Released: July 01, 2008           e-Mail the story

SALINA, Kan. – Gardeners have come a long way since early settlers had to haul water by the bucket load to grow vegetables, fruits or flowers. Even so, irrigation has yet to reach “perfect.”

Whether in-ground or attached to the end of a hose, sprinklers are the most common watering method in today’s home gardens. Newer innovations – drip and trickle irrigation systems – have also gained acceptance, said Chip Miller, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

But, each approach has definite advantages and disadvantages.

“Portable sprinklers, for example, are the cheapest to adopt and the easiest to use,” Miller said. “In terms of water use, however, they’re wasteful and expensive.

“In states such as Kansas, a lot of sprinkler water is lost to summertime heat and wind, which are fairly reliable in our climate. The water evaporates both before and after it hits the ground.”

In-ground sprinkler systems tend to be the most expensive irrigation system to install, in part because that generally means hiring a professional. They also can be difficult for some homeowners to adjust or repair later. Plus, some sprinkler heads can be fairly easy to knock out of alignment, the horticulturist said.

Because in-ground systems tend to keep sprinkled water closer to the ground, however, they can reduce the amount of moisture lost to evaporation. And, the systems eliminate hose hauling, Miller said.

Still, sprinklers as a group have become somewhat notorious for distributing water unevenly, he added. If nothing else, many tend to deliver more water to the center of the area they cover.

To get a rough idea of a particular sprinkler’s watering pattern, gardeners can place empty cans throughout the area it covers, turn on the tap, and let the cans catch sprinkles for a while, Miller said.

“The amounts the cans catch may suggest you need to adjust some or all of the heads in an in-ground system,” he said. “Or, you need to overlap coverage areas with a sprinkler you move around – which is the hands-on approach to evening out your yard’s drink.”

To reduce actual water loss, though, sprinkler owners must use coarse droplets and rather low water pressure. They also must limit watering to the cooler, calmer conditions typical of early morning.

Newer Systems Save Water

The idea behind drip and trickle systems is to release irrigation water at ground level and target it directly to the plants’ root zone. That way, little to no water is wasted, Miller said.

In some cases, the systems can cut gardeners’ water use in half. Plus, they eliminate potential problems for any plant that may develop diseases if its leaves remain wet, the horticulturist said.

In vegetable plots, for example, gardeners now commonly place "drip tapes" or "ooze" hoses beside rows or between pairs of rows. In ornamental beds, some gardeners are opting to provide small, individual water tubes or “microsprinklers.”

“Because these systems’ recommended water pressure is usually 5 to 15 pounds per square inch, irrigating during hot, windy weather can mean watering for one to three hours whenever needed,” he said.

Automatic start-up and shut-off devices are available to reduce the on-site time that gardeners must devote to operating irrigation systems.

But, the newer systems aren’t as abuse-proof as a good hose or metal sprinkler, Miller said. And, they usually require a filtered water supply. The filter keeps sediment from clogging the holes in a drip tape, the pores in an “ooze” hose or the junctions in small irrigation tubes.

“Fortunately, most garden centers offer kits, advice and replacement parts,” he said. “If you hit a drip tape with a hoe, though, you’ll have to buy an accessory part to splice it back together. For those of us who are fairly awkward in the garden, that can get expensive – as well as create the potential for yet another leak.”

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by: Kathleen Ward
kward@ksu.edu
K-State Research & Extension News

Charles “Chip” Miller is at 785-309-5850 or cmiller@oznet.ksu.edu.