Subject: [permaculture] ebb and flow greenhouse irrigation
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:27:20 -0600
I have used capillary mats for greenhouse production for many years and
find them very useful and efficient. The growing area has to be very
close to level for them to work.
Calling that an ebb and flow mat is misleading. It's only a 3-layer
capillary mat and does not have (or need) a drain, tank, and pump to
raise and lower the water level as you would in a true ebb and flow
system with recycled water. Ebb and Flow systems use raised tables with
specialized channels, or alternatively grow directly on the floor with
flood floors.
There is at least one innovation used by another capmat manufacturer
that I like, which is the addition of an evaporation barrier layer to
reduce the evaporation layer where the pots are not sitting on the mat.
I believe it's a polyester batting layer that resists transferring the
water to the ground cloth later unless it is compressed. The 4-layer
mats we use are fully dry on top unless you press your hand onto the mat.
Paul
[permaculture] ebb and flow greenhouse irrigation,
Paul Cross, 08/26/2009