Editorials

IRRIGATION: NOT A DIRTY WORD

In our modern times, people are becoming more aware of the necessity for conservation.  Whether that is with our consumable household waste, or energy saving lightbulbs or the amount of daily water use.  The fact is: the amount of water on our planet is finite.  Together with the costs of energy, food and fuel constantly rising, conservation is fast becoming a necessity for us all.

It used to be widely believed that having a shower consumed more water than taking a bath.  This myth has been dispelled as it is now accepted that a normal bath uses 38 gallons of water whereas an average 8 minute shower only uses 20 gallons.  This type of myth is the same for a Garden Irrigation System.  Irrigation Systems can both conserve water plus utilise it for maximum plant growth.

On average, over 45000 Litres of rain fall onto house roofs each year.  That equates to almost 1/2 metre of rainfall in a typical 100m2 garden.  If only a porportion of this water was saved for garden irrigation, then there would be no problem with plants dying out through drier periods or times of hosepipe ban.

There are many different cost effective devices you can use to ensure water conservation in your allotment plus having maxium benefits for your vegetables and flowers as the water only goes where YOU and the plant needs it most.

Having a Wroot Water RAINBUTT on your allotment will ensure enough water for your plants "all the time".  With special adapters and hose extensions, your rainbutt will fast become an integral part of your allotment.  Your plants will thrive as harvested rainwater does not contain chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals that normally come out of the tap.  Also, these low pressure systems do not have the requirement of using sometimes expensive mains water.

A simple timer can also be added so you need never have to worry about your plants getting watered while you are away.  Fertilizer can be mixed with the water to give all your plants the nourishmnet they require.

For all your fruit, vegetable and flower plots,  a drip irrigation system can be the most water efficient and frugal.  These inexpensive and easy to install DIY systems make certain that just the right amount of water gets to the WROOT of the plant. You can also adjust the flow rate and timing of water to the required amount for different crops.  So, as your vegetables and flowers grow and their requirements change, so can your irrigation system.

These simple DIY systems can be easily expanded and added to cater for a variety of crop requirements and the slow application rates makes the problems associated with over watering and its waste a thing of the past.

Our Article from The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners magazine   (February 2009 issue).