The key to an annual good harvest and soil fertility in your summer cottage is timely replenishment and fertilization of the land and, of course, constant watering. Proper and competent arrangement of the irrigation system will not only ensure timely and regular soil moisture even in your absence, but will also save considerable money. In this article we will give some useful advice on organizing irrigation systems at the dacha, Let's look at their main types and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each system.
1. Surface or gravity irrigation system
The simplest system irrigation, the organization of which does not require any specific knowledge or costs associated with the purchase of material. The process of arranging such a system boils down to the fact that a narrow trench, 10-15 cm deep, is dug on both sides of each bed. Then you can either make a connection to each trench or lay it. You can connect the hose to a regular barrel of water, which is installed at a height of 1.5-2 meters above the ground. This will ensure that water flows out of the hose under its own pressure. You can also use a centralized water supply. In this case, a lot of pressure is not required - the main thing is that there is enough pressure for the water to come out of the hose. This is true when the beds are located at a decent distance from the water tap.
In addition to the furrow method, a surface irrigation system can be carried out in an estuary way. In this case, trenches are not required, because the entire surface of the beds is completely filled with water so that it stands on the surface for some time. If you actually use this method, it is worth assessing the condition of the landscape. On sloping or hilly areas, ensuring uniform watering will be problematic. What advantages This irrigation system has:
That's where the positives end. Regarding disadvantages:
- This watering method is not suitable for all garden crops;
- When the soil is flooded with large amounts of water, the amount of oxygen that reaches the plant roots is significantly reduced;
- A hard crust quickly forms on the surface of the earth, as a result of which the soil becomes heavier and loses its ability to absorb;
- Uneconomical water consumption.
Experienced summer residents have long stopped using such irrigation methods and are striving to organize more sophisticated systems. These include the following types. However, if you are quite satisfied with surface watering and, most importantly, it suits the crops growing on your site in terms of frequency of watering and the amount of liquid supplied, you should not refuse it. The irrigation system should meet your personal needs, and not the emergence of more modern technologies, which sometimes make no sense to pursue.
2. Drip irrigation system
This method is the most gentle and economical. It is advisable to use it for root watering of plants that are especially sensitive to drought. Setting up a drip irrigation system is quite simple. It includes several main elements:
Such watering can be carried out both from a storage tank and using the main pipeline. It is necessary to arrange a central pipe, which will have a number of connectors equal to the number of beds. Length drip hose should correspond to the length of the bed and have a small margin. It should be located as close to the seedlings as possible. Watering can be continuous: the main thing is that the capacity of the water tank is appropriate.
If you use water from a pipeline, you can equip the system with a timer, which will open and close the water supply according to the set mode. When organizing a drip irrigation system, be sure to install a filter before the water enters directly into the drip hose. Process water contains many impurities and small debris, which quickly clogs the holes. Drip irrigation has a lot of advantages:
- Due to the fact that water gets directly to the roots, its consumption is minimal, and moisture is more than sufficient;
- Uniform water supply to plants;
- The system is practically insensitive to pressure changes;
- For the same reason, plants do not need to be watered early in the morning or in the evening. The stems and foliage remain dry, and the plants will not burn under the scorching sun;
- Full access of oxygen to the roots is maintained;
- A hard crust does not form on the surface of the earth.
- It is possible to make the watering process automated.
TO shortcomings This can only be attributed to frequent clogging of small holes on the bottom of the drip hose. In addition to the fact that plaque will settle in the holes, the lower rows will become clogged with particles of wet soil. In this regard, many experienced gardeners recommend laying the hose at a low height above the soil level. Then this problem can be avoided.
3. Sprinkler system
One more no less effective way moistening the area - using so-called sprinklers. They can have different irrigation angles and be rotary or static. This makes it possible to water the entire area without leaving dry islands. It makes no sense to use a similar method on . The radius of action of water spray reaches about 2 meters. This method of irrigation will not be effective even if the pressure in the system is insufficient. In this regard, the system is additionally equipped with a pump. It works in automatic mode and turns on only when necessary, when the pressure is insufficient. In this way, it is possible to compensate for deficiencies and maintain constant pressure at the required level.
Static sprinklers can have an irrigation angle of 90°, 180° or 270°. Respectively rotary cover an angle of 360°. By combining systems of different angles, you can easily ensure uniform watering even in the most remote places or, conversely, limit the territory. A similar system is suitable for humidification and flower beds with ornamental shrubs and trees.
