Help with drip irrigation/sprinkler system for palms.

[Aaron854]

I've been watering my yard by hand for the last couple years and decided to put it in a drip system.

The palms I'm adding to a drip system were all planted within the last 2 years.

Canary island date palm with 3' of trunk

King palms with about 2-3' of trunk

Pigmy date palms with 1-2' of trunk.

For those who use an irrigation system, what is the best type to use for these palms? How long should I let it run for, at what rate, how many times per week?
I live in San Diego where it is very dry, soil is clay but I have a thick layer of mulch over everything. 


I will also be connecting the drip system to other plants such as ficus, giant birds of paradise, avocado, orange, strawberry tree, golden dewdrop, bottlebrush, and some small flowers. Would it be appropriate to run all of these on the same timer/system? I have 2 1" pvc pipe sprinkler lines setup currently, one of which runs the grass sprinklers, and the other is currently unused. I figure the plants that need more frequent watering, such as flowers, I'll connect to the grass sprinkler line, and I'll put the currently unused line on the palms/shrubs/trees, which will all be set to a slower drip. 

I'd appreciate any guidance on the best way to plan this watering system.

[Chris Chance]

Drip is definitely the way to go. I actually set different emitters for each plant. Most emitters I have are only one gallon an hour but I'll add 2,3 or 4 depending on size and water needs. For plants like bananas I use adjustable emitters to soak the area. Also run time varies with heat. I'll run for 2 hours qt a time once or twice a week. Also when you run drip make sure the line has a pressure regulator or the line will explode. 

[NorCalWill]

I agree that drip is the way to go. It puts the water right where you want it for a good deep soaking. It's nice to go out once in a while with a hose (as long as your neighbors don't see you if you live in California) and spray everything down and wash off the leaves, which I like to do occasionally. I have a couple of stations for my palms with a few 2gph emitters evenly spaced around the trunks. I'd recommend 2gph or higher. Depending on what palms you are growing, some may not need as much water as other, like Parajubaea torallyi for example, which has been reported to die with over watering (ask DoomsDave). So it is better to have more than one station if you can. Can you add a 3rd or 4th valve?

I'd keep the lawn on its own station without tapping into it to hit other plants, but I guess it depends on the layout of your yard. You will have more control over your yard if you have similar plants being watered on their own designated station. I've had situations where I've tapped into a line with overhead sprayers to add a drip line, which works, but it also messes with the water pressure. So you may not be getting the gph that you think you are.

I also recommend buying all of your irrigation supplies from a professional source, like Ewing, Horizon, or whatever you have in your area. Places like these will likely give you guidance that you probably won't get at big box chains, and I think that the product quality is better as well. One more tip, be consistent with buying parts, sticking with the same brand. The average 'do it yourselfer' doesn't even think of this, but I've gone to client's homes to repair irrigation systems and they hand me a box of random parts that they've collected over the years, which sometimes aren't compatible with each other because they bought them at 6 different stores. I just like consistency.

 

 

[Billeb]

I would definitely run at least another valve. Ideally 2 more. As @NorCalWill stated, you want to have your grass on its own valve. The run times are completely different than drip. Everyone told me to either put that plastic “grass” in or no grass at all but I’m a big fan of real grass. Definitely in the minority on these pages. 
I installed multiple emitter sizes in my garden depending on the species, size, location etc. As an example,  I have a quad multi Arch. Alexandrae that has qty 3 (3gph) emitters on it. Drip runs for 30 min every 3 days. I have multiple 3 or 5 gallon sized Dypsis that only have a 1gph emmiters on them. There is just too many variables. 
Somebody on here recommended Bowsmith clog free emmiters from Drip Depot so I use those exclusively and never had issues. A little expensive compared to others I’ve seen but oh well. 
As a note regarding the valves: a 1/2” drip transfer tube can support approx 200gph of emmiters so depending on the size of your yard and future visions, you may need to install another valve anyway. That seems like a lot but it does add up. 
 

