Mastering Drip Tape Installation: Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to master drip tape installation with our step-by-step guide! Join Travis from Lazy Dog Farm as he walks you through setting up drip irrigation for your garden plot. From mainline tubing to drip tape, get ready to transform your gardening game. Subscribe for more helpful tips and tricks!
CHAPTERS:
0:00: 🌱 Efficient installation of drip tape for spring planting in a cleaned-up plot.
2:47: ⚙️ Efficient installation tips and steps for drip tape system setup.
5:51: 💧 Optimizing irrigation system with thicker drip tape for efficient watering and longer lifespan.
8:14: ✂️ Efficiently install drip tape: use scissors for clean cuts, secure fittings near emitters, and punch holes accurately.
11:05: 🌱 Efficient spacing for planting cabbage plants with drip tape installation.
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[@MsCharlie2007]

Did not expect Alabama to be catching strays at 7am from a gardening video. 😂

[@waynephillips2777]

Alabama guy here. Travis, you are wrong on the math...Georgia education I guess.. the wall thickness happens twice in that situation. In Alabama that makes the wall thickness 1/16". Just picking at you.. I enjoy your work and your banter.

[@LazyDogFarm]

You got me!

[@waynephillips2777]

It's all in fun! @@LazyDogFarm

[@strayhorn4323]

I sure was coming here to say same thing if it hadnt been pointed out lol.......... Hook 'em!

[@davidward1259]

For the people new to drip tape, I will also add you don't need a large garden to benefit from drip tape. We have been using it for 4 years in our 240 sq ft of raised beds (4 beds, 3' wide x 20' long). Also you can expand beyond a basic system by adding a battery powered timer valve and even liquid fertilizer injectors to feed via a simple drip system. The timer valve makes it so easy as the little computer inside does not forget to water, or forget to turn the water off at the end of the programmed time. Drip is the way to go!!!!

[@beautyIntheBrickHouse]

My favorite " watch out for firrre ants" 😂

[@hlowens5780]

Drip tape is an awesome way to water the garden. Saves time and effort. I know each plant gets what it needs. Water and nutrients! However, best results when using a BEVO bucket. Hook em horns! Thanks Travis!!

[@triciakokoszka581]

Thanks for all the good info. My drip supplies were all just delivered today and I can't tell you how helpful your drip blog post was in making sure I had all the supplies I needed. We've got a couple days of rain but as soon as it clears, I'm headed out to set it up. This is my fifth year with a large garden and I'll tell you (not that I need to) once that summer heat and humidity sets in, the last thing I want to do is water by hand which can take me a couple of hours. I am beyond jazzed for this summer with drip.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

I commented when you did a drip tape video for Hoss Tools, leave the drip tape open until you've flushed it. Dirt gets in the lines during installation and if it's not flushed out the only place for it to go is in the emitters.

[@caseyarmstrong7064]

Hey Travis, one thing people might not know, is like you said. It’s . 47 GPH let’s say 1/2 gallon per hour, per 100ft. At 6” spacing, you have roughy 200 emitters. Now if my math is right, those emitters are barely dripping out any water. People as myself think there getting plenty of water, when there really not. I’ve asked you this question before, and your comment was that you said you might water your tomatoes all nite. Your not just going water for an hr, it’s going to be more like 8hrs. Maybe you can talk about this. Great video Travis, I do love drip tape, but may go to something with a little more flow, thank you

[@TargaWheels]

He did a short video on this today, and I asked about that because free-flowing, he can get 7 (8) gallons per minute. But when its capped with small emitters, he won't get that flow/gallons per minute. I was going to suggest to him maybe getting bigger emitter holes to shorten the watering time, but I think maybe the emitters closest to the faucet might end up flowing better than emitters at the end. And probably get uneven watering? Not sure.

[@bryangiron7611]

this is the video I needed to see going into this season... last summer's drought brutalized my garden, won't happen again.

[@sherrylingenfelter8991]

Your videos are so good as you teach and show, versus talking about it. 🙌

[@jerrygeorgopolis8015]

Excellent ! Thanks Travis !

[@2skyland]

This is perfect...I was just about to get my drip tape setup going because I'm going to plant corn on double rows and see how it does and was about to do a deep dive on everything you just covered. Thank you so much!

[@Rabbi393]

I'm knee to drip tape and fertilizer boa drip tape. I appreciate your straightforward nature. Thanks. Give'm Hell and 'How bout them dogs"😊

[@lauras5312]

Thanks Travis 😀

[@ADHD_1958]

This was fantastic explanation and demonstrations! Thank you Travis!