If you plan to irrigate a plot of vegetable crops in this way, you should provide a timer that will turn on the water supply early in the morning or in the evening so that the sun does not burn the young shoots. Areas with lawn grass will need to be mowed periodically. To ensure that the irrigation system does not interfere with this process, give preference to types of sprinklers that, when not needed, hide in a special depression in the ground and become almost invisible. To the obvious benefits This system includes:
Flaws are manifested in the following:
- If you do not turn off the irrigation system in time, puddles of standing water will form locally in the area, and too wet soil will stop absorbing water altogether. The recommended watering time is no more than 30 minutes. This is quite enough for deep, high-quality irrigation;
- If the above is not observed, a hard crust forms on the soil, which prevents oxygen from reaching the roots;
- In a strong wind, water splashes will be blown in different directions, making uniform watering impossible;
- The range of action will be incorrect even with low water pressure in the line.
- High cost of the system.
4. Subsoil irrigation
The subsurface irrigation system is a system that is installed throughout the entire area underground. The minimum installation depth is 30 cm. At a certain distance, small holes are made in the pipes to provide water access to the plant rhizomes. Typically, such a system is used in areas that cannot be dug up. The optimal material for organizing a subsoil irrigation system is . They have a number benefits before other species plastic pipes, namely:
When laying pipes, then small crushed stone is poured onto the bottom of the trench, then the pipe is laid and the trench is backfilled. Sand-crushed stone pillow Provides removal of excess moisture. It will not be difficult to route the pipes around the area and connect them to each other. It is only important to correctly calculate the required amount of material. This process is quite labor-intensive, but has many advantages:
- Subsurface watering is very economical, since the water goes directly to the roots.
- It also has a minimal evaporation rate;
- The formation of harmful crust on the soil is completely eliminated and free access of oxygen to the roots is ensured;
- In this regard, there is no need to constantly fluff the top layer.
TO shortcomings include:
- Lack of irrigation of the above-ground parts of plants, which is designed to increase their fertility;
- Not used on sandy soils;
- The complexity of the process and the costs associated with the acquisition of material.
5. How to choose the most suitable irrigation system
The answer to this question is quite simple to find, after analyzing the features your landscape plot and the types of plants that grow on it. It often happens that trees grow in one area along the perimeter, one part is reserved for recreation and is sown with lawn grass, and the second is a small vegetable garden. Many people grow grapes in their dachas. It is clear that it is impractical to water plants that are so different in both height and water consumption rates in the same way. Some will drown in excess water, while others will not receive even half of the necessary moisture. In this regard, the irrigation system often consists of several lines. For example, sprinklers can be used to water grass and trees, and to moisten vines and vegetable crops perfect drip system. You can organize subsoil irrigation over the entire area of a small garden. To understand how organize correctly
We mentioned that polyethylene pipes are used to organize an irrigation system at the dacha. The diameter of the main line should be larger. For example, a pipe with an internal diameter of 40 mm is most often used, while 20 mm is sufficient for branch pipes. Connections are made using compression fittings, eliminating the need to purchase or use special tools. Required only for the operation of the soldering iron. Position the pipes correctly There are two ways to water.
So a kind of “split personality” awaits us, when we need to be in two places at the same time (at least for five minutes): in the seedlings and in the “field.”
My choice settled on bottles, because the other methods seemed either cumbersome to me or did not provide stable results or the required volume of watering.
To create such watering, the temptation immediately arises to drill a hole of the required size in the cork, hang the bottle and... problem solved. Moreover, some recommendations directly say: “pierce several holes in the cork with an awl or needle.” Ah, no. It's not that simple. I conducted an experiment with different hole diameters from 1.5 to 10 mm and in all cases the process of water flowing out of a half-liter bottle was delayed for more than a month due to the surface tension of the water in the hole itself and the rarefaction of the air inside the bottle. In addition, with large hole diameters, the drip process broke down into a chaotic turbulent flow, especially if the bottle was slightly shaken (say, from a sharp gust of air through the window. Thus, hanging a bottle of water was no longer necessary, and the description of the negative result of the experiment is given only for this purpose , so that others simply do not waste time conducting a similar experiment in the “hot” spring time, and with living plants.
