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⚠ Status: PLANNED - not yet installed
As of Apr 23, 2026 there is NO active irrigation anywhere on the property. No controller, no timer, no drip lines running. ALL watering is currently manual (hose + wand) - raised beds, strips, grow bags, ornamentals, everything.
This page documents the planned single-zone drip system to be built from Drip Depot kits on hand (Houston 2015 - 5 years in the Texas garden, 6 years in storage, brought to Lexington in the move). Install date TBD.
Recommended install priority sequence: Raised beds A-G first (heaviest fruiting feeders, dry fastest) ➜ Strawberry strip ➜ Caneberry row ➜ Onion/garlic strip last (deepest-rooted, most forgiving).
Planned System Design Summary
A single-zone drip irrigation system for the raised beds only (seven beds, A–G), to be built from existing Drip Depot kits. The system would run from the spigot at the SE corner of the deck, through a garden hose along the south wall of the living room to a timer near the SE corner of the house, then feed the continuous 4'×12' Vita Urbana bed (E-F-G) and the six linear beds (A–D).
Strips - Manual Watering (current state for everything)
The garden strips (garlic on the west slope; onions on the east end of the west slope; strawberries on the east slope; caneberry row on the flat shelf) are hand-watered. In-ground strips have deep roots and need less frequent but longer soaks; garlic and onions require deliberate dry-out periods before harvest. Potato grow bags will be teed off the raised bed line once drip is installed - currently hand-watered. Drip irrigation for strips can be revisited in future seasons.
DRIP ZONE Raised Beds
- Bed G - The Canopy: Tomatoes, Basil, Cucumber A-frame (4'×4', north) - ARCH west
- Bed F - The Forge: Eggplant, Zucchini, Heirloom Tomato (4'×4', middle) - ARCH west
- Bed E - The Salad Bar: Beets, Spinach, Lettuce, Radishes, Chives (4'×4', south)
- - garden path (50") + CATTLE PANEL ARCH -
- Bed D - Wind Path: Determinate Tomatoes, Pavakkai (66"×20") - ARCH east
- Bed C - Wind Path: Yard-Long Beans, Peppers (connected to D) - ARCH east
- - path (25") -
- Bed B - The Greens Bed: Spinach, Keerai, Beans (connected to A)
- Bed A - The Ground: Onions, Carrots (southernmost)
- Potato Grow Bags - 4 bags east of Beds A–D (2 Yukon Gold south, 2 Baltic Rose north). Planned tee-off the raised bed branch once drip is installed.
Planned watering method (NOT YET INSTALLED - all currently manual): ¼" emitter tubing running in parallel rows through each bed. 2 runs per narrow bed, 3 runs per 4'×4' bed. Individual drippers at transplants. Potato bags teed off the A-B branch with individual drip emitters.
MANUAL Strips
- Garlic - west end of west slope (~5 ft)
- Onion - east end of west slope, 6-7 hrs sun (~10 ft, 6-7 hrs sun)
- Strawberry Strip - east slope, north of Zone C (~22 ft)
- Raspberry - higher-ground spot between pine stumps (former JH location, better drainage and sun)
- Blackberry - flat shelf between pine stumps (PLANTED Apr 23, heavy Black Kow amendment in each hole)
Watering method: Hand-watering with garden hose from the spigot. Strips every 2–3 days depending on rainfall. Potato grow bags also currently hand-watered (planned tee-off raised bed line once drip is installed).
SUPPLY LINE Spigot → Timer → Zones
The spigot faces west at the SE corner of the deck.
Equipment Chain
Spigot (facing west)
→ 2-Way Splitter
→ Port 1: Manual hose (strips, peonies, dahlias, banana pots, curry leaf, tulsi, etc.)
→ Port 2: Garden hose (~30 ft) east along the south wall of the living room
→ Single-Zone Timer (near SE corner of living room)
→ Line goes east, splits into two N-S branches on outer edges of bed groups
From timer: Pressure Regulator (25 PSI) → Filter → ½" Poly Mainline → Drip Lines/Emitters
For the full inventory checklist and step-by-step installation guide, see the standalone Drip_Irrigation_Plan.html file.
Irrigation Routing Map
Simplified property layout showing water supply routing and zone coverage. Not to scale - schematic only.
DRIP ZONE Raised Beds - Planned Layout
⚠ NOT YET INSTALLED. This section describes the planned drip system spec. All raised beds are currently hand-watered.
Once built, the mainline will run straight east from the timer, then split into two separate N-S branch lines - one along the west (outer) edge of beds E/F/G, one along the east (outer) edge of beds A–D. Nothing crosses the garden path between the two bed groups.
