Let's discuss watering methods. Top? Bottom? Drip? Spray? Others? How do you decide which method to use, and when?
Posted May 9, 2015, 8:04 PM UTC
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Raised beds. Drip irrigation. We don't bury the lines because they would clog.
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Soaker hose all the way.
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Care to elaborate? How much does it cost to setup per foot? Do you need a certain amount of pressure? Is it wasteful or efficient? What makes you like it so much? Is it controllable? Does it clog or need maintenance?
Etc.
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I think I got a 75ft hose for about $15. I don't have anything fancy for pressure just my normal hose. And I never had any issues with it clogging. I like it cause it makes water simple for me. I hook my hose up to it turn my hose on and let it run for 20 mins.
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I also run soaker hoses under mulch, locally they are 9.99 for 75ft. I don't know how many sq ft I run, but I have 3 hoses on a timer, 1hr every other day gives my tomatoes(30 plants), peppers(20 plants), cucumber, beans, peas, eggplant, squash, and romenesco all the water they need.
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I love my drip kit in the raised beds. Bonus is that I can set it to a timer to water in the morning before I even get out of bed!
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I flood them and them drain them about 4x an hour... But I'm growing aquaponically, so...
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I guess I'll start. I water from the bottom if I can get away with it, always. This includes even 5 gallon buckets. I see top watering as promoting disease and sickness. Sometimes, as is the case with raised beds, top watering is basically the only way.
For raised beds, sometimes I dig a tiny hole near the base of the plant and water into it, then cover it back up with the dry dirt.
I use a sprayer when I'm germinating seeds or watering tiny seedlings.
I don't have a drip system yet, but boy would I want one! I always wondered why people don't bury their drip lines. I guess because they clog?
Set a pot halfway into the soil next to the plants you want to water this way, and just fill them to water the plant.
SOP for potted tomatoes.
EDIT A pot with drainage holes, of course.
That's a great idea. Thanks for the tip!
Neat idea but it results in non uniform watering?