Gardening in Fuerteventura

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

My depuradora (dirty water) runs at night. My clean water irrigation runs at 8am. For the stuff not yet on a system that I water by hose I do late afternoon, often giving the foliage a wash while I'm at it. I've not had any problems.
One word of warning, if water sits in an irrigation system or hose during the day make sure to discharge the first bit away from plants - it can get almost boiling hot!

Why do you use two different systems (clean and grey)?
I've just had a gardener set up an irrigation system for me using clean water on a timer.
I have a tank which collects just waste water from our sink (long story) which I would like to use. My gardener is reluctant stating that any waste may clog up the irrigation points (don't know the actual name). Is this possible? Not much waste actually goes down there but there are coffee grounds, so could this be filtered out?
Sorry for the diverse questions.

I use several different systems because I don't have enough volume going through my depuradora to water all of my garden. It takes everything from the bathrooms and kitchen but falls far short of the volume I need! My plants love it so I would be very happy if it met the quantity I need! By the way, my dirty water is classed as Black, not Grey! But the process it goes through with all the debris being consumed by friendly bacteria actually makes it cleaner than Grey! (apparently!!) (I watched a YouTube video about Cruise Ships using this system recently, quite enlightening!)

Clogging of systems. My dirty water system (depuradora output) regularly clogged up when I started using it. It had been set up with black tubing approx 1cm diameter and adjustable spray nozzles on tubes about 1.2mm internal diameter coming off at appropriate places, ie each plant. there were also some adjustable dripper things which I found useless. About once a week I had to remove all the spray nozzles, soak them and clean them, replace them. I quickly found that it was easier to keep a spare set of nozzles to put on each time and then I could soak 1 set and agitate them in rotation over the period of the next week if that makes sense, rather than have to clean and replace each one instantly. I still use these spray nozzles for my clean water irrigation - they're great - but I've gone down a new route with my dirty water system. (Big problems from coffee grounds, tomato seeds and skins, apple pips etc  )

Now, I still have the 1cm black tube right around the perimeter of the garden. At every point where I want it to discharge I have inserted a T junction into the main ring. On these Ts I have put another section of the 1cm tubing leading to the plants, trees I want watered. However this in itself would not work as there would not be enough pressure in  the system to get past the first few outlets. so what I did was to insert a valve on each of these offshoots. At the far end of the system I put a valve and a garden hose attachment. Most of the time I keep the offshoot valves only just open, allowing pressure in the system. Once a month I attach the hose to the far end of the system, open that end valve and then open all the other valves along the way one at a time, starting from the far end. With the hose on full it cleans the system in the reverse direction from the normal flow.  Hope this makes sense - happy to answer any Qs!

My friend with a much smaller garden has a much simpler system. She has a dedicated hose attached permanently to her depuradora pump. When she wants to empty her depuradora she simply switches on the pump and walks around the garden with the hose! However, I live about half a kilometer downwind from her and I know when she is doing it! She doesn't get any clogging issues as the smallest diameter is the hose connection. I prefer the auto system in the night!

I'm really not sure how you could go about filtering your grey water - sorry.

[TrickyFox]

My depuradora (dirty water) runs at night. My clean water irrigation runs at 8am. For the stuff not yet on a system that I water by hose I do late afternoon, often giving the foliage a wash while I'm at it. I've not had any problems.
One word of warning, if water sits in an irrigation system or hose during the day make sure to discharge the first bit away from plants - it can get almost boiling hot!

Why do you use two different systems (clean and grey)?
I've just had a gardener set up an irrigation system for me using clean water on a timer.
I have a tank which collects just waste water from our sink (long story) which I would like to use. My gardener is reluctant stating that any waste may clog up the irrigation points (don't know the actual name). Is this possible? Not much waste actually goes down there but there are coffee grounds, so could this be filtered out?
Sorry for the diverse questions.

I use several different systems because I don't have enough volume going through my depuradora to water all of my garden. It takes everything from the bathrooms and kitchen but falls far short of the volume I need! My plants love it so I would be very happy if it met the quantity I need! By the way, my dirty water is classed as Black, not Grey! But the process it goes through with all the debris being consumed by friendly bacteria actually makes it cleaner than Grey! (apparently!!) (I watched a YouTube video about Cruise Ships using this system recently, quite enlightening!)

Clogging of systems. My dirty water system (depuradora output) regularly clogged up when I started using it. It had been set up with black tubing approx 1cm diameter and adjustable spray nozzles on tubes about 1.2mm internal diameter coming off at appropriate places, ie each plant. there were also some adjustable dripper things which I found useless. About once a week I had to remove all the spray nozzles, soak them and clean them, replace them. I quickly found that it was easier to keep a spare set of nozzles to put on each time and then I could soak 1 set and agitate them in rotation over the period of the next week if that makes sense, rather than have to clean and replace each one instantly. I still use these spray nozzles for my clean water irrigation - they're great - but I've gone down a new route with my dirty water system. (Big problems from coffee grounds, tomato seeds and skins, apple pips etc  )

Now, I still have the 1cm black tube right around the perimeter of the garden. At every point where I want it to discharge I have inserted a T junction into the main ring. On these Ts I have put another section of the 1cm tubing leading to the plants, trees I want watered. However this in itself would not work as there would not be enough pressure in  the system to get past the first few outlets. so what I did was to insert a valve on each of these offshoots. At the far end of the system I put a valve and a garden hose attachment. Most of the time I keep the offshoot valves only just open, allowing pressure in the system. Once a month I attach the hose to the far end of the system, open that end valve and then open all the other valves along the way one at a time, starting from the far end. With the hose on full it cleans the system in the reverse direction from the normal flow.  Hope this makes sense - happy to answer any Qs!