-dale

[Aaron854]

Billeb: thanks for the suggestion of the bowsmith clog free emitters. I've heard that's the biggest problem with drip systems is that they will sometimes clog and you won't know until the associated plant starts dying. I was hoping to find a higher quality one that will last a while. As far as drip size, it sounds like I'll just have to guess and give the plant more if it starts to look brown.

Norcalwill: you said you put a few 2g emitters around each palm. So does that mean 6g/h for 30 minutes? Would that amount of water be appropriate for canary island date palm? I'm thinking 4g of emitters for the kings, and 2g/h for the pigmy's.

[Billeb]

32 minutes ago, Aaron854 said:

Billeb: thanks for the suggestion of the bowsmith clog free emitters. I've heard that's the biggest problem with drip systems is that they will sometimes clog and you won't know until the associated plant starts dying. I was hoping to find a higher quality one that will last a while. As far as drip size, it sounds like I'll just have to guess and give the plant more if it starts to look brown.

Norcalwill: you said you put a few 2g emitters around each palm. So does that mean 6g/h for 30 minutes? Would that amount of water be appropriate for canary island date palm? I'm thinking 4g of emitters for the kings, and 2g/h for the pigmy's.

Trying to determine how much water is a little chore but it’s not rocket science. I personably picked irrigating for 30min at a time just because it was easy to keep track of the amount of water due to simple math. I’ve heard others on here water for much longer. 
i was told first I had to figure out how much I was watering a week for each plant, then use that number to figure out what gph emitter to use. I started using a 2G watering can and kept track of how much water each palm was taking. That’s the easiest way I could figure it out. 
 

I currently water every 3 days for 30min per station but that will be cut back to every 4 days during the winter and likely skipped during wet spells. I’m in Hunt. Beach,CA where it’s not crazy hot. 
 

-dale

[NorCalWill]

2 hours ago, Aaron854 said:

Norcalwill: you said you put a few 2g emitters around each palm. So does that mean 6g/h for 30 minutes? Would that amount of water be appropriate for canary island date palm? I'm thinking 4g of emitters for the kings, and 2g/h for the pigmy's.

With my younger, smaller palms, 6-8 gph for 30 minutes is about right 3 days a week. In late spring after the rains and early fall as the weather cools, I only water twice a week. 
If your Canary Isle Dates are fairly big, 6gph may not be enough since that’s only 3 gallons. Might be better to run it for an hour for a deeper soaking. I space emitters about 16-18” apart and about a foot away from the trunk, so with a bigger trunk, you may need more than 3 emitters. And if this is the case, I’d put a few a little farther from the trunk. Another option is to use Netafim tubing that comes with emitters already evenly spaced. All you do is roll it out, stake it down, and mulch over it.  
 

This is the emitter I currently use. It’s made by Netafim and popular for use in vineyards where I live because they’re big and don’t clog easily. I use them in landscapes that run on wells and I haven’t had any problems with sediment clogging them up like I have with smaller emitters. 

[thallo]

Definitely set up separate zones and use colored duct tape on discrete sections to identify them. Keep detailed notes on what you’ve installed for future reference (particularly important if you use a mix of emitter line and drip emitter).

I use 1/4” Jain 6” spaced emitterline (1gph/ft) for my palms and netafim drip emitters for my other large landscape plants on a second zone (grevilleas, assorted aloe specimens, Adenanthos, etc). I run the emitterline off 1/2 main tube in a spiral around the trunk and cap off with a goof plug. Make sure the drip emitters you choose are pressure-compensating. I use one or two 0.3 or 0.5 gph emitters for a few potted Chamaedorea plumosa I have near my front steps/gate. 

