An Introduction to Irrigation Systems
A 3 part blog series, to introduce you to all things irrigation including irrigation system details, layouts, and brand recommendations along with irrigation fun facts and handy tips and tricks!
Week 1: Intro to Irrigation Systems
All plants need water to survive and our planet needs water conservation to survive. Did you know that different soil types require different amounts of water? Some plants require consistent moisture and some plants love dry rocky soils. This is why it’s essential to select the proper location for your nursery stock and then water accordingly.
Irrigation Fun fact:
There are many plants that can survive after the first 2 -3 years of consistent watering to help get them established. In Garden Girl’s garden, she provides loving attention and irrigation for the first 2 years, and then it’s “survival of the fittest.” It’s not economical or feasible to water more than 7 acres unless you are a farmer.
Garden Girl has been in hundreds of backyards and has seen all kinds of interesting watering techniques by the home gardener. One of the most unusual was a high-powered sprinkler that sent out the intensity of a fire hose and the poor plants were like prisoners at Guantanamo Bay just getting pummeled. Unfortunately, there was no reasoning with that homeowner since he “knew it all” and was not open to laying out drip irrigation to gently soak the plants at the base. About six months later the spouse called to say all the plants were dead and upon reviewing the pictures it indeed looked like a genocide. The spouse ended up having drip irrigation installed while he was away on business and replaced the nursery stock which are thriving today!
Download our FREE Quick Reference Irrigation Cheat Sheet here.
A few tips, tricks, and tells on protecting your nursery stock and water bill!
Please do not overwater as this is commonly the cause of new trees dying. You can tell if you are overwatering if you dig 6-8” down and if you can grab a handful of soil and wring water out of it, you are overwatering.
Pacific NW friends: Don’t rely on rain. Many trees have thick canopies and rainwater typically does not make it through to the top of the root balls.
Avoid spraying water on the leaves and trunk. This can lead to fungal diseases.
Don’t water while there is still the threat of freezing temperatures. In the Pacific-Northwest frost occurs from November-March.
Avoid runoff. Trees planted on slopes can be tricky to water without your irrigation ending up at the bottom of your hill. Build a basin to keep the water from escaping.
