My system consists of:
-a filter
-main line of 1.25" pipe buried shallowly and directly connected to the well pump
-3/4" risers with ball valves to supply water to 3/4" black lateral tubes with emitters
-lateral tubes are plugged at the ends or on some lines I have a valve, so I can fill a bucket at distant parts of my orchard
-pressure compensating 40 l/g (10.6 Gph) emitters
-1/4" dripper tubes so I can direct the water to exact spot; they should be as flexible as possible so they will not disconnect when the laterals move (a lot) due to temperature changes
There is nothing more and I like keeping it this way. When I need to extend the system, I add more underground pipes and more tubing with emitters. I have tried 2 types of micro sprinklers before, but they did not work too well due to too low pressure.
I use stainless metal clamps for all tube fittings.
I irrigate around 200 fruit trees and 60 fruit bushes. I use 2 emitters per tree and 1 emitter per young fig/fruit bush. I use the same emitters on the 3 vegetable rows which I just set it up this year.
The well pump yields 100 l/minute so it can supply 150 emitters at a time.
In summer I irrigate for 30 minutes per 150 emitters, so in theory a tree should get 40 l of water, but despite the fact that the emitters are pressure compensated, the upper part of the orchard gets even 2 times less water.
I clean the filter once every 8 irrigations or when i notice lower yield.
I irrigate usually in the evenings so there is less evaporation loss.
There is a fair amount of plastic, but I hardly ever trash anything. The black poly pipes, if destroyed accidentally by me with the tractor, I use for some short runs. I always cut out the emitters from the damaged tubings and use them somewhere else. The filter has rings that I just clean with water.
I have to say that only with the irrigation I'm finally having some crops - more and more every year in terms of amount and variety. In my area, sometimes it will not rain a drop for 6 months.
