DIG Patio/Container Drip Irrigation Watering Kit

This kit is great having all the basic parts for watering my plants . My plants are doing much better now.

I purchased this systems to water 2 half barrels with roses and herbs, plus a large planter (3.5 feet high by 3.5 feet deep by 7 feet long). It's kept them appropriately watered once we figured out how to equalize the water pressure. Initially, the main hose bringing water into the system was not centered between the heads. We had a T-joint and saw that the arm of the side with more heads didn't get water all the way to the end. It was easy to correct the system, but it's important to note the water pressure regulator REALLY lowers the pressure so if any part of the system goes up, there should be a lot fewer heads on that arm because of the lower pressure.

I am pretty handy and found this project both simple and easy to assemble. The trick I used was to cut tubing and place ends in very hot water. I clamped the plastic piece I wanted to attach to a table/bench. I then took tubing out of water and quickly placed the end over the fitting, pushing it and twisting it moderately back and forth. Every piece went in perfectly and quickly. Make your cuts at right angles so you can fully push the tubing in all the way. I haven't hooked up the water yet so can't comment on the backflow or flow adjuster pieces, but they look good for the price.

Pros: Inexpensive system; Works GREAT once fully assembled with a daily battery-operated hose timer; Saves time; Uses less water; Plants aren't beaten up by hose spray; No splashing; Waters plants when you are out of town. I didn't use all of the connectors in this kit, but that is ok. I'd rather have too many parts than not enough. Cons: Insufficient Assembly Instructions – Assembly instructions tell you WHAT to do, but not HOW to do it. Layout - Buy a battery-operated hose timer (Orbit 1-Outlet Hose Timer) and Y Shut-Off 2-Way Metal Hose Connector (e.g., Melnor brand) or similar METAL hose connector with built-in shut offs, so that you can still have access to your faucet for additional hand watering once the timer and irrigation systems are installed. Lay out your “Supply Line” along the planters you intend to water. Cut off the remaining line. This remaining line will become your “Laterals” or “Drip Lines”. Cut this into the number of Drip Lines you need (generally, one per container). For my layout, I had about 8 Laterals and each was about 24 in. long. Connections - There is no information about HOW to connect the Ts and drip emitters to the plastic tubing. After much struggling and many attempts to find out what worked, this is the method I used: (a) Cut tubing at a SLIGHT angle (10-20 degrees; not 45 degrees, as this interferes with proper seating of the part on the tubing); (b) Coat T or drip emitter with silicone lubricant (I used a hair product!); (c) Double over about 3 inches of tubing (don't worry, it won't crack) and seat the fold in the palm of your right hand (this reduces slippage); Hold the part (T or emitter) firmly in your left hand; (d) Wiggle back and forth in the x- and y- direction approximately 20 times before even looking to see if the part is seated in the tubing; (e) Repeat as necessary. Stakes - All connections in this kit are held together with “A Hope and A Prayer” – the “stakes” in this kit are a joke. They just sort of snap over the drip tubing with a “C”-shaped connection. The tubing and the tiny stakes did not stay in place at all. You might be better to buy some Orbit 1/4 in. Loop Stakes (10-pack) or some plastic tent stakes to hold tubing in place. Time – It took about an hour to set up the system and then maybe 30 minutes to adjust it the next day.

Great package, except was shorted one stake, received 9, promised 10 !

I bought this kit to get my 8 or so containers irrigated on a timer so I don't have to worry about having someone else do it on vacation! I have no real complaints about the kit, but it does leak at a few of the junctions. I like stuff to be RIGHT, so this alone knocks a star off the rating, since there's nothing I can do to make it NOT leak! The other thing that really SHOULD be a 'standard item' in a kit like this is MORE REGULATORS!! Are you listening DIG?? If you've ever set up an irrigation system, you'll know what I mean when I say the separate branches require balancing sometimes----that's what the little regulators are for. Also the flow rate changes depending on how far down the line each emitter is. There should be a regulator for EACH emitter! This kit doesn't have to do much----just carry a regulated trickle of water to each pot without leaking------and it ALMOST does it.

cannot handle pressure. tubing keeps coming off..nozzles get jammed after sometime...you have to keep checking them from time to time otherwise they leak a lot of water.

There were not T’s in the box. There is supoosed to be 9 and you can not use it with out them

A zillion pieces and vague, skimpy instructions. No way to figure out how to put together.

this system started out great but all of a sudden the pieces with the valves in them that go into the pot started not allowing water to go through. i changed them out and they would work good for a little while only to stop working again. very frustrating. put a lot of work in putting this together now it seems all i will be able to do is try and get my money back.