that's pretty cool!! i like how you explained everything!! thanks for showing it all and letting us peek in!! :'))

Very groovy! You've got a good set up there!

Very cool! You not only did the research but executed it perfectly! I was worried about the plywood bottom until I saw it was on concrete. Well done! I've looked into the drip system. I hope it works well for you with the rain barrel. That was my concern. You're garden will be overflowing with growth before you know it! Thanks for sharing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!

I think it looks great :) I love your watering system, I'd love something like that for mine.

Wow...now that is groovy! Loved the watering system-not sure if the PVC will hold a lot of weight but maybe with tomatoes and cucumbers you will be okay. Once you get 50+ pounds of fruit on the trellis it tends to bend and break...very nice though....

hmmm....what would be a good and cheap way to hold up them?? i am wanting to do these and am keeping al these bookmarked (ohh boy is it full!! LOL) i shoulda just printed just the ones i wanted LOL between here and the compost and winter sowing. LOL

I love the way you repurposed the goal -- great thinking!

I've tried similar drip systems from barrels and not been happy with the uneven distribution that i got. what exactly are you using for distribution tubing? do you think you're getting even distribution, that is the end run getting the same as the port closest to the barrel?

Thanks for the compliments and stuff. I considered the weight issue on the PVC. That is why I added the "third leg" attached to the back. It seems fairly sturdy, although I really didn't consider 50 pounds of vegetables hanging off of it. It might hold 50 pounds if it was distributed across the entire span, but yeah, 50 pounds in any particular spot would likely kill it.

In regards to the drip system, I used 1/4" laser cut drip tubing for everything. I did notice uneven watering due to lack of pressure form the 20 gallon barrel. After some troubleshooting this morning, I realized that the water timer I was using was causing the issue. I took the drip system adapter off the timer and set the timer to manual 'on', and the water just dribbled out. I removed the timer itself and the water flowed out of the the ball valve with plenty of force. Turns out, my timer was not the type that works with low pressure drip systems. I then attached the drip tube adapter directly to the ball valve and the water flowed like a river evenly to each dirp hole along the tube. I was even able to pick the drip tube up in the air a few inches and it would still drip, drip, drip. I did not get hyper technical and measure the output of each drip point into a cup or anything, but it does appear, at least to the naked eye, that the overall drippage at the drip point farthest away from the barrel drips the exact same amount as the one closest to the barrel.

The drip tubing I am using, by the way, is the SH50 by DIG which has a flow rate of .5 GHP. This probably explains why the flow is regulated, and even at each distribution point, because it is not simply a tube with a bunch of holes. I don't know... it seems to work well, so I am not too worried.

Someone mentioned the spacing. I have noticed that this could become an issue, whereas the laser drilled holes in my tubing are spaced at 12" intervals. As you can see in the picture, I was able to overcome this problem by simply running two tubes down each square foot, instead of one. Yeah, to some extent the issue still exists, but at this point in the process, it is still early to determine how much water is needed exactly where, so I am not overly concerned about that just yet.

I have considered using maybe a 1/16" drill bit to add holes if necessary, but that may cause other issues with the water then not reaching the holes beyond the ones I drill. Another option would be to just rearrange the tubes a bit to make sure water goes where it is needed, or even add more drip tubes as needed. I got 50 feet of the tubing at Home Depot for right around $5. It is amazingly cheap!

Right now I have enough little connector pieces left over to add a several extra drip points with very little work involved. At Lowes, they had a variety pack of connectors which had a few elbows, Ts, and joints for just a couple of dollars, so I bought a few of those, so I think I am good to go.

If I can remember, I will add new pictures as the vegetables grow, but I drink a whole lot of beer, so I will likely forget. 8-)

Here is a link that might be useful: my sfg

keep us posted on how it all works out...that is one slick set-up you have there....