I have Rhopalostylis sapida, R baueri, Beccariophoenix alfredii, and Phoenix robelenii each on ~9ft of emitterline. I run the irrigation for 60-75 minutes once a week for a deep watering and keep a thick layer of mulch on top. My entire garden is raised above Street grade behind a retaining wall so my soil drains rapidly and I want the palms to grow deep root systems. I plan on gradually reducing watering frequency/length as days become shorter and we head into the rainy season.  I occasionally handwater the entire planted area to help the Palmgain fertilizer wash into the soil. 
 

good luck! You’ll be so happy once you’ve got drip installed. It makes life so much easier 

[Merlyn]

I have probably 500' of 1/2" main drip line run around the yard, and at least 2000 button emitters.  My zones are split up between 3 timers (front, E side, W/back side) but each zone runs for 30 minutes to keep the math simple.  I live in swampy FL with loose sandy soil, so my total gallons-per-palm wouldn't be accurate for dry San Diego.  But essentially I put in 0.5gph drippers for small palms/seedlings and 1gph or 2gph (or multiples) for bigger palms or ones that really want more water.  Some palms (like Chamaerops) I have no drippers, because they get more than enough in normal rainfall. 

I do NOT use the perforated drip tubing because it clogs easily, especially with my well water.  I just run 1/2" line in loops, install button drippers, and use 1/4" line to go to each palm or cycad or bamboo.  

Make sure you purge your 1/2" line before installing the drippers.  There's always some dust/dirt/sand in the line, and it'll sometimes clog drippers instantly.  I forgot to do this once, and had to replace 6 brand new drippers that filled up with sand.  Otherwise my generic Rainbird button drippers (from HD) have been very reliable.

You can also use the small fan sprayers or misters if you have an area of tropicals (or a nursery area of seedlings) that need even coverage.  The sprayers on a stick work very well.  I don't use the bubblers, they only cover a tiny 1' diameter area.  

Keep in mind that the 25psi or 30psi regulators do clog up over time, especially on well water.  So make sure they are accessible, and check your system every once in a while to make sure it's still flowing.  I've had to clean and/or replace several regulators that just stopped flowing.  If you are covering a big area with fan sprayers, consider using regular sprinklers instead of drip.  It'll mean less clogging of the drip regulators.

[Billeb]

41 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I have probably 500' of 1/2" main drip line run around the yard, and at least 2000 button emitters.  My zones are split up between 3 timers (front, E side, W/back side) but each zone runs for 30 minutes to keep the math simple. 

So approx how much gph in total are on each 1/2” main drip line run? Trying to determine if hearsay is correct as the total gph a 1/2” line can distribute is approx 200gph supposedly. 

I have 3 stations and each station has about 100gph total of emitters as of now. But my garden is in its infancy and many more emitters will be put in. Thanks. 
 

-dale

[Merlyn]

Just now, Billeb said:

So approx how much gph in total are on each 1/2” main drip line run? Trying to determine if hearsay is correct as the total gph a 1/2” line can distribute is approx 200gph supposedly. 

I have 3 stations and each station has about 100gph total of emitters as of now. But my garden is in its infancy and many more emitters will be put in. Thanks. 
 

-dale

I'm not sure on the emitters per zone or per run of line, unfortunately.  That's because I ran lines all over the place and then the garden expanded.  And then more lines, and more emitters, and...er...I really should start over from scratch at some point.   

But I read the same thing on ~200gph total for each run of 1/2" line.  Dripworks says that 1/2" can carry up to 240gph.  Other places say 200' maximum.  So total capacity depends on run distance  and gph, since pressure drops off with high volume and long run distance.  As an example, I have one zone that does about 300 feet of Viburnum shrubs with 1x 2gph dripper on each shrubbery.  At 6 feet apart that's about 50 Viburnum x 2gph = 100gph total.  It worked fine with that large number of drippers, and I probably had another 50gph in other drippers along the way.  It was fine there, but when I added a "T" to go off to the center area in the backyard the flow rate dropped quite a bit at the end of the line.  So I split that off into its own zone, with only a couple of other drippers on that long line.  It's probably still running ~150gph on that line, and seems to work okay.  I haven't checked the actual gph at the far end recently, but when I added 1 more Viburnum shrubbery and another 2gph dripper, it seemed to be "dripping" visually at about the right rate.