Question: I want to install a landscape at my new home but am very worried about the water shortage. What tips can you give to increase my chance of success?
Answer: The first suggestion would be to plant as soon as possible. In our area we can plant woody plants all winter if the ground is not frozen. The plant roots will start to grow and establish before the plant top growth occurs and before the stress of a hot summer.
Second, I would encourage you to consider using a low volume irrigation system. Low volume irrigation unlike sprinklers puts the water in a small area near the plant. Sprinklers are very wasteful because they water the entire surface area and much of the water either runs off or evaporates. Low volume methods work by placing emitters in a flexible tube near the base of newly planted trees and shrubs. (picture at right is from the University of Texas publication on "Low Volume Irrigation")
The primary design goal of a low volume system is to apply water to a uniform soil depth. Water is delivered at or below the surface of the planted area exactly where it is needed. For new landscapes the emitter should be placed directly over the edge of the root ball of the newly installed plants. This will keep the root ball moist while encouraging new roots to develop in the native soil. For larger plants you may need two or more emitters to insure the root ball maintains adequate moisture.
These systems are not difficult to install and remind me of playing with tinker toys as a kid. The most critical part of installation is making sure you reduce the pressure before the water enters the drip tubes and provide a screen filter in-line to avoid stopping up the small holes in the emitters. It is very important to periodically check the emitters to make sure they do not get stopped up. Unlike sprinklers which are highly visible you can’t really tell if emitters are working unless you inspect them while they are operating.
I have often been asked why can’t I just punch or drill a small hole in a water line near the plant rather than buying emitters. The answer is simple. These small holes would not distribute the water evenly, the water would come out too fast, and the hole would get larger over time. Emitters are designed to put out very slowly at rates from ½ to up to 2 gallons per hour. If your soil is a very heavy clay soil you would want a very low rate emitter and if it is sandy you could use the higher rates. If you use a high rate emitter on a heavy or hard soil the water will pool on the surface and run off the target area.
I know many municipalities tell their customers to do hand watering only during times of water shortages but low volume drip irrigation is even more water conserving then hand watering. Generally speaking when people do hand watering on new plants they water a larger area than necessary, water is applied too quickly causing runoff, and some water evaporates before reaching the ground. Also, who’s going to know if the water is on if it is below the surface. I am not encouraging wasteful use of water but I believe this is even more water conserving than hand watering and I would not feel the least bit guilty for using this method in lieu of hand watering. Just make sure you are using a timer so that the system only runs a prescribed amount of time. I made the mistake of leaving mine running without a timer several years ago and floated my plants out of the ground after a couple days. To learn more you may watch a short training video for gardeners at Texas Earth Kind web site and choose the "Low Volume Irrigation" tab.
Answer: The first suggestion would be to plant as soon as possible. In our area we can plant woody plants all winter if the ground is not frozen. The plant roots will start to grow and establish before the plant top growth occurs and before the stress of a hot summer.
Second, I would encourage you to consider using a low volume irrigation system. Low volume irrigation unlike sprinklers puts the water in a small area near the plant. Sprinklers are very wasteful because they water the entire surface area and much of the water either runs off or evaporates. Low volume methods work by placing emitters in a flexible tube near the base of newly planted trees and shrubs. (picture at right is from the University of Texas publication on "Low Volume Irrigation")
The primary design goal of a low volume system is to apply water to a uniform soil depth. Water is delivered at or below the surface of the planted area exactly where it is needed. For new landscapes the emitter should be placed directly over the edge of the root ball of the newly installed plants. This will keep the root ball moist while encouraging new roots to develop in the native soil. For larger plants you may need two or more emitters to insure the root ball maintains adequate moisture.
These systems are not difficult to install and remind me of playing with tinker toys as a kid. The most critical part of installation is making sure you reduce the pressure before the water enters the drip tubes and provide a screen filter in-line to avoid stopping up the small holes in the emitters. It is very important to periodically check the emitters to make sure they do not get stopped up. Unlike sprinklers which are highly visible you can’t really tell if emitters are working unless you inspect them while they are operating.
I have often been asked why can’t I just punch or drill a small hole in a water line near the plant rather than buying emitters. The answer is simple. These small holes would not distribute the water evenly, the water would come out too fast, and the hole would get larger over time. Emitters are designed to put out very slowly at rates from ½ to up to 2 gallons per hour. If your soil is a very heavy clay soil you would want a very low rate emitter and if it is sandy you could use the higher rates. If you use a high rate emitter on a heavy or hard soil the water will pool on the surface and run off the target area.
I know many municipalities tell their customers to do hand watering only during times of water shortages but low volume drip irrigation is even more water conserving then hand watering. Generally speaking when people do hand watering on new plants they water a larger area than necessary, water is applied too quickly causing runoff, and some water evaporates before reaching the ground. Also, who’s going to know if the water is on if it is below the surface. I am not encouraging wasteful use of water but I believe this is even more water conserving than hand watering and I would not feel the least bit guilty for using this method in lieu of hand watering. Just make sure you are using a timer so that the system only runs a prescribed amount of time. I made the mistake of leaving mine running without a timer several years ago and floated my plants out of the ground after a couple days. To learn more you may watch a short training video for gardeners at Texas Earth Kind web site and choose the "Low Volume Irrigation" tab.
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