However, the bottle can be successfully used for watering seedlings and still give stable results. For many years I have been using bottles for safety watering of peppers, cucumbers and other plants on the site.
A half-liter glass bottle, inserted with the neck without a stopper to a depth of 5-8 cm next to the plant, lasts 5-7 days in my area with light soil. Without getting into theoretical research about how the interaction of water changes at the border with the soil, nevertheless, by deepening the neck of the bottle by 5-7 cm, I was able to obtain a uniform, stable flow of water into the seedlings for 3-5 days, depending on the soil: light or heavy. Thus, by varying the depth of insertion of the bottle, you can get the watering period you need from 1-2 days (when the bottle barely touches the surface) to 5 or more days (when deepened by 5-8 cm). If you want to play it safe, use a larger bottle or place two half-liter bottles on both sides of the plant. But just don’t take 1.5-2 liter plastic bottles for this purpose, as they “do not hold their shape”, shrink and do not provide stable watering. And, of course, do not forget about support so that the water bottle does not fall and break your pets.
Many of those with whom I shared this method of bottle watering used it in their dachas, and I was always interested in the result. Some people said: “My soil is dense, that’s probably why it didn’t work out.” Indeed, it happens that dense soil, like a cork, stops a bottle. But it is enough to shake the bottle (meaning on the site), remove this stopper and stick the bottle into the same hole in the ground next to the plant, and watering will be ensured. I specifically tested this in the most extreme situation - I stuck the bottle into the clay. (In the following material there is advice to place a decent bunch of grass under the neck. - .)
Even greater opportunities for drip irrigation lie in the use of used medical devices for blood transfusions and injections, so-called droppers. Using the clamp equipped with the dropper, the speed b you the flow of water from the container can be smoothly adjusted over a wide range according to your wishes (from a 200 ml container you can adjust the fullleakage from 15 minutes to infinity). But this is already a topic for new independent research and practical application.
V.A. Danilov (Ulyanovsk 05/07/2009)
Watering into bottles
Next to the peppers and tomatoes, L. Guzeva from Samara “plants” plastic bottles, through which he feeds and waters the plants. First, he makes holes in the dug-up bed with a bayonet shovel, places bottles with the bottoms cut off, without a cork, neck down. Place a good bunch of grass under the holes so that the bottle does not become clogged when watering and the water immediately goes into the ground. Place about 1 liter of humus on top, a pinch of polyphosphate and cover everything with earth. The plant consumes 1.5-2 liters of water per watering. The frequency of watering depends on the weather. Usually - once a week on weekends, but on very hot and sunny days he tries to water it again. You can water during the day in the thick of it, all the water will go only to the roots.
Of course, planting in the spring takes much longer than usual, but this more than pays off in the summer with care. This method of growing gives a lot of advantages compared to conventional planting: you can water at any convenient time of the day, even in the heat of the day, and all the water will go only to the plant. Water is consumed 5 times less than with conventional irrigation. After watering, there is no need to loosen it, as a crust will not form. Weeds grow poorly (the top layer is dry), which means less weeding. All feeding goes only to the plant, and less of it is required. The fertilizer is easily absorbed, and vegetable crops get a quick return from it. There is less risk of fungal diseases since there is no wet soil. (There are tips to use mainly bottles dark colors so that the water heats up during the day and gives off heat to the plants at night. - .)
From the roof to the roots
The heavenly moisture flowing from the roof is also used for subsoil irrigation of the front garden. And without any delay - the rain is still pouring from above, and it is already penetrating to the roots of the plants from below, from the depths. To do this, the drainpipe is connected through a curved elbow to a drain - an underground perforated asbestos-cement pipe with a diameter of 100 - 150 mm. A curved knee is also attached to its opposite end. This time it ends with a ventilation cap with a protective cover extending to the soil surface. metal mesh. Another mesh with cells up to 4 x 4 mm is installed in the drainage funnel to prevent debris from getting into the pipe along with the water. In the walls of the asbestos-cement pipe, holes are drilled every 100 - 150 mm or cuts are made 10-15 mm wide by a third of the diameter in depth. The drain is laid with a slope in the trench on a trapezoidal bed of coarse sand and a 10-centimeter layer of slag. And again the slag is poured 5 cm on top of the pipe. Then the trench is buried. The irrigation network can also be a collector network.
