It almost goes without saying that most roof gardens are hot, sunny, very dry places. I can't imagine why anyone with a roof garden, container garden, or any other type of small garden in full sun would not want to install a drip irrigation system, especially since plants will need to be watered daily and sometimes even twice a day in the middle of summer. If, for example, you came home late just once and forgot to water the plants that day, you could find easily yourself with a collection of very dead plants the next day.
Installing a drip irrigation system will help protect the investment (financially and emotionally) you have in your plants by taking the time and guesswork out of watering by hand. Drip irrigation is the process of delivering precise amounts of water and nutrients directly to the plant's root zone, drop by drop. This system provides us with exact watering control and efficient use of limited water resources. Other water sprinkler systems do not use water as efficiently.
Drip irrigating first began in Israel, where dry desert conditions and a limited water supply created the need for an environmentally-friendly watering system to grow crops. Later, the process spread to the U.S., where it proved crucial in the dry, desert southwest or in landscape areas where traditional sprinklers have not proven effective, such as rooftop gardens, container gardens, and other small urban garden areas.
Farmers have been using drip systems since the 1960s, when they first discovered they could actually increase yields while lowering water use.
WHY DRIP MAKES SENSE
- Saves time on watering by hand every day
- Reduces stress on plants, resulting in healthier plants overall
- Doesn't waste water because water goes directly to the roots and can be set on a timer to the exact amount needed
- Can cut water waste by as much as 50%
- The slow, regular, and uniform application of water produces robust, consistent plant growth
Most systems are set to run on a timer that turns the system on and off. To gauge the correct watering frequency, you will want to observe how long it takes for the top inch of soil to dry out and set the timer to come on at intervals that will allow this slight drying to occure between each watering cycle. For most sunny gardens, you would probably set the timer to come on once a day in summer and every other day in spring and fall except during rainy periods when it can be shut off
SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
Initial Adjustments - The first time you run the system, experiment with durations between 15-30 minutes per cycle to see how long it takes for water to come out the drainage holes on all containers. The goal is to completely saturate the roots of every plant in the system. A good rule of thumb would be to time how long it takes for water to come out the drainage holes of the largest plant in the coverage area and set your timer for that length of time.
Seasonal Variations - Adjust watering frequency to account for seasonal temperature fluctuations. Turn system off when it rains or get a rain sensor that will shut the system off automatically for you.
Winterizing - Remove the stopper or crimp from the end of the line and flush out the tubing with plain water first. Then, drain system of all water and disengage from faucet. Bring timer in.
Spring Start-Up - Re-attach timer, replace batteries, stop up the end of the line too allow pressure to build in your line and start again as you did at initial set-up.
