gallon Micro Flapper emitter on each side of the vine about 18 inches from the plant.
• Fertilizer: We do not recommend a system that installs the fertilizer through the drip system because we have found that the fertilizer is not evenly distributed and vines at the end of the row usually do not get fertilized.
• Water Source: We run the water source to the vineyard using pvc piping buried under ground. This way you can mow down through the rows without having to worry about your drip system. There are adapters available to go from the pvc to your 1/2" tubing.
  The size of the vineyard will determine how to water. We have a 30 acre vineyard that runs off one well. Our vineyard is divided into 4 sections that we alternate between. We run each section for 12 hours at a time, and then go to a different section.

When to water

We start watering about April 15th and will water until about the middle of September.

How often to water

For the backyard grower we recommend watering three times a week for 8 - 10 hours at a time. If you have had a lot of rainfall, this would be decreased.

Which Emitter Should I Use?Top of This Page

• Micro-Flapper Emitters - These are pressure regulating and self-flushing. They are used primarily to deliver water to individual plants, and can be installed into 1/2" drip tubing either above or below ground. Water can be applied directly from tubing or directed with porting or feeding tubing. If used under ground, porting or feeder tubing must be used to prevent clogging. Available in 1/2, 1 and 2 gallons per hour size.
• Bowsmith Emitters - These are non-stop emitters, and are the only emitter that can irrigate out of a lake without a sand filter. Best emitter on the market for all irrigation needs.
In our vineyards we use the Micro Flapper Emitters in 1 gallon size. We are irrigating directly from a deep well.

Questions and Answers about Drip SystemsTop of This Page

When is the best time to water?

Drip irrigation systems provide your plants with the slow, deep, uniform supply of water they need, encouraging the growth of roots and enabling the plant to seek out water at different levels in the soil. Water in the morning, when humidity ishigh and temperature is low. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. This enables air to mix with the soil particles and aid in plant growth.

How many emitters can I have on my drip system?

Each separate water source (e.g. faucet or other water source) can accomodate up to 200 gallons per hour of flow. This means you can use 200 1 gph drip emitters or 100 2 gph or 400 1/2 gph drip emitters.

How many gallons of water per week do muscadines require?

We suggest 32 to 36 gallons of water per week.

What are some tips on ensuring the most efficient water saving action?

• Always use a pressure regulator at your water source to ensure proper pressure.
• Always use a hole punch when installing emitters so the hole will not leak.
• Make sure no dirt enters your system during installation. If it does, flush system prior to using.
• Select the appropriate emitters and flow rates.
• Water early in the morning for maximum water savings.

My emitters keep getting clogged with dirt. What can I do?

If your emitters clog often, it may be a sign there is dirt in your water supply. In that case, you might want to consider adding a filter (ACU-29) to keep out debris.

Ask UsTop of This Page

If you have any questions concerning your drip irrigation order, please call us and we will be happy to help you.

You may fax your layout to us and we will be happy to draw your system out for you and give you a complete list of what you need as well as costs.

Because each 1000 foot roll of tubing weighs about 50 pounds, there is a shipping charge of $10.00 per roll. If ordering a large quantity, let us know and we will try to give you a break on shipping.

Irrigation SuppliesTop of This Page

DRIP IRRIGATION

ACU-40 1/2" PVC TO Poly Adapter CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $  .40

ACU-41 Male Pipe Thread Adapter (1/2" tube to 3/4" MPT) . . . . . .. . .  $  .95

ACU-43 Drip Locks (Attaches tubing to wire) 1/2" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $  .06

1/2" Poly Flex Hose (Guaranteed 7 years)
100' - $12.00                    500' - $45.00                            1000' - $85.00

Micro-Flapper Emitter Price Breaks:

Bowsmith Non-stop Emmitters. Only emitters you can irrigate out of lake with. Best emitter on the market.

1 - 50 --- .60                51-100 --- .58   101 - Up --- .56