drip irrigation
Drip irrigation is known for being a very efficient method of watering plants. This form of irrigation applies water directly and slowly to the soil. Drip irrigation places small drip emitters in close proximity to the crops’ root. This provides a much-improved efficiency and makes the system much more controllable.
When you install a drip irrigation system, you can choose one of two varieties: above ground and below ground.
Above ground version drips
small amounts of water continuously onto the ground and allow it to soak in. It is all regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that the water just comes out at a drip instead of 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.
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 worth it.
It’s essentially the same as the above ground version, only a small trench is dug for the hose or pipe prior to any planting. This allows the water direct access to the roots for the most watering efficiency. Plus, you can impress your neighbors by having a beautiful garden without ever going outside to water it! They’ll be baffled.
These emitters are directly connected to the water source by feeder hoses. Another setup is to have the emitters built into the feeder hose instead of rows of independent emitters. This is a trickle hose system.
These systems consist of several constituent parts.
Valve-turn the water flow on or off.
Backflow preventer- reduce the pressure of water flowing through the system and keep it at a constant level.
Filters- used to filter the water.
Emitters – directly control the rate of water.
Are usually small plastic devices that either screw or snap onto the drip tube or pipe.
This irrigation system is best used for lawn and gardens. It is easy to install, easy to design, can be very inexpensive. It can reduce disease problems associated with high levels of moisture on some plants. Soil moisture thereby enhancing production. Irrigation can be carried out day and night and water is supplied where and when required.
One of the main advantages of the drip irrigation system is its
efficiency. Instead of spraying large amounts of water willy-nilly like a hose does, it makes the most of your precious water by putting it exactly where it is needed. It can also provide your garden with constant watering, instead of just having to go thirsty whenever you’re not around to water it.
soaker hose
If you have a garden, soaker hoses are a great, efficient solution to irrigate plants without wasting water.
The hose permits water to slowly run out through small pores on the complete length of the rubber hose at a flow rate at the ground. The plants will absorb providing the right wet content. The water goes right to the basis zone with very low pressure. A soaker hose is build to work at low water pressure. Choosing the right pore size is important. You want to have a product that can keep the soil moist enough.
Hoses with enlarged holes may produce too much water.
Generally, soaker hoses should produce thick beads of water.
So, if turn the water faucet on too high, over time, water becomes shooting streams.
For this reason, soaker hoses must have an internal plastic regulator.
On the other hand, porous soaker hose watering irrigation is created to permit water to run or to leak water right along the length of the hose. You can wrap the hose twice around plants that need more water.
This simple system works best in vegetable garden beds.
For soaker hoses to perform optimally they would have the most length of 100 feet. Use a garden hose to attach the hose to the tap.