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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] irrigation

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  • From: "Marcy Nameth" <mlynnn AT wildblue.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] irrigation
  • Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:03:51 -0600

Thanks for the tip on running overnight initially Bill – that was the problem I had last year – the root zone never did get enough water to grow a decent crop of anything. I guess I’d had beginners luck with drip tape but finally caught up with me the 4th season of  using drip – and NO rainfall.  

 

This year I switched to Netafim – was told I could get a better price than on T-tape. Netafim has actual emitters built in. T-tape just has a slit in the seam – the way I understand it.  I’ve always used it above ground though we have an old Ford now and we may be able to bury it next year but this year was a disaster. We had golf-ball sized hail here the first week in June. We hadn’t had to run the tape due to several nice rains and when we started running it there were leaks all over the place. When one of my boys was fixing all the leaks he noticed that most of them were right where an emitter was. We finally connected the dots and figured out the hail probably broke the tape at the spot where the emitters are.

I’m about ready to go back to ditch water!   We switched from 125’ to 500’ rows this year and it was a royal pain to get the tape laid – the slightest breeze and it was on the other side of the garden.  Oh yes – we had always laid it and planted in the furrows before too which helped hold the tape in place till plants were established. This year I really wanted to plant on the ridges and that caused more problems with the tape blowing in between use.  Roots grew better on ridges where we actually got things watered.

 

I’ve never used anything less than 12” spacing but you’ll get really good soaking even with that – depending on how long you let it run.  One year I used 24” for tomatoes and peppers, but now I just use 12” for everything and we transplant every other drip – turn it one right before transplanting and put the plant right where the drip is.

 

I can’t imagine how freezing could damage it underground. It drains out within a few minutes or maybe an hour after you run it.

 

Marcy

SE Colo




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