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Irrigation Systems for Landscape
A good irrigation system is a crucial part of any landscaping project. So make sure you do a lot of thinking before you decide on how to go about with yours.
There are basically two types of irrigation systems from which you can choose from:
- Sprinkler Irrigation System
- Drip Irrigation System
Sprinkler Irrigation System
A sprinkler based irrigation system is the one which involves forcing out water through perforated pipes/nozzles under pressure. The water here comes out in the form of a spray pattern.
Laying a sprinkler irrigation system on your own can be quite a daunting task if you don't get your basics right. So make sure that you do a lot of reading before getting to the ground.
The basic idea that you got to keep in mind while designing a sprinkler based irrigation system is to ensure uniformity. This means the system should spray the same amount of water within a given period of time to all areas. Such a uniform water distribution ensures that water does not get wasted and is spread evenly without certain spots receiving more water (creating a puddle) and certain others receiving low water.
The first step in installing such a system is to use your base landscape design and inculcate the irrigation system with accurate drawing. Now you will have to decide on the type of sprinkler head (fixed arc heads, variable arc rotating heads etc.) you would like to use which can be decided based on the dimensions of the area you want to irrigate. After selecting the sprinkler you would have to decide on a nozzle where the sprinkler can be placed.
For wide areas, the placement of various sprinklers plays an extremely important role to ensure uniform watering. You can decide spacing based on the sprinkler radius. For instance, if the sprinkler radius is 10 feet, the sprinklers can be placed 10 feet apart. An more important concern in case of sprinkler irrigation system is the pressure at which the water should be sprayed. This is important to ensure that the water is not thin enough to get aerated in the wind and not thick enough to create wastage.
To get a complete tutorial on laying a do-it-yourself sprinkler system for your landscape, check out this useful tutorial.
Drip Irrigation system
Drip irrigation is a method of micro-irrigation which involves supply to water to the plants under slow pressure using plastic tubing. The plastic tubing in this case is placed directly at the plant's base resulting in less water evaporation and run-off. In addition a drip irrigation system helps in reducing pathogens and weed growth to a good extent.
In comparison to sprinkler based irrigation system, micro irrigation for landscaping is easy to install and maintain. The equipments required are cheap and easily available.
All that you will require to install a drip irrigation system are U shaped pins or landscape stakes that will be used to hold the pipe in place, a PE tube with t-connectors, emitters and if required automatic timers.
The process begins by laying the PE tube (preferably after laying the tube in sun for sometime to ensure softness) in a line throughout your landscape ensuring that the pipe passes between all plants. You can use T-connectors to spread the tube in all directions easily. U shaped pins know as landscaping stakes can be used to hold the tube in place. After this is done, small holes can be poked in the PE tube for the emitters to be installed which need to be placed directly at the base of the plants. After this is done, the supply line can be buried with mulch to hide it from sight.
To get step by step instruction on installing a home garden drip irrigation system, you can refer to this excellent tutorial
Comparing both these kinds of landscaping irrigation systems, drip garden irrigation is quite easy to install and is cost effective as well. The reason most believe that this is the best irrigation system for do-it-yourselfers.
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Designing an Easy to Maintain Landscape
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Do It yourself Landscaping
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