Lesson 3 — Irrigation System Design (containers)

Goal: build irrigation that is uniform, serviceable, and expandable.

Common irrigation approaches

• Overhead impact sprinklers: simple, good for large blocks; more water waste and disease splash risk.
• Micro-sprays / spin stakes: targeted, efficient for larger pots; more parts.
• Drip: very efficient; best for larger containers and controlled nutrition; clog management required.

Design principles

• Zone by container size + crop water need + exposure.
• Keep zones “square-ish” for uniformity.
• Build with isolation valves so one leak doesn’t stop the nursery.
• Standardize parts: one emitter type per pot class if possible.

Field layout diagram

Mainline (buried) runs along a "utility corridor"
  ├─ Zone Valve 1 → Block A laterals → emitters
  ├─ Zone Valve 2 → Block B laterals → emitters
  └─ Zone Valve 3 → Block C laterals → emitters

Do this

1. Create a zone table: Zone name, pot size, emitter type, number of pots, runtime, GPM.
2. Mark access points for blowouts/winterization and filters.
3. Plan for a “test bench” zone where you trial new emitters and schedules.