A garden irrigation system helps distribute water equally over areas of vegetation and plants.
Avid gardeners would describe these as massive time savers, after setting the system up it an easy alternative to manually watering your garden and allowing for a steady flow of water to reach a wide area of terrain. There are many forms of garden irrigation systems that can be used dependant on the needs of your garden.
How Does a Garden Irrigation System Work?
This system works quite simply by delivering water to your garden with ease. The system waters the root of the plant, slowly and with less chance of the water evaporating after hitting the plants surface, making it an easier watering option.
When using a hosepipe, sometime the plants don’t get the right amount of water it needs, which too can be said from the natural approach of rainwater falling onto your garden or fields.
Types of Irrigation Systems
There are many different types of irrigation systems that can be purchased dependant on area that needs to be watered and the type of plants that are growing there.
Irrigation by Hand
The most obvious form of garden irrigation is to do so manually, by watering can or hose. This is sometimes the most efficient form of irrigation as it helps to conserve water. By using different hose fixtures and techniques to water the plants at their roots they can really flourish.
The best thing about this system is that one can easily avoid over watering the plants. When hand watering plants you can see when the soil around the plant stops absorbing water, making it easy to when to move on to the next patch of plants. However, this technique is very time consuming making some newer automatic irrigation systems far superior for the average gardener.
Sprinkler Systems
Adopting a sprinkler system is great for gardeners that have to tend to a large area of vegetation. These can either be purchased as manual sprinkler systems or automatic sprinkler systems.
Both of the systems have the same level of ease to install them and run, the manual systems will need to be turned on at a main water supply when they need to be used. The automatic systems can be put on a timer, allowing for a constant ease of use.
Using an automatic sprinkler system allows for the water to be measured relevant to the area they are spread across and to the needs of the plants they are tending to. The automated systems are really easy to adjust to the individual needs of the gardener and their garden, they are easy to set up and maintain.
With these sprinkler systems you can either get pop-up sprinklers, micro jet or spray system sprinklers or just floor level sprinklers. The choice is there to fit the specific needs of the plants they will be watering, but each variation ranges in price so it is worth while to contemplate what your plants need before purchasing.
A downside of this option is the initial start up costs of the units; these can sometimes be very expensive and maybe not as lucrative if there is only a small and easy to tend to piece of land. Nevertheless, these systems can be easily customised and various components can be bought to fit the unique needs of a garden.
Soaker Hose
Most variations of an irrigation system use a form of soaker hoses to easily distribute water along the roots of the plants. A soaker hose is a perforated hose that is situated at the base of a flowerbed or on close to the earth and root of plants in a field. A soaker hose is a great way to save water and ensure that there is no overspray onto plants or that to ensure that the water doesn’t runoff.
A soaker hose is by far the most time efficient irrigation system to install on any garden size. After purchasing the soaker hose all that is required to set it up is to roll the hose out in the correct areas that need to be watered and then just secure this in place and connect the hose to a water source close by. This variation is great for flowerbeds, hedgerows as well as larger areas of vegetation.
Drip Line Irrigation
Like the soaker hose a drip line irrigation system releases water along the length of the hose that is staked into place around the plants. The drip line has pre-determined holes throughout its piping making it a more controlled process for releasing water.
Its installation is very easy and fast, it is also one of the least costly irrigation systems on the market due to its simplicity. Although it is simple it still very precise, this means that the exact amount of water which is needed to water the plants and the various key locations that it should be fed to them can be decided upon pre-installation. This leaves most gardeners with a safe knowledge that their plants will be tended to well.
What Are the Major Benefits of a Garden Irrigation System?
As it has been previously stated the benefits of garden irrigation systems are two fold, there is an ease of watering for the gardener and plants receive the correct amount of water to blossom, grow and keep healthy.
They are customisable, meaning that the exact pressure, amount and length of your plant beds and vegetation will be discussed prior to implementation. This will allow for the best possible outcome for your plants to help them grow.
Automatic garden irrigation systems are a great time saver, but can be costly, this is for the individual gardener to really decide upon, is the system worth the upfront costs, will it really change your landscape and is it worth it relevant to the size of your plant and flower beds.
These systems really do make a lot more sense when one is tending to large areas of vegetation, or specialist and needy plants that must be under constant up-keep and care whilst growing. Nevertheless, these tools are a great addition to an avid gardener’s tool kit and your plants will definitely see the benefits.
