Why Drip Irrigation System is Suitable for Cultivation?

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Author: Rocky

A drip irrigation method has many advantage and rewards for the beginner and the skilled gardener. There are many different drip irrigation systems, so it is important to make a careful observation of the options, and arrive at an informed decision before committing to the purchase. Drip irrigation supplies can be costly, and an ounce of planning can save a pound of doing over.

Drip irrigation is perfect if you live in drier areas , where water scarcity if felt. A drip irrigation system will supply water sparingly , exactly where it is required , with little waste. If you make combination of a drip irrigation system with a thick layer of compost and an intelligent watering schedule, you can save yourself a lot of time and money, and produce a better result in your garden .

Even in some areas with abundant rainfall on an annual basis, there can be arid spells. As much as we like to look at our gardens , standing about with a hose can become tedious after a while . Sprinklers offer enjoyment for the children, but they do waste a lot of water through evaporation, which costs you money and brings an unnecessary burden on the clean supply of water

Placement of nozzles is an important consideration - they should be very close to the roots of each plant. Have a watch on clogged nozzles - ants might be attracted to the wetness and enter nozzles to reach the water, only to be crushed into an immobile mass when the timer ticks gets overand the water begins to flow. Always keep an eye for blockages.

If you have a constant perforated hose drip irrigation circuit, then you need to give careful thought to the route your hose will follow. The aim is to get the greatest portion of the water supply into the garden beds. Keep in mind, too, that you will need to access the hose from time to time, especially if it grows a leak or has some other problem, so think ahead and don't lay the drip irrigation system where your new patio or car port will be built.

Remember, we want to endorse deep roots for stability, so you can not leave your drip irrigation system running 24/7. A good soak every few days is a better idea .

Select a drip irrigation system which provides extra elements for sale individually. You never know when your resident landscape architect will have a clear idea about re architect the garden, and you want to be able to buy extra drip irrigation supplies as the requirement arises.

Along with anything else, you get what you pay for with drip irrigation systems. The cheap ones will break shortly and cause you more headaches than they are worth. Prefer a decent brand from an established supplier who will offer support and maintenance service you for the life of your drip irrigation system.

About the Author:

Rocky is an eminent writer and expert in issues on topic of regarding landscape and gardening. To get free instructions and strategy on how to benefit from drip irrigation and other irrigation supplies and equipment like garden sprinklers, hose, raid bird and other lawn irrigation product.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Why Drip Irrigation System is Suitable for Cultivation?

How to Plan a Pond in Your Water Garden

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When a stream intersects the garden, this requires more work. You should use general treatment in expanding the water area considerably. One of the ways in which you can do this is to create a lily pond in that part of the garden beyond the brook, having an inlet and an outlet, thus securing water circulation.

Bays should be formed on the near side. Communication across the stream may be by means of a simple bridge, or stepping stones if the water is shallow. You should resist the temptation to give a "rustic" character to his bridge and think carefully about adding patio statuary, large fountains, or indoor wall fountains that are best left indoors. It should be a plain affair, well and firmly built, as befits its purpose, and with a hand-rail on either side.

There is a type of water garden which is frankly artificial and depends for its water supply on the kitchen tap or the pump. This last condition means that you should have some knowledge of the economy of water and that can best be done by devising what is called a circulating system.

The first consideration will be the planning of the ponds (for such they are) and in that you must be guided by the levels in your garden and your desires in the matter of water area. If there is a distinct slope in the garden surface, so much the better. It will help you come up with a simple arrangement for running off the water, as must be done from time to time to keep ponds clean and their tenants in healthy condition.

You must provide for the waste or overflow from the pond or series of ponds for when the garden slopes toward the house. The most convenient way is to carry it into a gully in connection with the house drainage system. When the slope is in a contrary direction the best expedient is to make a "soak-away" drain. This is merely a pit sunk in the soil and filled with rubble, into which the overflow pipe is conducted. Consider hiding the rubble with a large fountain such as a wall fountain or other type of patio water feature.

The ponds must be constructed with an impervious bottom by using cement or concrete. This means forming the bottom and building up the sides of the pond. If you use rock or rubble sides, they must be built in cement. You also have to be careful to make the joints watertight. You can make the floor with six or eight inches of concrete, faced with cement. The surface should not be finished to a dead level, but should have a slight fall toward the outlet, to facilitate running off the water.

