In recent years the special popularity at gardeners was received by drop watering. This technology significantly simplifies care for plants on the garden site. That the system of automatic watering worked long and smoothly, it is necessary to choose and establish drop tape correctly.
What is drop watering
Use of drop tape gives the chance optimum to saturate the soil with moisture. The feature of this way is that it pumps water directly in the root system of plants. It improves development of cultural plantings, at the same time interfering with maturing and growth of weeds. Drop watering is economy of water and money.
The main advantage of drop tape – opportunity to carry out the dosed watering of plants. Additional useful property: the drop tape prevents emergence in cultural plantings of solar burns. It is recommended to include system for drop watering in evening or night hours: at such mode of plant absorb moisture better.
Choice of drop tape
The drop technology of watering will justify itself only in case you competently pick up drop tape. This adaptation can differ in look, diameter, thickness and step of emitters. The choice of specific model will depend on the preferred mode of irrigation of the soil.
Diameter of tape of any type can be ranging from 5 up to 22 mm. For tape of the most large diameter length of beds should not exceed 750 m, for tape of smaller diameter – 300 m. The term of operation of system of watering is defined by thickness of drop tape.
The choice of step of tape is defined by type of the grown-up cultures. The small step is good in case plants land at small distance from each other. The optimum step for watering of salad, carrots, onions makes 10-15 cm.
On the performance data the drop tapes are divided into three main types:
- tape labyrinth;
- slot-hole tape;
- tape of emitter type.
Tape labyrinth
Its channel has the zigzag form that will allow to reduce liquid speed significantly. Water in such tape manages to get warm well therefore approaches cultural plants closer. Lack of tape of labyrinth type: it does not guarantee uniformity of watering. The described option will be the most economic, but so far it is forced out by more modern systems of drop watering.
Slot-hole tape
In recent years competes with tape labyrinth more and more successfully. It is distinguished by simplicity of installation by soil and uniform watering. The slot-hole tape is sensitive to water quality. If water does not differ in high quality, it is necessary to put complementary filters that complicates and raises the price of system a little. But in general such option is considered budgetary.
Emitter tape
Provides the most high-quality and reliable watering of plants. The tape of emitter type is not afraid of pollution, it is distinguished by the considerable term of operation. The cost of such film is determined by distance between droppers: the it is less, the model is more expensive. The emitter tape is issued in two modifications. The first configuration – the so-called compensated dropper; in it the water flow is not defined by tape length. In it its difference from tape of noncompensated type. Such feature influences mounting of all system.
How to establish drop tape
Mounting of tape is made by means of plastic fitting. It facilitates connection of drop tape with polyethylene pipes. Fitting provides strength and reliable connection which will serve many years.
The tape for drop irrigation is stacked along each number of cultural plantings or between two beds which are nearby. Indispensable condition: the tape has to be laid so that openings of droppers looked up.
The main highway in the form of PVC hose or polyethylene pipe keeps within perpendicular to tape. As a result tapes have to go to both parties from the main pipeline. The ends of tubes muffle. The highway is connected to the chosen water supply source. It can be the well, hydrant or normal water supply system.
For the organization of watering "spontaneously" it is necessary to attach pipe to the capacity established at the height about two meters. However such system will not guarantee uniformity of watering as pressure will not be uniform.
Use of set of filters of mesh or disk type allows to prolong durability of system of drop watering. The correct operation of tape assumes its periodic washing. Only this way it is possible to prolong life cycle of all system of drop watering.