It looks like we are in for a long , dry summer. The lack of winter snow and rain left the soil dry to start the spring. The forecast for the first half of May is dry, and there is a strong chance an El Nino will settle in by late summer or early fall and bring even more drier and warmer weather. Some forecasters are saying this El Nino may be “aggressive.”
All these forecasts mean we will need to carefully manage our garden irrigation this year. Fortunately, we are early enough in the growing season that there is time to adjust irrigation systems so the water gets to where it’s needed.
There have been many advancements in irrigation technology in the past 10 years. Sprinkler heads are now more efficient about where they throw water while internet -connected timers can draw information from weather forecasts to refine watering cycles. Timers synced with your cellphone make it easy to adjust watering cycles. If rain is predicted the timer can easily be put on hiatus. Some sophisticated timers can be set up to sense soil moisture levels and adjust the run time. There are several quality timers available for less than $200 at the box stores. Many of them are easy to install with a few hand tools and a couple of hours of time.
Drip irrigation is the most efficient watering method. These systems use ribbons of tubing or small soaker hoses installed at the base of the plants. The tubing has slits or emitters every few inches that put water right into the root systems, reducing the amount lost to evaporation. These systems can be used in shrub and flower beds as well as vegetable gardens. Existing sprinkler heads can be easily converted to drip irrigation by installing adapters that connect to the tubing.
Micro sprinkler heads are another option if you need to cover a larger area or a group of plants. The heads are about the size of pencil eraser and are mounted on a 12-inch rigid riser connected to black poly pipe. They can spray a 5- to 10-foot circles which ensures all plants get watered. Another advantage of micro sprinklers is that because they stand up among the plants, it’s easy to see when one gets plugged. With drip tape, you may not notice plugged drippers until a plant starts dying. Plugged micro heads can be cleared with a wire or pine needle.
Drip systems also come as easy-to-assemble kits that take just a few hand tools and a couple of hours to install.
These are very popular for vegetable gardens as the tape or soaker hose can be run as straight rows in the garden and connected to a header pipe. The vegetables are planted on either side of the tape. These systems can easily be connected to battery powered timers that can turn the water on and off on a predetermined schedule.
Now you can go on vacation, and the timer will take care of the garden.
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