Narrow Metal Beds (A, B, C, D) - 66" × 20"
20" wide - 2 parallel runs of drip line spaced ~8" apart, run the long way (66"). About 11 ft of drip line per bed, 44 ft total.
- Bed A - The Ground (Red Baron onions + carrots + spring spinach): Drip line. Even moisture critical for carrots.
- Bed B - The Greens Bed (spinach, keerai, bush beans, kale): Drip line throughout. Even moisture for leafy greens.
- Bed C - Wind Path (yard-long beans on arch + 4 peppers + cilantro): Drip line for climbing beans + individual drippers for peppers.
- Bed D - Wind Path (pole beans + bitter gourd on arch + 3 det. tomatoes + basil + cilantro): Drip line for arch climbers + individual drippers (1 GPH) for tomatoes.
Vita Urbana Beds (E + F + G) - 4' × 4' each (12' × 4' continuous)
One 4'×12' unit split into three sections. 3 parallel drip lines spaced ~12" apart per section. ~12 ft per bed, 36 ft total.
- Bed E - The Salad Bar (beets, spinach, lettuce, radishes, chives): Drip line. Even moisture for root crops and greens. Succession-sow for 2\u20133 harvests per square.
- Bed F - The Forge (4 eggplant, heirloom tomato, zucchini, arch climbers): Individual drippers (1 GPH) at each eggplant + zucchini + tomato. Arch climbers share moisture.
- Bed G - The Canopy (2 indet. tomatoes, basil, cucumber A-frame, arch climbers): Individual drippers (1 GPH) at each tomato on spiral. Basil shares drip line. A-frame area gets drip line.
Drip Zone Totals
~80 ft of ¼" drip/emitter line + ~25 ft of ½" mainline (E-W header + two N-S branches) + 12–16 individual drippers.
MANUAL Strips - Hand-Watering Guide
All strip plantings are hand-watered (this is the current state for everything on the property - no drip is installed yet). Use the hose from the spigot splitter. Potato grow bags are also currently hand-watered; planned to tee off the raised bed line once drip is installed.
Watering Tips by Crop
- Garlic (west end of west slope): Even moisture spring through June, then stop watering to let bulbs cure. ~1" per week during active growth.
- Onion (east end of west slope, 6-7 hrs sun): Consistent moisture through bulbing. Stop watering when tops fall over (late June/July).
- Strawberry Strip (east slope): ~1–1.5" per week. Water at soil level to keep fruit dry (reduces gray mold). Mulch helps retain moisture.
- Raspberry (higher-ground spot between pine stumps): ~1–1.5" per week. Critical during fruiting Aug–Oct. Heavy mulch (3–4" wood chips) retains moisture.
- Blackberry (flat shelf between pine stumps): ~1–1.5" per week. Critical during fruiting Jun–Aug. Each hole was heavy-amended with Black Kow at planting (Apr 23) - check soil moisture 2-3" down before watering, Black Kow holds 2-3x more water than native soil.
Slope Consideration
Water slowly on the north-facing west slope to avoid runoff. Early morning is best - gives foliage time to dry and reduces evaporation loss.
Planned Watering Programs (when drip is installed)
⚠ NOT YET ACTIVE. No timer or drip system is installed. Until install, hand-water raised beds on roughly the same cadence shown below (replace each "20-30 min drip cycle" with a deep hose soak).
The schedule below is the future Orbit-timer programming target. Starting points for Zone 6b Lexington - adjust based on rainfall and soil moisture probe. Most vegetables need 1–1.5 inches of water per week.
DRIP ZONE Raised Beds
Spring (Mar – May)
Summer (Jun – Aug)
Fall (Sep – Oct)
Rain skip: If it rained ½" or more, hit the "delay" button on the timer to skip 1–2 days.
MANUAL Strips & Bags
Spring (Mar – May)
Summer (Jun – Aug)
Fall (Sep – Oct)
Key dates: Stop watering garlic in late June. Stop watering onions when tops fall. Disconnect potato bag drip emitters 2 weeks before harvest.
When to Intervene Manually
- After heavy rain (1"+): Hit "delay" on the timer to skip 1–2 days for beds. Skip hand-watering strips too.
- Heat wave (90°F+): Extra evening watering of beds if soil looks dry. Grow bags may need twice daily.
- Late June: Stop watering garlic (cure period). Stop watering onions when tops fall.
- Weekly visual check: Walk by the beds and strips, make sure nothing is flooding or bone-dry.
Current state (no drip installed): Hand-water everything - raised beds, strips, grow bags. Once drip is installed, the timer will handle the raised beds automatically and only strips will need hand-watering on the schedule above.