Irrigation Watering Schedule In Oregon
The Importance of Irrigation Scheduling
Rules for Irrigation Scheduling (not using smart controllers)
If you don’t want to use a smart controller or can’t afford one, there are some things you need to know about proper irrigation scheduling. First and foremost, you must know your plants and their air and water needs. Some plants can handle more water than others. Ivy, for example, can thrive just sitting in a jar or vase of water. Other plants cannot have wet roots more than 24 hours without dying. Plants like Ivy are the easy ones. Just give them as much water as possible. The other plants with more specific water needs will require different scheduling. If you are unsure, you might want to research the plants you have to find the best watering schedule for them; or you could check with your local nursery for any advice or tips they might have.
Another rule to remember, when dealing with plants that don’t need as much water, is that you should never water if the soil is already wet. Many people think that a wilting plant is a sure sign that plant lacks water, but this is not always the case. In plants that are drought-tolerant, wilting is usually a sure sign of over-watering. The roots actually die from the over-watering, and in turn, the plant will die because the dead roots can’t bring in the water that the plants needs to survive. Wilting can also be the result of plant disease or damage done by certain insect species. When your plant wilts, always check the soil for moisture before watering.
Also, when you do water your plants, make sure the soil is saturated completely to at least 6 inches in depth. These first 6 inches are where most of the plants’ feeder roots tend to grow. Don’t confuse the feeder roots with the roots directly under the plant. The larger roots are primarily for stability. The feeder roots are very small and will usually go unnoticed in the soil.
Irrigation scheduling is not only very important but very beneficial as well. It can lower your water cost by making optimal use of the moisture storing capabilities of the soil. It can also reduce surface runoff and leaching dramatically. It can also reduce over-watering and keep the root zone in top shape.
Rules for Irrigation Scheduling (not using smart controllers)
If you don’t want to use a smart controller or can’t afford one, there are some things you need to know about proper irrigation scheduling. First and foremost, you must know your plants and their air and water needs. Some plants can handle more water than others. Ivy, for example, can thrive just sitting in a jar or vase of water. Other plants cannot have wet roots more than 24 hours without dying. Plants like Ivy are the easy ones. Just give them as much water as possible. The other plants with more specific water needs will require different scheduling. If you are unsure, you might want to research the plants you have to find the best watering schedule for them; or you could check with your local nursery for any advice or tips they might have.
Another rule to remember, when dealing with plants that don’t need as much water, is that you should never water if the soil is already wet. Many people think that a wilting plant is a sure sign that plant lacks water, but this is not always the case. In plants that are drought-tolerant, wilting is usually a sure sign of over-watering. The roots actually die from the over-watering, and in turn, the plant will die because the dead roots can’t bring in the water that the plants needs to survive. Wilting can also be the result of plant disease or damage done by certain insect species. When your plant wilts, always check the soil for moisture before watering.
Also, when you do water your plants, make sure the soil is saturated completely to at least 6 inches in depth. These first 6 inches are where most of the plants’ feeder roots tend to grow. Don’t confuse the feeder roots with the roots directly under the plant. The larger roots are primarily for stability. The feeder roots are very small and will usually go unnoticed in the soil.
Irrigation scheduling is not only very important but very beneficial as well. It can lower your water cost by making optimal use of the moisture storing capabilities of the soil. It can also reduce surface runoff and leaching dramatically. It can also reduce over-watering and keep the root zone in top shape.