For the home gardener, there are many options for irrigating vegetable gardens that are simple to use and work adequately. The watering can or garden hose are the most simple and are fine for small gardens. The garden hose should have a fan nozzle or adjustable spray attachment. When watering with the hose, the low pressure stream of water should be directed to the base of the plant and not the foliage. An easy and very convenient way to store the hose when not in use is with the garden hose reel. Other options for watering are the portable lawn sprinkler and a soaker hose. There is also a method of watering that is the best to use for conserving water: drip or trickle irrigation. This method does require special equipment, but depending on your situation, it might be the one most efficient and necessary.
There are many different types of sprinklers. Overhead sprinklers spreading the water up and over your garden, offer a wide range of watering patterns and area coverage. They are convenient and the pattern display sometimes can be entertaining to watch; however, they are not very water-efficient. Most sprinklers deposit less water at the outer edges of the spray and more at the center source. The sprinkler needs to be placed at staggered locations to provide overlap. This can result in an over application of water in some areas. Also, if it is hot or windy, a considerable amount of water is lost to evaporation especially with the small droplet sizes. Applying water more evenly than overhead sprinklers are oscillating sprinklers. The area they cover can be adjusted to a square or rectangle, making the overlap problem more controllable. When the sprinkler sprays on foliage it may increase disease problems. To reduce the chances for disease outbreaks, water in the early morning and during the day the water will naturally evaporate off.
An inexpensive and easy irrigating device which conserves on water is the soaker hose. It is made of plastic or canvas tubing that allows water to seep out all along its length at a slow rate. Water is conserved because the flow is directed into the ground near the plant. There is little loss of water because no runoff occurs and there is no evaporation happening either. The gentle stream of water will not compact the soil or cause any splashing of muddied water on your vegetables. Another method, the drip or trickle system is ideally suited for raised bed or container gardens. Short tubes, or emitters can come off a main water supply hose. The emitter runs the water directly at the roots of the desired plants leaving leaves and any fruits dry. You replace the water lost on a daily basis with the drip system. A filter or self-flushing emitters can be included in the system to prevent clogging. Because such a minimum amount of water is used, the drip system is a cost-effective irrigation tool.
Always be aware of the times in the growth development of your vegetables when an adequate amount of water should be available. The first few weeks after planting or transplanting seedlings are the periods when plants may be adversely affected by not getting enough water.
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