Layout of Main & Branch Drip Lines
Layout Main & Branch Lines
Before rolling out your drip tubing, it’s best to lay it out in the sun for at least 30 minutes or more. This helps to soften the tubing and makes unrolling it much easier. When laying drip tubing, it’s best to roll it out in the same way you would roll a tire. This prevents the tubing from spiraling and kinking.
Begin unrolling by weighting down the end of the tubing with a heavy object or tubing hold down stake to keep it in place. Roll out the tubing in the desired areas according to your design sketch. Keep some slack in your tubing runs to allow for expansion and contraction due to temperature changes in weather. Install tubing hold down stakes every 5 to 10 feet to hold the tubing in place.
If you need to bury your drip tubing, it’s best to sleeve it in solid PVC pipe. This will prevent the drip tubing from compressing and reducing or cutting off the flow of water. When you need to make 90° turns in tubing, use an elbow. If you need to branch off mainline tubing, use a tee. When cutting drip tubing, simply use a pair of tubing cutters, garden shears or scissors.
