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Water Your Plants and Garden the Easy Way - Use a Drip Irrigation SystemIf you use a lawn sprinkler, you know the routine. Every so often, you have to go out and move it in order to make sure all of your grass is thoroughly watered. And, even though you are going to all that trouble, most of the time there is going to be a spot or two that the sprinkler will miss. This won't happen when you have a system such as this. You may be wondering what these systems are, and how they work... and how they could possibly take the place of your trusty garden sprinkler. Well, have you ever seen the hanging baskets that are sold as the self watering type? They have a wick inside the pot that leads down into an area where the liquid used to water the plant gathers. The wick slowly doles out the exact amount of water that the plant needs. That is how systems such as these work, but on a much larger scale. As a matter of fact, commercial flower and vegetable growers use systems like this in their greenhouses, nurseries, and fields. They need a system that can be depended upon to keep their plants as healthy as possible, and systems such as these fit the bill! Drip irrigation works by using plastic pipes and thin tubes to carry water quite slowly, or to drip it directly and precisely to the soil of all of your plants – those planted in your yard, and those you have in pots and planters. It is a highly efficient way to take care of your plants. The water goes to nourish your plants only, and not to the areas around your plants. Water is absorbed slowly and goes to the roots slowly. This is much better for your plants. Have you ever noticed how quickly the water comes through and runs out the bottom of a potted plant? How much of that water do you think was able to go into the roots of the plant? Not very much! But, with the slow application from an irrigation system, the roots have time to absorb the water they need. You don't need a lot of water pressure in order for drip irrigation system to work. As a matter of fact, you can take your good old portable lawn sprinkler, and convert it to one of these systems with the help of a conversion kit sold for just that purpose. A regular one half inch sprinkler riser makes a fine twelve outlet drip system. It uses what is known as micro tubing, plastic tubes that are either one eighth or one fourth inches in diameter. They are attached to the sprinkler, and then placed in your plants. Also available is a kit that makes use of your garden hose. It works with a timer, which means you can water your plants any time of the day or night, even when you are away from home. It is perfect for use on patios, balconies, or decks, which often have many pots and planters displayed. The hose end timer can gently water up to 20 pots at a time, whether they are hanging baskets or regular pots. Greenhouses have their own automatic drip irrigation setup in kit form. It will water anywhere from 100 to 220 pots. All of the parts are included in the kit, such as filters, drip hose, micro tubing, pressure compensating drippers, a check valve, stakes, and all of the fittings and various accessories needed to set up the system. You can also get a system for roses, ground cover, shrubs, and trees that works beautifully. Vegetable gardens and flower gardens haven't been forgotten, either. The kit for these areas will handily water an area up to 750 square feet. Misting kits are also available to cool any area in your yard. These are used commercially in places like downtown Palm Springs, California to help pedestrians keep cool in the desert heat, so think of how refreshing such a system would be in your own yard! Using an irrigation systems are one of the smartest ways for concerned gardeners and homeowners to take advantage of a handy way to keep their flowers and plants looking beautiful. For more information on watering your plants and garden the easy way, please read these articles: |
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