Drip irrigation is a great way to water your plants and conserve water at the same time
Centuries ago in the Middle East, farmers developed an efficient way of irrigating trees in desert soil with a minimum of water. If poured directly on the ground, much water flows away from the plant and seeps beyond the reach of the roots. To control the flow of water, farmers buried special unglazed pots near the trees and periodically filled them with water. The water seeped through the clay walls slowly, creating a pocket of wet soil around the tree. Trees grew as well with the pot method as in orchards watered by trench irrigation.
By the late 1960s, many farmers in both North and South America as well as Australia shifted to a new drip irrigation technology. Typical water consumption decreased from 30 percent to 50 percent.
In the 1980s, drip irrigation saw use in commercial landscaping applications. Because the drip irrigation emitter technology focused water below ground in the root zone, these systems saved labor costs by reducing weed growth. With drip systems yards and gardens flourished without sprinklers or manual watering.
Fifty years ago, the common perception was that water was an infinite resource. At that time, there were fewer than half the current number of people on the planet. People were not as wealthy as today, consumed fewer calories and ate less meat, so less water was needed to produce their food. They required a third of the volume of water we presently take from rivers. Today, the competition for water resources is much more intense. This is because there are now more than seven billion people on the planet, their consumption of water-thirsty meat and vegetables is rising, and there is increasing competition for water from industry, urbanisation and biofuel crops.
Drip irrigation is a great way to water your plants and conserve water at the same timeDrip irrigation is an irrigation method that conserves water and fertilizer by dripping water directly into the root zone. A simple drip watering system consists of a hose that carries the water, an emiter that controls the drips and a timer that controls the release of water. Great advances have been made in drip irrigation in the last 30 years.
When properly designed, installed and managed, an irrigation drip conserves water because there is less evaporation than with conventional sprinkler systems and water can be applied directly to the root system of the plants. There isn’t as much runoff and possible erosion as there can be with a sprinkler system.
A dripping irrigation system is especially useful in Southern California, where we have seasonal water rationing. With a drip system, a little water goes a long ways because it is applied directly to the roots of the plants.
A-Plus Sprinkler and Landscape can install a new drip system from the ground up or we can replace your existing sprinkler system to save you money.
Give us a call (800 340-5022) today for a free estimate and we can let you know what we can do to help you water your yard with a drip irrigation system.
