| Throw out the old rule book. Now when you plan | | | | clean and square, push the other end onto the |
| your hanging basket display, put your baskets | | | | pump outlet marked "O". The extra tube is |
| where they will look best, not just where you can | | | | necessary so that the tube is not strained against |
| water them with a hose pipe or watering can. | | | | the pump outlet which will cause leakage. |
| The system I describe here can water 6 large | | | | Connect the water source |
| baskets up to fifteen feet above and one | | | | Drill a 1/4" hole near the top of the water barrel. |
| hundred fifty feet from your rain barrel. | | | | If you never remove the lid it is okay to drill the |
| For the irrigation you will need: - | | | | hole in this instead. Push some tubing through and |
| - WaterWand Heliomatic 130 solar pump with | | | | connect the inlet filter. Adjust the tube so the inlet |
| hanging basket watering kit. | | | | filter hangs between two and four inches from |
| - Rain barrel with clean water | | | | the bottom. Measure the tube back to the pump. |
| - Kitchen scissors & sharp knife | | | | Unless the tube is vertical, leave 12 inches extra |
| - Ladder or safe working platform | | | | so that it does not pull against the pump |
| - 1/4" round cable clips | | | | connection as this will cause an air leak which will |
| - Up to 6 nice hanging baskets | | | | stop the pump from pumping. Push onto the |
| - Extra tube if the baskets are far apart. (50 feet | | | | connector marked "I". |
| supplied) | | | | Turn the pump on |
| Position the pump | | | | When you first turn the pump on it will pay to |
| The pump needs to be positioned where it | | | | disconnect the outlet tube until the pump is |
| receives at least as much sunshine as the hanging | | | | pumping water and no air. Then reconnect and |
| baskets being watered. Ideally it should be a little | | | | give the irrigation system time to fill. Check that |
| higher than the top of the rain barrel, but up to | | | | all the drippers are dripping and are properly |
| six feet higher than the lowest water level is | | | | positioned. |
| acceptable. The pump can be some distance from | | | | How does the pump work? |
| the rain barrel if the latter is in shade. | | | | The solar panel captures energy from the sun |
| Install the irrigation | | | | which is stored in a battery. Once every 3 hours |
| Starting at the basket furthest from the pump, | | | | the pump will start and run until that energy has |
| screw a low output dripper firmly into the end of | | | | been used. The proportion of the suns energy |
| the tube. Put a stake on to the tube about one | | | | which is captured can be adjusted using the |
| inch from the dripper and stake into the basket | | | | control knob. |
| so it will drip near the center. | | | | Setting the pump up |
| Take the tube back towards the next basket | | | | Turning the pump on starts its internal clock. An |
| along the desired route, clipping into position as | | | | irrigation cycle will be started every 3 hours so it |
| you go. When you get to the position where you | | | | is easy to monitor the irrigation if you know what |
| need to spur off for the basket, cut the tube and | | | | time the pump was first turned on. Turning the |
| screw a tee firmly into the cut end. Measure out | | | | pump off and on again will reset the clock. If you |
| the tube for the spur, screw a dripper into one | | | | need to know how much water is applied, put in |
| end, screw to the tee, then add the stake and | | | | an extra dripper and capture its output with a |
| position in the basket. Repeat the procedure until | | | | container. |
| all baskets have a dripper. If you have a mixture | | | | To adjust the pump to your hanging baskets, |
| of small and large baskets, put two drippers in the | | | | initially run the pump on maximum. If it applies too |
| large ones. | | | | much water, turn it down one notch. Turn the |
| The delivery tube can be fed from one end or | | | | pump down or up until you are happy. The pump |
| any position along its length, depending on where | | | | will not deliver the same amount of water with |
| your rain barrel is. It can also be branched if need | | | | each irrigation cycle, it will apply more when it has |
| be and this will not affect the number of | | | | been sunny and the plants need extra. |
| components needed. | | | | Basket growth |
| Connect the pump | | | | As the plants in your baskets grow, they will need |
| When measuring the length of tube from the | | | | more water and it is likely the pump will need to |
| pump to the first tee, add about 12" extra. Screw | | | | be adjusted accordingly. |
| the tube to the tee, then, ensuring the end is cut | | | | |