Establishing A Drip Irrigation System
Monday, July 26th, 2010If you’re searching for ways to keep your garden watered without wasting too much time and money, you have probably experienced a lot of options in your head. Maybe you’ve considered a sprinkler, a hose, or an excellent dated watering can. All of these methods may be easy, but most of the time you will end up wasting water on plants that don’t need any more. If you reside in a drought stricken area like I do, you realize that every bit of water counts. I ended up getting a drip irrigation system. I haven’t regretted this decision at all.
When you fit a drip irrigation system, you can pick out 1 of 2 varieties: above ground and below ground. The above ground version drips small amounts of water continuously onto the earth, and allows it to soak in. It is all regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that the water just comes out at a drip rather than a spray or a stream. These pressure regulators are very inexpensive. The whole drip system can be set up with a pressure regulator and a garden hose with holes poked in it (although it is ideal for you to get a pipe made for this type of use, I’ve learned that the hose method works acceptably).
The underground system is a bit more of a pain to install and maintain. But if you’re really into the aesthetic aspect of your garden and don’t want any visible watering system, then you might consider it worthwhile. It’s basically the identical to the above ground version, only a small trench is dug for the hose or pipe prior to any planting. This lets the water direct access to the roots for the most watering efficiency. Plus, you can impress your neighbors by possessing a pleasant garden without ever going outside to water it! They’ll be baffled.
To choose between the two systems, you should take several matters into account. Do you have the same plant layout year round? If it is invariably changing, you likely won’t want to bury your hose. It can be a pain to dig it up and re-align it with all your new plants every year or so. Although your plant layout never changes, you need to consider how much you really mind seeing a hose in your garden. If it actually bothers you to the extent that you’re willing to work for a couple of hours to get rid of it, then by all means bury it. But otherwise I suggests staying above ground if for nothing else than the convenience of repairing and rearranging.
One of the main advantages of the drip irrigation system is its efficiency. In place of spraying large sums of water willy-nilly like a hose does, it makes the the majority of your precious water by putting it exactly where it is required. It can also provide your garden with constant watering, in place of just needing to go thirsty whenever you’re not around to water it.
So if you are looking for an easy, cheap, convenient, and efficient alternative watering method, you should go out to the gardening shop today and buy the necessary items to fit a drip irrigation system. I think you’ll be astonished at how simpler it is to preserve a garden after you’ve it.
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