Difference between Round and Flat Tubing

[David B]

What are the real differences between round and flat drip tubing.

what are the aspects I need to think about when choosing.

I am starting a small grove of olive trees and I want to install drip.

thanks for any help.

Dave

[Irrigator]

The main difference between the cylindrical dripper style of tubing and the flat dripper style of tubing or drip tape is the price and the longevity of the tubing.

If you can have good filtration to ensure that the drippers do not clog up over a period of 5 to 10 years (very doable) I suggest sprining for the thicker walled tubing with the cylindrical dripper inside.

Flat dripper line and drip tape are good for 1, 2, or 3 seasons of use. After that you just throw them away. This is good for areas with very dirt water where by the end of the season all of the drippers are clogged up. It is also good for crops like cotton were you have to dig up the earth with big tractors and you can just install new inexpensive drip every season. Another beneit of the thinwalled tubing is that it is cheaper.

Since you are planting trees which will be there for years to come it is actually cost effective to spring for the cylindrical drip tubing with the thicker wall. The cylindrical tubing also has a large variety of dripper styles to choose from where as drip tape is very limited and flat drippers are somewhere in bewteen.

[agring]

Flat drip tubing was developed as a less expensive option for large crop areas like sugarcane. It is easier to transport with more than one kilometer of drip per roll.

The main difference is the wall thickness of the tube. Round tube normally have a wall thickness of 0,8-1,5mm while flat tube has a thickness of 0.18-0.35mm. The ticker the tube, the more material is needed to manufacture it and the more expensive it is. But the thicker the tube the longer it will last.

Sugarcane is reaped every 3-5 years whereas olive trees will grow for 30 years plus. Thus for short term crops use flat drip tubing and for long term crops like trees, use more robust round drip tubing that will last a life-time.

What are the real differences between round and flat drip tubing.

what are the aspects I need to think about when choosing.

I am starting a small grove of olive trees and I want to install drip.

thanks for any help.

Dave

[Irrigator]

Agring welcome to the forum!

You put some very useful information in your posts.