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Beechgrove, KY, USA

I want to do a couple acres of pumpkins/vegetables. Have used drip irrigation before with city water but want to use the well. It has a 3/4 horse jet pump that needs to be replaced. I have talked with several pump manufacturers and am getting several very different opinions. Need to pump about 200 yards to the field then through low flow irrigation strip. The water quality is I believe great. Will zone off into 4 different sections. Any thoughts would be appreciated this looks to be an expensive endeavor.

1/13/2007 12:22:01 PM

southwest MO

Use the biggest diameter hose or pipe you can get away with to tranverse the 600' to the patch. Heres a couple #'s for you. (These #'s are aprox. all you technical folks)
It takes 54,275 gal to make 1 inch water on 2 acre. If your going 4 zones thats 13,570 a 1/2 acre. Lets say .25 inch would be a good drink... Thats roughly 3,400 gallons per zone for .25 inch. To deliver that in 1 hour it would take 56.5 gallon a minute. To deliver in 2 hours that would be 28.3 gallons per minute. I belive your biggest challenge will be having that kind of volume at 600'. If you use drip you will have far less psi demand. If you need higher psi and volume you will need alot more horse power than 3/4.

1/13/2007 1:57:44 PM

Montoursville, PA

Holy cow.........'de boy genius is right on target. First time out of the barn.:) The real problem is finding local folks that can understand the functional facts. Honest I can't do any better. Take that post to your locals and watch for the stress lines above their eyes. :)

1/13/2007 2:28:20 PM

Montoursville, PA

Not jolking here.........Where in the well is the water? How much water can your well supply. The locals should be able to answer this too. If not keep looking cause these two fact need to be known first.

1/13/2007 2:30:56 PM

Find and talk to your local "well" men,,, get a reference from someone you trust about who to call. These are the guys that get paid for doing these things in your area. Well worth spending some time and getting their suggestions and estimates for this project b4 you jump into something you're not really trained in.

Boy genuis has done the math, doc's right, show them those numbers and let them make an assesment of what you need after they look at your site,,,things we don't know like elevation to the patch are critical for sizing pumps and supply line.

1/13/2007 3:03:26 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Yep, Boy's numbers look right. A couple years ago a grower named Brian _____? who was a hydraulic engineer could have taken Boy's figures & given us everything else right down to the part numbers for the various fittings, etc.

Anyone else remember him?

1/13/2007 3:37:04 PM

southwest MO

Thanks for the support guys... Thats a good point about the volume of water the well can supply. Jet pump tells me its probably not a deep well, and may not have the recharge you'll need. You dont want your new pump running dry... Do your home work.

1/13/2007 4:36:33 PM

Beechgrove, KY, USA

Ok guys thanks for the help but how bout this thought could I get a gas pump like the ones you use in lakes and just drop the line into the well? Then Irrigate while workin around the farm it takes a bit more attention but if we expand we will probably go to a sand filter/pump to use in the lake. Also I want something somewhat mobile cause where I'm going to use it is kinda in the way.

Thanks in advance

1/13/2007 8:54:30 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

If the patch is flat could just fill some raised barrels and keep the drip going all day.

1/13/2007 9:34:39 PM

southwest MO

Good luck Biscuit. Sounds like your all over it...

1/13/2007 9:35:38 PM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

like they said, you well man will tell you how many GPM, you can pump, the best bet is to probably get a holding tank, the bigger the better

1/16/2007 7:22:59 PM