If you plan to travel this summer, now might be a good time to install an automatic watering system. Doing so can ensure that your plants will not be under-watered or over-watered in your absence.
Drip irrigation is the tool that can help you minimize water wastage and maximize water's benefits to your garden. Drip watering is the frequent, slow application of water to soil through emitters or micro-sprinklers. Drip irrigation works well for vegetable gardens, ornamental and fruit trees, shrubs, vines, and outdoor container plants. Even without an automatic sprinkler system installed, a drip system can be set up using a standard garden hose attached to the main drip line.
Installation of a basic, simple drip system is quite straightforward, and easily within the grasp of most home gardeners. It goes together much like a tubular erector set, all snapping together. Main one-half-inch (1/2”) or five-eighths inch (5/8”) polyethylene tubing line connects to your water source (if you're on well water, you need a filter on the water source). Drip emitters, microsprinklers, or ¼” spaghetti tubing with emitters can be installed off the main line using barbed connector fittings that poke into the main lines. Solid spaghetti tubing can also be attached to the main line with an emitter attached at the other end to provide water directly to the plant. Alternatively, main line poly tubing can be purchased with in-line emitters pre-installed inside the tubing. Both the main poly tubing line or the in-line emitter tubing can be snaked through your beds or circled around shrubs and trees to deliver water directly to your plants.
The second consideration for smart watering is consistency. An automatic watering system is extremely consistent because it runs on a set schedule.
The timing and amount of water you deliver depends on the plants to be watered and the soil type. Depending upon your soil's density, water will move quickly or slowly through it. For example, water poured through sand will move very quickly because sand is loose rather than dense or compact. But water poured through clay will trickle very slowly. Consider the plant's whole root structure within your particular type of soil. An effective water system will deliver water to the entire root structure. The goal is to water for deep, strong roots that that aren't waterlogged.
Watering is an active relationship that requires constant adjustments. You may need to tinker with your system to make seasonal changes, fix broken pieces, and make adjustments for better efficiency.
While drip irrigation is a good way to achieve efficient watering, it is not absolutely necessary. What is necessary is analyzing your own plants and determining how to best meet their needs given your personal situation. If you are a gardener who travels frequently, implementing a reliable automatic watering system will reassure you that your plants will remain happy, well watered, and growing until you return.
Even more helpful can be an in-person workshop, and drip irrigation is the topic of a workshop April 17 at the Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch, one of many in the Master Gardeners' Spring Workshop Series. For more information about this and the other workshops in the series, and to register, visit our website. All workshops are free, but registration is required.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
Hello Sprout readers, We have a few questions for you…
- Are you tired of your landscape and ready for something new?
- Have you been thinking about replacing all or part of your lawn?
- Are you confused about how to transition from sprinkler to drip irrigation?
- Do you want to attract insect pollinators and birds to your landscape?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this is the workshop for you! Learn how to replace your sprinkler system and convert to drip, hear about some low water use plants, including a list of plants that can provide bloom year-round.
Bring your questions! This is an especially great opportunity to speak with Tim Long, an expert in drip irrigation systems, as well as our other speakers who have experience with growing CA natives and lawn removal.
Workshop cost includes seeds, plants, and presentation materials and helps support our program. If you are unable to afford to pay for this class, not a problem! Just sign up so we know you are coming.
Where: Ag Center, Harvest Hall rooms D&E, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, 95358.
When: Saturday, October 7, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $10
Questions? (209) 525-6800
Sign Up: https://ucanr.edu/new/front/yard
Instructors: UC Cooperative Extension, Stanislaus County Master Gardeners - Heidi Aufdermaur, Tim Long, Rhonda Allen, Doone Cockrell, and Bobbie Green.
Did you know? All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti?
This class will focus on the non-spiny succulent plants that can be grown in our area, especially those that use less water - and there are a lot to choose from! During class you'll learn the names of common succulent plants, their sun and water requirements, and how to care for them. Classes last approximately 90 minutes.
Stanislaus County Libraries – Gardening with Succulents Classes
Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. – Salida Library
Saturday, October 15, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. – Riverbank Library
Monday, October 10, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. – Ceres Library
Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. – Oakdale Library
Monday, October 24, 2022 at 6:15 p.m. – Modesto Library
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. – Turlock Library
Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, Harvest Hall, Gardening with Succulents Workshop
Cost: $25
Space is limited, register now at https://ucanr.edu/succulent/workshop/2022
Turlock Community Gardens – Drip Irrigation
Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Want to know more about how drip irrigation works? Come learn from our Master Gardener who will give you an overview. Bring your questions!
Patterson Library – Composting Basics
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 2:30 p.m.