[@freddensmore2287]

Thanks for this video, on drip tape watering system set up, I enjoyed seeing how to set up watering with drip irrigation.

[@TheRealWattLife]

Great information, as always, and the Alabama jokes are hilarious. Go Dawgs!

[@2ponshomeplace132]

It would be so helpful if Drip Depot would have a kit called.."Lazy Dog Drip Kit" for all us newbies.

[@zippy1078]

Hi. If I'm not mistaken, Hoss Tools sells the kits in both 8 mil and 15 mil tape

[@williamcobb1408]

I love the review. I've been thinking about swapping over to 15 mil after this year.

[@halsmith2174]

Questions: (1) My raised beds are 4 feet wide - 1 drip tape or 2? (2) How often to water? Yeah, I know depends on rain, etc. What should soil look/feel like - dry and crumbly, still bit wet (moist), plants communicating "We obviously need water!", OR setting aside rain on somewhat a regular basis. Here in Northwest Georgia - Bartow County - we have had l-o-n-g dry spells as in drought! My beds are organically rich (mulched in fall with leaves, turned over in spring, and remulched at planting, compose down over summer, remulch in fall. etc. Going for about 15-20 years - water retention is really good~! Great videos Travis, Thanks.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I'd at least do two lines of drip in a 4' wide bed, if not four. I like to water mine every other day assuming no rain.

[@dlc9345]

Thanks

[@OrioleHomestead]

Great visual and information for people. My setup is the same, except i use 1 in and 3/4 in mainline tubing as it isn't the row feet as much as the gph equation of no more than 480 or 960 gph. I have enough lines in 1 of my zones it requires the 1 inch tubing because of gph. Plus, it makes it easier as i use sprinkler valves and timer box in house to operate my zones, and those are 1 in. valves.

[@user-ei9qx7vt2k]

Love your videos. Been using drip tape for 5 years now and as mentioned by others, it is a game changer. I have three zones of garden so I like to run a main line to each zone from my water supply (Hose bib), I use a 3 zone timer so each zone gets watered separately on different days. I use row starts with shut off valves on every row so I can shut off any row if needed. AND, you didn't mention how easy it is to fertilize everything with an injection system. Most items used for drip tape are used many times so the initial cost is the biggest expense, But the time you save watering is worth it many times over. I was very worried how complicated it drip tape seemed. But, after the first time using it. I wish I did it years earlier. It's not complicated at all. Always use a filter so the emitters do not get clogged. and always use a pressure regulator or you will blow out the drip tape.

[@Windyhillfarm71]

Great video thanks for doing it. I have rocky soil, I think next time I will buy 15 mil tape, just for peace of mind.

[@marysdollhousediary7897]

I like the information you give. Have you ever done irrigation for containers

[@skippydugan6848]

Hey Travis it's Skippy over here in Bama near Huntsville. I appreciate you doing the math on the thickness of the hose. Them daggum fractions always get me confused. The last calculation I had to do was a few months back at the end of the Bama vs Dawgs game. 27-24=3 The Tide had 3 more points than the Dawgs at the end of the game. 🤣🤣🤣 I'm pretty sure my calculations are right but since you're from Georgia can you do me a favor double check my math if you have time?

[@LazyDogFarm]

You got that one right! Good to see y'all have been practicing that math over there. I'm proud of y'all. lol

[@jmac3163]

Ha, good one. We Gator fans, although we don't have much to cheer about these days, know that the tubing has 2 sides...5/8" - 1/2" = 1/8" divided by 2 sides is 1/16" thick.😉

[@zippy1078]

Good one Skippy. I love it! I was conflicted before the game because I like both teams lol.

[@jasperthomas8048]

Emitters up!

[@Chris-op7yt]

i've been using the 8mm drip tape with that rather large emitter spacing. problem is for larger rooted plants, like tomatoes or eggplants, the water doesnt reach very far from the tape. so i've been having to put two lines per row, about a foot apart, else only wets a very thin section of row. for smaller crops, like lettuce, i can use each tape line, to double up crop, in my small veggie plot. instead of hauling the drum of drip tape, i've knocked up a simple frame from wood, and now i just pull out the required tape instead.

[@PG_Living]

I might have found a place for Turkey Creek Tomatoes. Out of Kentucky. Little Diddle Homestead.

[@ibegrubbin]

While I’m still investing in my garden and have other things to buy I do want to install the drip tape in my raised beds because I just don’t have time in the morning to hand water and then I come home and the plants are really thirsty.

[@dieag8273]

Hi I like your website. Question. Do you mulch? Why or why not? What type is good. Can we incorporate it into the soil biology?

