Drip Irrigation – Home Irrigation Part 3
Before we get started, here are the latest watering restrictions from the City of Rockport’s website. Drip irrigation is allowed any day at all stages below until Stage 3 is reached.
Current Status – Voluntary
“In accordance with the City’s Drought Contingency and Emergency Water Plan, customers of the city’s water system are asked to cut back on water usage from May 1 – September 30 by voluntarily watering once a week. The revised water conservation plan also prohibits watering between the hours of 10 am and 6 pm anytime throughout the year. Residents with water wells are not required to comply with the prohibition of watering between 10 am and 6 pm but are encouraged to do so.”
Current (7/31/2019) water combined water levels for the area are at 64.5% full (from sanpatwater.com/home.php).
• Stage 1 restrictions start at 40% with once a week lawn watering on the designated day (ending house number even is Tuesday, odd is Wednesday, multifamily/commercial is Thursday).
• Stage 2 begins at 30% with watering once every other week.
• Stage 3 begins at 20% and all lawn/landscape watering is prohibited.
Drip irrigation originated in 1965 in the Negev desert in Israel by the Netafim Company which is still a leader in this type of irrigation. The bulges in the tubing are caused by a sophisticated flow control device which allows constant and even dripping in the first foot of tubing to the last, unlike soaker hose. Some characteristics of drip irrigation are:
⦁ Water-conserving – Water goes to the plant and not into the air.
⦁ Easy to work – Tubing can be cut with scissors and connected by simple barbed fittings. Kits are available.
⦁ Uses reduced pressure – Drip uses water pressure reduced from tap levels of about 60 psi to about 25 or 30.
⦁ Great for vegetables and landscape plants. Not great for lawns.
Let’s build a drip system.
Here’s a drip system for plants in pots or hangers. Sourcing is from Amazon but similar items can be found at Lowe’s, Home Depot and sprinklerwarehouse.com.
Table of parts (links direct to Amazon below)
I’m giving a talk at the AgriLife center (801 Airport Blvd) Tuesday Aug. 20 12 noon to 1:00 which is based on this article and we’ll be building the drip system.
If you missed Richard’s previous post check it out here!
Richard Snyder is a former biology instructor, past President of Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners, and current President of the Aransas County Community Garden