It's largely dependent on each individual gardener and the crops they grow. Some crops prefer less water, others more. Some do better on drip, others on overhead spray. Our garden features large plots in a temperate year round climate and needs daily water unless it's raining, which is not common and too unpredictable. Some of our gardeners who live close by are able to come daily and others with busy work schedules or who live a greater distance come once or twice a week and spend the whole day caring for their plots and harvesting, thus need a timer system to water on days they are away.
We allow both drip and overhead spray, as well as hand watering at the gardener's choosing. In our experience, properly timed overhead spray does not waste water and provides more even and adequate moisture in the soil, thus preventing root rot and favoring crops such as lettuce which do better in our warm climate when the leaves are sprayed. We provide the main pipes into the plot areas and each gardener may install a hose or timer and irrigation system for their plot. Our system of personal choice works very well and gardener's are conscious of their water use as they know membership dues will be raised if water use exceeds the budget. Advantages of Timed Irrigation Systems 1. Allows gardeners to spend their garden time weeding and caring for plants, harvesting, and replanting instead of standing there watering. 2. Allows for adequate water to plants, thus prevent plant stress and death from lack of water 3. Allows for direct seeding during germination when the soil must remain moist at all times as timers can be set to water for short durations more frequently throughout the day. 4. Can be set to delay or turned off during rainy periods to save water. Disadvantages of Timed Irrigation System 1. Waters even if it's raining. 2. Initial start up cost to the gardener. 3. Less ability to adjust flow and water time to different crops within the plot as the timer will run the same length for the whole plot. Advantages of Hand Watering 1. Water only when and where it's needed. 2. Community members help one another out, thus building community. 3. Ability to water thirsty crops more and withhold water from crops in the same plot that need less water. Disadvantages of Hand Water 1. Not feasible for gardeners who garden once or twice a week rather than daily. 2. May result in loss of members if personal choice is not available to choose an irrigation system that meets personal gardener and crop needs. >________________________________ > From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 9:25 AM >Subject: [Community_garden] what's better... watering by hand or drip >irrigation ? > > > >Does anyone have an upshot of what's better....watering by hand with >soaker/irrigator attachment on hose or using drip irrigation ? >thanks ! > Les >www.CommunityGardensAsAppleseeds.info >based in California > >-------------- next part -------------- >An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >URL: ><http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20140115/ff58ae22/attachment.html> >_______________________________________________ >The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's >services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out >how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > >To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] > >To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: >http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20140115/34471b2c/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