If you missed our composting classes held at other libraries, you still have a chance to take this one! Learn the basics of composting, including the difference between “greens” and “browns,” what you can and can't compost, and simple tricks for being successful. Plus, one lucky person will take home a free compost bin!
*no need to register for Stanislaus County Library or Turlock Community Garden Classes. Just come. We look forward to meeting you!
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- Author: Anne Schellman
Fall Vegetable Gardening?
Even though your tomatoes are probably still going strong, now is the time to start planning for your fall vegetable garden! This month we have added the Patterson Library to our schedule. They specifically requested Water Thrifty Gardening, so next month we will offer Fall Vegetable Gardening at their location.
August Library Branch Schedule
- Monday, August 8, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. - Fall Vegetable Gardening - Ceres
- Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. - Fall Vegetable Gardening - Salida
- Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. - Drip Irrigation/Water Thrifty Gardening – Patterson
- Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. - Fall Vegetable Gardening - Riverbank
- Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. - Fall Vegetable Gardening – Oakdale
- Monday, August 22, 2022 at 6:15 p.m. - Fall Vegetable Gardening – Modesto
- Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. - Fall Vegetable Gardening - Turlock
Class Descriptions
Fall Vegetable Gardening: Did you know you can grow vegetable plants in fall? Grow your own salad by planting leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and Swiss Chard,and root vegetables like carrots, beets and radishes. These plants can be grown in the ground or in containers. Great class for beginning gardeners.
Water Thrifty Landscaping (now called Drip Irrigation): Want to make your garden more water wise? This class will teach you how to use less water, and includes detailed tips on how to install a drip irrigation system. It also includes recommendations on low-water use plants you can plant this fall once the temperature is cooler.
Ejoying our classes? Have a comment or request? Post a message below. We want to hear from you.
Contact your local library branch to find out more or if your library isn't offering our classes yet, tell them to contact us!
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Study by UCCE advisor in Imperial County also shows 5% increase in yield
A new study suggests that drip irrigation for sweet corn can significantly conserve water, reduce fertilizer use and boost crop yield in the low desert of California – and likely in other areas of the state with similar conditions.
Although Imperial County is California's top sweet corn-producing county, with about 8,000 acres planted on average each year, irrigation methods for this crop have been rarely studied in this region (or anywhere else in the state), according to Ali Montazar, UC Cooperative Extension irrigation and water management advisor for Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties.
Montazar conducted a study in the Imperial Valley over two crop seasons, 2020-21 and 2021-22, to demonstrate and quantify the potential benefits of switching to drip irrigation from the more common furrow irrigation method. The study, available in a recent issue of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' Agricultural Briefs, will be published in a future issue of Vegetables West.
“I'm hoping with this project we can encourage growers to adopt it, because it seems very promising,” said Montazar, noting that drip irrigation is a “new practice” for sweet corn in California.
Among the 11 commercial sweet corn fields in the study over the 2021-22 season, the six that were under drip irrigation used, on average, 37% less water than the five under furrow irrigation. In absolute terms, the drip-irrigated fields saw an average water savings of 2.2 acre-feet per acre; for Montazar, who has studied drip for a variety of crops in the Imperial Valley, that was an astonishing result.
“I've worked with drip on processed onions, lettuce, alfalfa, spinach … we've never seen a figure like 2.2 acre-feet per acre, that's huge,” he said, attributing the dramatic drop-off to the high volume of water required to furrow-irrigate the sandy soil in the Imperial Valley.
More efficient irrigation also means less fertilizer is needed – a boon to the environment and Salton Sea water quality, as well as growers' bottom line. With fertilizer prices continuing to rise, sweet corn growers using drip could see a substantial 25% cost savings on fertilizer expenses – about $150 per acre less – compared to furrow irrigation, according to Montazar's study.
And by relieving plants of the stress from over- and under-irrigated conditions, drip irrigation helps keep soil moisture at its “sweet spot” – resulting in a 5% increase in marketable crop yield for sweet corn in the study.
“When we have a better, more efficient irrigation system, we can maintain soil moisture at a desired level, over time and space,” Montazar explained.
Because the benefits of drip appear to be linked to soil conditions (sandy loam, and other light soils), Montazar believes that this irrigation practice could deliver relatively similar water and fertilizer savings and improved crop yield in other regions across California, regardless of climactic differences.
“If you use drip in any part of the state, you have the benefits of drip – more uniform water application, more uniform fertilizer – that's not related to the desert,” he said. “That's part of the system's potential.”
Montazar plans to follow up on his preliminary study with additional research on sweet corn and drip irrigation during the 2022-23 crop season.
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