Maria Rodale's Organic Gardening Secrets by Maria Rodale

Author:Maria Rodale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale
Published: 2012-05-30T04:00:00+00:00

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Design Your Own Drip Irrigation System

With a well-planned drip irrigation system, you can water every row of your vegetable garden separately, because each has its own line and shutoff valve. Only those crops that need water get it. You can easily change the layout to suit your plans each season.

Using a sprinkler waters weeds as well as your garden. Drip hoses deliver water right to the roots of the plants you want, which also protects them from diseases. Lettuce and cabbage need steady moisture to keep from going to seed early.

Designing and installing an irrigation system for a vegetable garden requires just a little planning. Take the time to lay out the beds thoughtfully so the right amount of water reaches your garden plants and you do not aid and abet weeds.

Parts You’ll Need

Drip tape or T-tape. This lends itself well to straight rows and has small openings every 8 inches to 2 feet, depending on what you choose to purchase. Take care not to damage it with a hoe or other garden tool. A more durable, though more expensive, option is tubing with in-line emitters, like Dura-Flo Jr dripperline, sold as ¼-inch soaker dripline.

Shutoff valve fittings. These are mini-spigots that are used to connect the supply line and the T-tape, allowing you to water one line at a time.

End caps. Use the end caps to stop the water flow at the end of the drip tape.

Hole punch or drill. You’ll need a tool to make holes in the supply tubing through which the barbed ends of the shutoff valve fittings can be inserted. A hole punch or a drill bit of the correct diameter will work.

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