CLIMACTIC CONSIDERATIONS
In deciding whether or not to invest time and money
in both hand-watering and drip irrigation systems,
gardeners should first consider their geographical
locale and subsequent growing environment. To illus-
trate, in hot, dry climates as seen in inland California,
daily watering is essential for the health of sun-
loving crops. However, for many outdoor cultivators
in these areas, the prospect of hand-watering plants
every morning for an entire spring, summer, and fall
is a rather daunting proposal. As a result, placing a
consistent straight-water drip right on the root-ball of
plants can really help eliminate the stresses of a daily
morning watering routine—with a majority of hand-
watering only occurring with fertilization. However,
in more temperate and humid areas of the US, such as
the Midwest and the East Coast, the consistency of a
straight-water drip will probably need to be regulated
with a timer, as the climactic demands for water aren’t
as explicit in these geographies. Point being, the bene-
fits of diversifying you watering approaches are appli-
cable in all geographic locales, but must be refined
according to environmental considerations.
CONTAINERS AND GROW MEDIUMS
The size and type of a grow container as well as the
choice of a growing medium are the next most impor-
tant factors in choosing to implement both hand-
watering and drip irrigation strategies. For starters, if
gardeners choose to use a coco-mix or a similar light
growing medium that easily dries out, a straight-water
drip can be an excellent addition to a garden to ensure
consistent moisture by the plants roots. In a similar
fashion, for those who like to use well-aerated fabric
pots that lose water easily, a straight-water drip can
be just what’s needed to give plants an extra push in
the summer heat. Also, for outdoors cultivators using
100-gallon (or plus) sized pots, the straight-water drip
system is perhaps the most practical way to at least
semi-automate an irrigation system. Strictly using drip
irrigation set-ups for such large pots is both difficult
and inefficient as there is a large square footage of soil
surface to cover in these pots. By utilizing a combina-
tion of drip irrigation and hand-watering, one ensures
“
HAND-WATERING
NUTRIENTS forces drip irrigation
farmers to be more hands-on with
their crops when fertilizing.”
grow cycle
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