Posted by <balvenieman on February 17, 2010, 6:05 pm
White_Noise_1@webtv.net (EVP MAN) wrote:
>The question now is: would it be best to run my
>system for a full 6 hours in one shot or would it be best to water three
>times a week for 2 hours at a time providing we get no rain in any given
>week?
Short answer: I'm not qualified to offer a definitive answer. Many
"experts" opine that less frequent deep soakings are of greater benefit
than more frequent light watering because the former induces deeper root
penetration and reduces the likelihood of water stress. I've not seen
any actual studies or evidence to support the assertion but it does seem
reasonable. My instinct is to monitor carefully early on and determine
what is required for the moisture to penetrate to the root zone and to
repeat that often enough to prevent obvious signs of water stress. Some
advocate watering only when the garden does begin to show signs of water
stress but such practice seems to me counterproductive because the water
stress inhibits the plants' progress. I guess the "rule" is that there
are no hard-and-fast rules. You'll have to base your practices on your
own observations (-->keep a garden journal/diary!!<--) as well as
whatever information you can glean from the experiences of other
gardeners in your area.
You can reduce evaporation significantly by practicing wide-row
gardening, which spaces plants "shoulder to shoulder", shading the bed,
and/or by maintaining a healthy layer of mulch—even newspaper is better
than nothing—and/or by interplanting shorter compatible varieties among
taller plants such as eggplant, etc. Consider doing a little reading on
the beneficence of maintaining a suitable "micro-climate" within your
garden.
You may find more qualified advice than mine in the
rec.gardens.edible newsgroup, if it's available to you, provided that
you can take the save-the-worlders and the "my way = right way"
ideologues with a grain of salt. Also, many gardening
websites—gardenweb, in particular—offer regional discussion forums in
which you can correspond with gardeners familiar with practicing in your
neck of the woods; have your adblock plus browser extension at the
ready, though ;-)
--
the Balvenieman
FWIW & Just So You Know: Changing the subject line causes some
newsreading software to begin a new thread. Minor irritant for some
folks; communications breakdown for others.
Posted by brooklyn1 on February 16, 2010, 12:34 pm
(EVP MAN) wrote:
>I'm going to give soaker hoses a try this year in my 4 1/2' X 50'
>vegetable bed.
You need only one soaker hose down the center.... three soaker hoses
down that narrow swarth is way over kill. Only advice is to buy high
quality soaker hose, the cheapos at the big box stores won't last the
season and they don't distribute water evenly, they over water near
the source and fizzle out before ever reaching the end. Leevalley.com
has very high quality soaker hoses... I have like 200' feet in my barn
that I brought with me from my last garden, anyone wants them just
come and pick them up... but I don't know how well they've aged,.
probably best to buy new... you only need a 50' length - $20. And get
an automatic timer for your hose bib or you'll over water and/or
forget.
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&pD889&cat=2,2280,33160
Posted by Bob F on February 20, 2010, 8:39 pm
EVP MAN wrote:
> I'm going to give soaker hoses a try this year in my 4 1/2' X 50'
> vegetable bed. Having never used them before, I do have a few
> questions. I will be planting 3 rows of vegetables the full length of
> the bed. There will be 18" between rows. I will use be using two 50'
> soaker hoses connected to a Y splitter. I will place one hose down
> the center of each row. The hose will be 9" away from my plants on
> either side. My soil structure is clay that will be amended with
> compost and other organic matter. The bed will also be well tilled
> before planting. My questions are: Will a soaker hose provide enough
> water for plants that are 9" away from it ??? Also, how often and
> for what length of time should I use the system each week if we don't
> get any rain ??? The last thing I would like to know is it better to
> bury the soaker hoses a bit or just lay them right on top of the soil
> ??? The reason I'm planting so close together in this bed is because
> I want to give intense planting and intercropping a try this year.
> Just not so sure what size area two soaker hoses will take care of :)
> Any ideas on my irrigation plan for this year would be more than
> welcomed :)
My experience with soaker hoses is that they don't throw water much unless you
overpressure them. The water spreads some by diffusion through the soil, but not
long distances, so having the hose close to the row of plants would be
advantages. If you increase pressure to get throw, you still get way more water
where the hose is, and you get way more difference in water output from the
beginning to the end of the hose.
Posted by EVP MAN on February 21, 2010, 2:43 am
I heard that soaker hoses work quite well if you buy a decent hose and
keep the hose under 100' in length. My bed will only be 4 1/2 feet wide
and 50' long. I'll be running two soaker hoses 18" apart down the
center of my bed. My plants will be any distance I desire away from
each hose. I was thinking about 6" away would be a good distance. Do
you think that would work out ok for me? They will be on a timer and
also a pressure regulator. I plan to run the system twice a week for 2
hours at a time if we don't get any rain.
Rich
Posted by <balvenieman on February 21, 2010, 9:32 am
White_Noise_1@webtv.net (EVP MAN) wrote:
>My plants will be any distance I desire away from
>each hose. I was thinking about 6" away would be a good distance. Do
>you think that would work out ok for me?
Impossible to say. You'll just have to let your experience be your
guide. The spacing between plants should be of primary importance and
your soil's characteristics will determine maximum distances from the
water source. Remember that you can always do supplemental waterings if
you determine your soaker hoses to be too far apart and then change the
spacing next season.
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>system for a full 6 hours in one shot or would it be best to water three
>times a week for 2 hours at a time providing we get no rain in any given
>week?