As more and more people recognize the value of producing their own food and turn to urban gardening, raised plant beds have become a popular way of putting those plans into action. Drip irrigation is the ideal – and green – solution for irrigating raised plant beds.
Here’s a quick primer on the concept.
What is Drip Irrigation?
Drip irrigation (also called micro-irrigation) is a modern innovation in irrigation technology that uses a deceptively simple technique. While a conventional irrigation system uses a series of sprinklers placed at strategic intervals and linked by piping to spray water through the air to land on its target like rain, a drip irrigation system uses flexible piping and hoses that drip the water directly onto the roots of the plants.
Water is supplied under low pressure and in a low flow so that it is delivered slowly. This has distinct advantages:
• Dramatically less waste – sprinkler spray can be blown awry or puddle and drain away while a drip system applies water uniformly and reliably.
• Virtually zero runoff – runoff from lawns and agricultural operations can leech chemicals into the surrounding groundwater; with drip irrigation runoff virtually eliminated.
Drip irrigation exceeds 90% efficiency whereas sprinkler systems are 50-70% efficient – meaning the water (and cost) savings are significant.
Raised Bed Gardening
Growing plants in raised beds offers its own set of advantages that make it a great solution for urban areas in particular. A raised bed gives you the opportunity to develop soil specifically for cultivation away from the compacting effect of human foot traffic and other factors as it maximizes the efficiency of smaller growing spaces.
Some of the other benefits of raised bed gardening are:
• Fewer weeds
• Better water retention if you have sandy soil
• Better drainage if you have clay soils
• More growing space
• Above ground, raised beds serve to warm the soil earlier in the season & keep it warmer to prolong the end of the growing season
• You can control the pH of the soil
• You can control erosion
Put the two concepts together and you can see how they fit. Drip irrigation allows you to control where the water goes and avoids waste – crucial points where the space itself is limited. You’ll find your plants grow better because watering is uniform.
Let FutureGreen Experts Help
Our residential irrigation experts are available to give you advice and help with your irrigation needs and answer any questions you might have. We work with Rainbird and Toro and Hunter irrigation systems; both firms offer reliable and high quality irrigation systems, including drip irrigation.
Contact us for any of your irrigation design or maintenance service needs by visiting us online at http://www.futuregreenirrigation.ca. Call (416) 553-7488 in Toronto, 905-960-0040 in York Region or 705-999-0907 in Barrie or toll free 1-866-936-5296 for a free consultation with no obligation at any time. You’ll be glad you did!
ABOUT FUTURE GREEN IRRIGATION
It’s our mission to provide our customers with the best in irrigation and lawn sprinkler system installation and service, exceeding all expectations – whether it’s a new installation or maintaining an existing system. With Future Green Irrigation, no project is too large or too small and you deal directly with the principals of our business, which provides you with a commitment to quality through a personalized, hands-on approach and peace-of-mind through accountability and trust. We cover the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Durham, Barrie, Newmarket, Bradford, Orangeville and Caledon, Ontario.