My friend with a much smaller garden has a much simpler system. She has a dedicated hose attached permanently to her depuradora pump. When she wants to empty her depuradora she simply switches on the pump and walks around the garden with the hose! However, I live about half a kilometer downwind from her and I know when she is doing it! She doesn't get any clogging issues as the smallest diameter is the hose connection. I prefer the auto system in the night!

I'm really not sure how you could go about filtering your grey water - sorry.

Thanks Tamara, that is a great help and gives me more hope. We had our depuradora removed as it needed replacing and are now on the mains drainage. We have a 500l tank for our kitchen sink. One of the reasons we put this in because the sink wouldn't drain. We have just discovered that the waste pipe was almost totally blocked with solidified fat. We also replace our fresh water storage tank and still have the old one lying in the garden. My thoughts are to connect that to the kitchen tank (which has a 'float type' pump) and distribute the irrigation from there - needs some thought.

[windermeregolfer]

Ok just a thought based on my experience re the water supply to a hotel I managed in Windermere where the water came from a local natural reservoir and whilst North West Water had treated the water the pipe work was old and we still got a lot of algi and rust in the supply which caused problems for guests with discoloured water.  We ended up putting our own very large filters on the supply coming into the hotel and our Maintenace team had to clean & change them fortnightly.

So my suggestion would be why not put a filter with changeable cartridges on the pipe leaving your depuradora that would pick up the small bits that are not fully treated by the depuradora.  You can change the filters and wash them and then recycle say every week so only one action to take rather than lots around the garden. 

We have a filter on our hot tub that I change / clean every 150hrs similar to the ones I would think might work on an irrigation system.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Thx WMG, I'll be investigating!

[GMT]

Finally I took the plunge and three days ago I planted the first trees and other bits and bobs, two Thevetia and one Callistemon     . I think the cost of the trees was reasonable, €5 the Thevetia and €8,50 the Bottlebrush. I know they are small, but I'm not in a rush.
Prior to that I had just been moving plants from the front garden, where I found them placed with no criteria, to the back of the garden where I created an 'oasis in the desert'     . All of the plants moved need not much water (yucca, agave attenuata, aloe, bulbine frutescens); my concern is more the wind, coming from NE. When I went to the garden centre I couldn't resist to buy a few little cacti too     . Not sure how big they get.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Nice going GMT.

You mention some of the plants are small - to my mind that is an advantage in our winds. They can get their roots well anchored before they get too big and act like sails! Even with the plants from Happy Plants I always try to buy the shortest if I have a choice!

Went down to Happy Plants this afternoon for an inspirational browse - I have the tractor in again next week digging holes and I need it clear in my mind what is going where/what size holes and where! Reserved a few trees and shrubs: Jacaranda (another one!), Moringa, Livingstonia, more bananas, Beach Almond, Tree wisteria, Murraya paniculata (orange blossom), and a couple of others that I can't recall.

[GMT]

Nice going GMT.

You mention some of the plants are small - to my mind that is an advantage in our winds. They can get their roots well anchored before they get too big and act like sails! Even with the plants from Happy Plants I always try to buy the shortest if I have a choice!

Went down to Happy Plants this afternoon for an inspirational browse - I have the tractor in again next week digging holes and I need it clear in my mind what is going where/what size holes and where! Reserved a few trees and shrubs: Jacaranda (another one!), Moringa, Livingstonia, more bananas, Beach Almond, Tree wisteria, Murraya paniculata (orange blossom), and a couple of others that I can't recall.

Thanks Tamara. Well, the trees I planted are small now but over the years they will get taller, but not huge. But it's true what you said about small plants or trees in this climate.

A few weeks ago I planted some seeds of Jacaranda that I brought with me from Spain, no sprouts yet. These were the trees I had     . You also reminded me that I must buy an almond tree. I'll pop to HP sometime. Happy harvests (hoping soon) with your trees.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Beautiful Jacaranda GMT! 👍😍
I've been trying seeds, just for fun, but no joy. Happy to buy trees that are already a few years old in the hope that I will see them bloom 🤣
A lot of the stuff I do from seed, like trees, is for fun and to give away if successful - I'm too impatient to leave spaces for them in my garden - in the words of Queen, 'I want it now!'.
The jacaranda I planted last year is just showing signs of new growth - hope it doesn't get burned off by today's calima winds 🤞

[TrickyFox]

Tamara, do you know any plants that cats don't like?
We have a tom which likes our terrace overnight and makes his presence known.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Hi TF
I've tried all sorts of plants, as recommended on the internet, and nothing seems to do any good. A plant might deter a cat from that particular spot but 12 inches away has no effect. 
I've got three things in my arsenal that are fairly successful, different products for different scenarios.

1. Ultrasonic gadget. Triggered by a sensor. Gets through batteries for a pastime if left on permanently, get in habit of just switching on at night. Position where plants blowing in the wind won't trigger it.
2. NoCan granules. Ideal to scatter around. The initial smell I find quite disgusting but it disperses in an hour or two. Keeps working for quite a while against cats (and dogs!)
3. NoCan spray. Useful for spraying on tops of walls etc to deter entry to area. When I lived in Corralejo I had to spray it every now and again on our front door as a Tom kept spraying, yuck!

Also useful: hose kept primed and ready, dog, humane rabbit trap - take it to the Policia Local. For people who are horrified by the rabbit trap idea - remember that here it's against the law for a cat to be off your premises unless it is under your control, on a leash. The law isn't just for dogs! Cats are creating a huge problem for the indigenous wildlife.