Q. “I am in the process of starting work on the irrigation part
of my conversion to the MittleiderMethodGardening system. I would like to ask if the small #57 holes in the PVC pipes present any special trouble
with stopping up”?
A. A #57 hole in a Schedule 200 PVC pipe will not plug up much at all if you are using water from a well or from the city system, etc. If you use irrigation water from a canal or stream you may have some sediment that can clog the holes.
I water from a mountain stream that is sometimes quite dirty – especially in the spring and after a hard rain. If I experience any clogging of the holes in my pipes I just carry a hoe with me and hit the pipe with the hoe HANDLE a few times. This will dislodge the tiny pieces of pebble, or whatever it is. Immediately after doing this to a pipe I will unscrew the far end-cap and let the water run through for a few seconds, flushing any loose residue out the end of the pipe.
If any of you are tempted to use Schedule 40 PVC pipe, because “its stronger and will last longer”, etc., I don’t recommend it. It’s usually more than double the cost, heavier, much harder to drill the holes (breaking lots of drill bits), more inclined to plug up, harder to break loose the blockage with the hose-handle, and even the Schedule 200 will last more than 20 years with any kind of care, so who needs it to last longer.
