There's supposed to be a bunch of beans growing but I need to replant. Also got three more mater plants to put in. I had a lot more last year, several types of greens, more maters than this year, several pepper plants, lettuce.
The 220 gal tank sits on a trailer I tow behind my tiny tractor. Generator on the back runs a sump pump that pulls spring water from a creek. A well costs $10k to drill around here. The spring had been set up for and certified by the state for bottled water production but they never followed through with it. I get water a few hundred feet down the creek it feeds. That 220 gallons is for the house and 220 gallons ain't much for that.
That's why the drip system is needed. 15 gallons of metered water vs who knows what with hose watering.(especially if I walk away and forget the hose is trickling) In fact, even though I watered from the 220 gal tank, I'm just going to fill the 15 gal tank and water from it. If I got sidetracked while watering, it would just use up that 15 gallons. Can't hurt those pumps by running them dry but I'll be getting a 12vdc timer for it anyway. They can be set to just shut off after a certain amount of time or you can set days and hours of those days to turn on and off. I would just set it every time I water to shut down in an hour or two. Can't schedule around rain or lack of.
I make a water run every 2-3 weeks in the warmer months. Low flow shower head with a shut of valve at the head like an RV shower has. Get wet, turn off water, soap up, scrub, turn on water, rinse. Same with hair/head. About 7 gallons. We use a composting toilet. I've learned how to do dishes with minimal water use. We don't drink it or cook with it. I fill the above 55 plastic drum from a neighbor's deep well for that.
We have a wringer washer but I have another tank for that. I also have a spare water heater I plan to hook up for that. I've just been filling a few gallon containers from the house hot water to add to the cool tank water for laundry. Half the year I use a laundromat.
A 12vdc RV pump gives pressure/flow to the house and it comes from an RV water hose connected to the tank. We lose water several times per Winter. Would be more but I run insulated flex duct from the house to tank and hose runs inside. I also use a computer fan to blow house air down the duct.
Someone local is selling 275 gallon IBC tanks that had veggie oil in them for $55 or $50 if buying multiple. I plan to get 6 of them. One to replace the tank on the trailer, one to replace the one for the wringer washer, as both are getting nasty. Then the other four will be for the 22x35 high tunnel, one on each corner and the tunnel will have gutters to collect rainwater. Have no idea if 1,100 gallons(275x4) will get me through a dry Summer but I can always fill them with multiple trips with the water trailer. Same guy has 55 gal drums for $10 so I might grab a few of those too.
At some point, this will become a water truck. In fact, before I made the trailer for the tank, I had it on the back of this truck and drove it down to fill it a few times. Needs carburetor work to run again and I'll be keeping my eye out for a big tank to fit it. It's at least a 1 1/2 ton. Has 12 leafs in the main leaf springs and another 7 for the overload springs and has a two speed rear end. As big of a tank as will fit, it will haul. I could fit four of the 275 gal IBC tanks but a single big round tank would be better.
Got two of three maters in the ground and am going out to do the third. This little area has some rocky spots. This is one hole's worth of rocks for a 4 inch pot sized plant. Post hole diggers do a 6 inch hole. I go deeper than needed and refill minus rocks until I'm at the right level for the root ball. Then I fill around it with 50/50 mix of compost and soil.
And yes, I have to use a digging bar. Little plant between two with fruit is what I just planted.
About half this little garden is rocky. Hardly any rocks at all and 12" of top soil where the REAL garden and high tunnel are going. I'll probably plant so much down there next Spring that I'll get overwhelmed with it.