IRRIGATION METHODS for the Home Vegetable Garden€¢Water Management Practices for the Home...

IRRIGATION METHODSfor the Home Vegetable Garden

Presented by AFAC Walter Reed Garden Volunteers

Catherine Connor, Susanna McIlwaine & David Sachs

2/10/2018

• Water Management Practices for the Home Vegetable Garden

• Irrigation Practices at the Walter Reed Garden• Gravity Fed Drip Irrigation System with Rain Barrels

• Role of Ollas as a Sub-Surface Irrigation Method

• Suggested Resources

2/10/2018 Irrigation Ideas from WRG - AFAC Gardening Kickoff 2

Water supports vital plant functions:

• Photosynthesis

• Support / rigidity / turgor

• Transpiration

• Transportation of nutrients and sugars to various plant parts

Vegetables Need at Least 1” of Water per Week

65 gallons per 100sqft

27’000 gallons per acre

Irrigation as a Water Deposit


Photo by Francesca York

Manage Irrigation to Supplement Natureand Conserve Water

Meet plant needs• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a/b, AHS Plant Heat Zone 6 & 7 (Arlington/Alexandria)

• Crops have different and changing H2O requirements (varieties, growth stage, roots)

• Soil types affect drainage & available water capacity

Consider your garden’s situation• Micro-climates – sun exposure; heat sources; wind patterns

• Local weather – Supplement “effective precipitation”

• Gardening Methods – in-ground/in rows; raised beds/in blocks; keyhole; containers; slope/terraces/swales; square foot; etc.

• Other water conservation practices – mulches; cover crops/green manure; windbreaks; shade panels; etc.


Growth Stage & Crop Specific Requirements

In general, water is needed most for:

• germination of seeds (to 2-4 true leaves),

• immediately after transplanting,

• during the first few weeks of development while roots get established,

• during the development of edible storage organs.

Remember that there is such a thing as “too much water”

Critical periods for selected vegetables:

• Cauliflower: head development

• Cucumber: flowering, fruit development

• Eggplant: flowering, fruiting

• Lettuce: Head development; moisture should be constant

• Melons: Flowering, fruit development

• Tomato: Flowering, fruiting

• Peas: Pod filling

By knowing the critical watering periods for selected vegetables, you can adapt the amount of supplemental water you add.


Soil & Water Relationship

http://agriculture.vsu.edu/files/images/

special-programs/water-management-

for-raised-bed-gardens-revision.pdf


http://agriculture.vsu.edu/files/images/special-programs/water-management-for-raised-bed-gardens-revision.pdf

EXTRA SLIDE 1

Reprinted from dripworks.com Soil drainage classification from BSE-194 – VT pub2/10/2018 Irrigation Ideas from WRG - AFAC Gardening Kickoff 7

EXTRA SLIDE 2


Approximately 70 percent of water used by plants is removed from the upper half of the plant root zone.

Typical water extraction pattern in uniform soil profile.

EXTRA SLIDE 3

http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g2189.pdf


EXTRA SLIDE 5 – Gardening Methods


1. Watering Can

2. Hose (with some kind of nozzle)

3. Drip systems

4. Sub-Surface Irrigation

5. Sprinklers (overhead watering is not recommended – early morning)

Irrigation Methods for the Home GardenDOs and Don’ts

• Dispense H2O at the base of the plants – Avoid wetting the foliage• Wetting foliage wastes water and can lead to fungal diseases

• Apply H2O gently – Avoid splashing or splattering• Splattering can lead to soil borne diseases and erosion

• Check and monitor – Don’t assume everything is fine• Use your finger or a moisture meter in several places


Additional Water Conservation Strategies

COVER YOUR SOIL!

• Mulch

• Cover Crop / green manure

• Under-sow

PROTECT FROM HEAT & WINDS

• Wind Breaks

• Shade Cloth


Irrigation at theWalter Reed Garden

Gravity Fed Drip Irrigation

w/Rain Barrels as Reservoir

+ Ollas for Select Crops

• Uses gravity to move water – no pump needed• Must select equipment correctly

• Must elevate reservoir and consider slope of the garden plot

• Moderately priced and effective for smaller sized crop areas• Keep it simple

• A water reservoir, a structure to support it, piping & shut off valve, drip lines, timer (optional) & filter

• When practical, fill the water reservoir with rain water harvesting techniques • Keep the reservoir opening covered with mesh material/screen

• Top the rain barrel with a collar to collect rain water (alternatively fill with city water)

Gravity Fed Drip Irrigation w/Rain Barrel Reservoir (1)


Screen WasherBuilt Into Timer

• Rain barrels are holding tanks for rain or city water. • Capped with a rain catching collar most of the year.• Plastic covers replace collars in summer heat to

minimize the growth of algae.

Our drip irrigation is controlled by timers. It is essential to select a timer specifically designed for a no-pressure (gravity fed) system.

Toro53746


Plan based on your unique situation

Consider slope, intended crop, cost, level of automation, etc.

Whatever your choices, select equipment designed for low/no pressure

• ½” main line tubing – may be run length or width of the bed to be watered

• Run the branch lines off the main line• ¼” soaker driplines come w/built-in emitters spaced every 6”, 9”, 12”

• Basic drip emitters at end of ¼” tubing water individual plants (peppers, zucchini, tomatoes)

• Secure the lines in place

• You will need miscellaneous tools



Maintain the system

• Keep the filter clean

• Monitor for and remove algae development in the reservoir

• Check soil moisture in multiple locations and keep track of water dispensed

• Troubleshoot problems quickly• Check for and fix leaks in the drip system or with the barrel’s spigot

• Check emitters and lines for blockage

• Winterize the system (drain & store)

• Do season-start shores• Clean the rain barrels thoroughly

• Check the lines



Ollas as Sub-Irrigation Method

Olla irrigation is the most efficient method for maintaining soil moisture near field capacity and avoiding conditions of saturation or wilting point.

Edible garden plants that have optimum soil moisture exert less energy drawing water and nutrients from the soil, grow faster and are less stressed.


Ollas Take Many Forms


Ollas Are Buried in the Soil


Ollas Are Organized to Reach Plants Around Them


Ollas Need To Get Filled on A Regular Basis

You can Make an Olla With Terracotta Pots


Test your ollas for leaks before planting and

replanting each year!

Sub Surface Irrigation Planters (SIP)

Not a subject discussed at this event

But information available downstairs about DIY double buckets



Potatoes

Peppers

Eggplants

Tomatoes

Swiss Chard& Carrots

YOU CAN GROWMANY THINGS IN A

FOUR GALLON DOUBLE BUCKET!!!

Bush Beans

Visit the Irrigation Ideas

table downstairs.

DOWNLOAD FILES FROM TODAY’S AFAC PRESENTATION


Or visit the public link: https://goo.gl/zDDy8h

https://goo.gl/zDDy8h

References & Handouts Online List of References on Facebook

Arlington Garden Exchange

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArlingtonGardenExchange/files/

Available Today

• Ollas DIY (Native Seeds)

• Water Management for Raised Beds (VSU)

• Plant Spacing (Kansas State)

• Rain Barrel Making (Painting Table)

• and more…


IRRIGATION METHODS for the Home Vegetable Garden€¢Water Management Practices for the Home...

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