If the pond sides are built of cement, you should make the edges battered with the edges showing. You can do this by first building a frame of wood. Fresh cement of good quality should be used, tempered with a third part of sharp sand. Pipes for inlets and outlets should be inserted when the sides of the pond are being made. If a single pond is installed it will only be necessary to carry a waste-pipe from its bottom to the drain.

This should be done in a straight line, if possible, to facilitate unstopping in case of obstruction. The most suitable piping is iron gas pipe of not less internal diameter than one and a half inches. A plug must be provided to close the inlet, which may be a simple cone of wood fitted to the bore of the pipe. Again, the piping can be hidden with the inclusion of large waterfalls, patio statuary, or garden fountains. When you want to make two or more ponds, they should be connected by piping into a single system, with the waste-pipe connecting the one nearest the drain to it.

If all ponds stand at the same level, the connecting pipes may enter and leave at the bottom, but if the levels are stepped, as would be the case on sloping ground, the overflow from each pond to the next lower one of the series must be placed at the water line, otherwise the water would all flow to the lowest pond. You can conveniently fill up the pond and drain it with the garden hose.

About the Author:
Allison Ryan is a writer specializing in landscape architecture and do-it-yourself installation of large fountains and patio statuary. For the ideal wall fountain or outdoor water feature for your backyard, stop by http://www.garden-fountains.com/.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Plan a Pond in Your Water Garden

Free Micro-irrigation Retrofit Workshops Available

Micro Irrigation Workshop in Tampa, Florida

How to convert your existing traditional sprinkler system to a more efficient, low-volume micro-irrigation system for your landscape plants.

Scheduled Workshops:

West Tampa - Saturday, March 7 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., West Tampa Branch Library, 2312 West Union Street, Tampa, 33607

Town 'n Country - Wednesday, March 25 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Town 'n County Regional Public Library, 7606 Paula Drive, Tampa, 33615

South Tampa - Wednesday, April 15 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Tampa Garden Club, 2629 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa, 33629

New Tampa - Saturday, May 9 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd., Tampa, 33647

Register by calling (813) 744-5519, ext.144 or online at hillsborough_fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/Water-Wise.html. The following information is needed to register: full name(s); mailing address; and phone number.

Original source: Micro Irrigation Workshop

7 Important Container Gardening Tips

By Lee Dobbins

Container gardening is a great way to be able to garden in small apartments or homes that have no yards. Additionally, plants in containers can be used to enhance your garden, porch or patio. They offer great versatility as they can be moved to suit and the containers themselves can add to your outdoor decor. Here are 7 great tips that will allow you to get the most out of your container gardens.

1. Use good quality containers with wide openings for best results. Cheap plastic containers can deteriorate in sunlight and wooden ones can rot over time so you might consider ceramic pots for better durability. Clay pots are good too, but they are very porous and can absorb a lot of water so be sure to check the soil often if you use a clay pot container.

2. Drainage is key - standing water will encourage root rot. Make sure your container has holes in the bottom and add some marbles or stones at the bottom too. Make sure the holes are about ½ inch and you can line the bottom of the container with newspaper or burlap to keep the soil from seeping out.

3. When container gardening, you want to have good soil to provide nutrients to your plant. Also, you want a loose mixture that will allow the water to be distributed evenly throughout the entire soil base as this will help with even root growth.

4. Most container plants should have around 5 hours of sunlight each day and may need to be watered each day. Make sure the soil stays moist but not wet. To test for this, just stick your finger down into the soil - is it dry down deep? Then it needs water. If it is still moist on the top or just below the top than hold off watering until tomorrow.

5. Container size depends on what you will be growing. Vegetables are going to need big deep pots. Depending on the size and amount of plants you will have in the container, you want to choose containers that are somewhere between 15 and 120 quarts.

6. Hanging baskets are great garden containers but you have to keep a close eye on the soil as they can tend to dry out. One way to help is to line them with sphagnum moss since this will help to keep water loss down. Also, you should try to move them out of the direct afternoon sun if possible.

7. When placing your containers in arrangements, always use different size containers and odd numbers of them. For some reason, a grouping of 3 or 5 containers will look much better than 4. If you will be putting them on a hard surface like cement or wood, place them up in bricks or blocks to help with drainage.

So what plants can you put in your containers? Here is a short list of some plants that do very well with container gardening:

Alyssum

Begonia

Geranium

Marigold

Pansies

Petnuias

Zinnias

If you want more tips on starting your garden including the key elements you need to know about when gardening, how to grow plants in containers and tips on growing herbs and vegetables sign up for my free gardening tips report at http://gardening-ez.com/gardeningtipsreport.php

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