[@allantrafford6262]

Hey Travis, is it too early to start solstice corn right now? I’m in zone 9. Is it true that the augmented super sweet corn needs a little warmer soil than the sugar enhanced varieties?

[@charleselertii6187]

Thanks Travis! Good Job. When you lay the drip tape down, do the emmitter holes face the sky or the earth? Up or down? Cheers. Chuck in Jensen Beach FL.

[@mowerds33]

Point the emmitters to the sky.

[@Rabbi393]

new to drip tape and integrated getting. Sorry for the predictive text

[@user-up4ud3kp7w]

Question, I have seen another video somewhere showing the filter system at the beginning of the main line and you installed yours in the middle of the main line. Does it matter or do you see benefits putting it in the main line. Thank you for teaching this to us.

[@LazyDogFarm]

You could put it on the end. In a small plot like mine, it probably doesn't matter that much where it goes.

[@byronlandry25]

If sending Agrothrive through drip system how much fertilizer/ ratio do you do?

[@debmattosky3021]

Hey Travis, Any suggestions on a irrigating system for large grow bags?!

[@LazyDogFarm]

The system we have on our fig trees would probably work well for grow bags, assuming they're laid out in a linear row.

[@debmattosky3021]

@@LazyDogFarm Thank you very much!! I do have them all together. I’ll look for the video.

[@TravisTarver60]

Travis, if you had peppers on same main line as tomatoes . Would you put a cut off valve between peppers and maters?

[@LazyDogFarm]

No I'd feed them the exact same way.

[@broken10100]

Question: If I have a 4x8 and I want to swap to tape… Would you recommend 2 lines of tape per a bed? TIA.

[@walter5kramm975]

The drip depot video says to not use plumbers tape on the plastic fittings because they increase stress and strain on the fittings. I want to believe Travis who may know different tho. ??

[@LazyDogFarm]

I haven't had any issues.

[@magarna1545]

Doing this for the first time this year and I’m excited. However my garden isn’t huge and I’m growing quite a bit. So I’m having to do the main line tubing in a c shape. I’m assuming that is ok to do?

[@LazyDogFarm]

As long as it's not kinked, it will still work. You can get mainline elbows which might come in handy if it tries to kink.

[@magarna1545]

@@LazyDogFarm I have purchased a couple elbows with that thought in mind. Thank you!

[@jcastro905]

On average, how much use do you get out of this system before having to replace the drip tape?

[@codyelliott5462]

Emitters up or down? Does it matter

[@holdenmalambo7267]

Isn't there need to fasten the drip tapes at the end? So that they don't retract according to weather?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Nah. They don't retract that much.

[@chickencoop4439]

You're too funny. Roll Tide

[@sicottish]

And here I thought the supply line had a 12/192nds wall thickness. The word anyway is an adverb. Adverbs cannot be pluralized. This is your English grammar lesson for the day. Anyway, this Alabama gardener understands your backward Georgian colloquialisms and enjoys the banter almost as much as your content. .

[@LazyDogFarm]

Anyways ... GO DAWGS!

[@Northstar7733]

For you Georgia folks the tubing is 1/16" thick Lol

[@Grateful_Ryan]

Tubing is actually 1/16" thick, you forgot to divide by 2.

[@Grateful_Ryan]

Felt I should add that this was said in jest

[@LazyDogFarm]

Excellent point!

[@FrontYardGardener]

Wouldn’t that mean that’s it’s 1/16 of an inch as it has 2 walls across it’s diameter? Mississippi math = 5/8-1/2=1/8 divided by 2 = 1/16

[@waynespringer501]

It takes me less than 5 minutes to hook my water hose to my tpost sprinkler, and I'm done.

[@matthewblackwood4704]

Drip tape is a pointless waste of time and money....i grow a full garden of everything you could want every year in Northern alabama and never used it. Don't waste your money, it's unnecessary.

[@shaunlloyd5724]

Negative Nancy must be from Alabama

[@parkerlee2706]

If you don’t mind me asking What method do you use to water?

[@autohelix]

It is not a waste of money. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made when it comes to gardening.

[@bradleydavenport6164]

I guess that depends on your soil type. In my sandy loam I struggle to get enough water every year. I think the drip tape will save me a lot of time watering overhead and probably even get a better harvest.

[@davidburkhart9184]

Great video sir and I guess if a dog man can do it anybody can. Roll tide lol

[@kennethlatimer4607]

Hey Travis. I have beds everywhere. How do I go from bed to bed?

[@LazyDogFarm]

We have the mainline tubing ran underground that connects each bed. You don't have to bury it, but that's how you do it. Use T's and elbows to make a network with the tubing.