Baba Galya offers: “I have been using bottle watering in the greenhouse for 3 years. plastic bottle(2.5 liters) I cut off the bottom, but not all the way, so that it can be used as a lid. I screw the cork tightly, and BURN a hole in the cork with a hot nail (100-120). I bury the bottle halfway when planting tomatoes and peppers with the cork down. When the hole in the plug is not clogged, it works great. This year I came up with the idea of filling the bottom of the hole for the bottle with dry grass to prevent the hole from getting clogged. It worked great. Not a single hole was clogged."
Good seedlings, bountiful harvests and a pleasant country life to all of us!
Work in the garden is not limited to planting or harvesting. The crops you grow still need to be looked after. One of the most difficult forms of care is watering. Not all summer residents know how to properly water a garden and therefore make a lot of mistakes when carrying out this process. This leads to the appearance of diseases and death of cultivated plants. Therefore, it is very important to organize proper watering of the garden in order to reap a good harvest in the future. You can do this yourself without involving specialists or purchasing additional equipment in a specialty store.
Basic rules of watering
Among all the rules of watering, there is one thing - the main thing. It is strictly not recommended to water cold water, neither in the morning nor in the evening. When gardeners begin to water beds with crops with cold water, at any time, they do not even mean that by doing this they are stopping the development of young plants.
So-called temperature stress occurs. To solve this issue, you need to organize the installation of a large barrel or other container on the land.
It won’t take a lot of effort and time to do this. If you fill it with water in the evening, then in the morning, if the summer is hot, of course, the water will be ready for use. Warm water is very comfortable for plant root systems. If watering is carried out in the morning, then it must be completed before the sun's rays begin to get hot. In the evening you can water starting from 16:00.
The main volume of the plant root system is located at a depth of up to 30 centimeters. It is very important that the water reaches the entire depth. Therefore, make sure that during watering the water level on the surface is about 3 centimeters.
A small conclusion can be drawn. When surface watering is carried out and the water does not reach the required depth, then such care is considered ineffective. Quite often, regular surface watering does not bring any results. The root system stops developing in depth, but begins to send out weak roots to the sides, which begin to die at the slightest threat. All this can be the main reason for the lack of fruiting.
System and methods of watering the garden
Nowadays, there are a huge number of ways in which you can water your garden. But here we want to say right away that each summer resident has his own idea of how to properly water the garden. Everyone has their own truth and you can’t argue with it. Some, others are adjusting. But when it comes to tender and defenseless shoots, you simply cannot do without a mug.
Sprinkling
Irrigation of land by sprinkling is the most common method. To do this, you will need devices made by yourself or purchased in specialized stores. When water pressure is applied, it is cut into individual droplets and falls on the land in the form of soft rain. In this way we will ensure uniform and sufficient watering for our beds.
Despite all the advantages, sprinkling irrigation has its disadvantages. Not all cultivated crops like watering their above-ground parts. For some plants, only root moisture is suitable.
In addition to all this, gardeners who cannot often come to their plots of land do not particularly select the time for watering. They need to water their garden soon, either in the morning or in the evening. Of course, it is best not to rush in this matter. But... Actions such as chaotic watering can negatively affect the development and further fruiting of plants.
When watering in the morning or on a hot afternoon, the water will simply flow onto the dry crust of the soil, despite the pressure or pressure. In this way, a lot of resources, energy and time will be wasted, but there will be no benefit. There is also a real danger that when watering above-ground parts of plants, they may be damaged. sun rays and get burned.
Watering with a hose
Well, what could be simpler? Connect the hose and start watering. But no. For such watering, you again need to choose the right time. And you especially need to pay attention to the water pressure that will come out of the hose. There is a possibility that if the pressure is too much, you could uproot your seedlings and wash away all the beneficial mineral compounds contained in the soil.
Drip irrigation
It's best when you don't have to run around with buckets all over the garden. Do you agree? In this case, you simply need drip irrigation. In its principle it is close to natural, rain.
- Every gardener can organize such a system with his own hands; for this you will need a hose and several adapters. This method will allow water to slowly penetrate into the ground, dissolving all applied fertilizers and fertilizers, having a beneficial effect on the root system of plants.
- A device such as drip irrigation will allow gardeners to easily moisten plants that have been planted in even rows. Its device is quite simple and accessible to everyone.
- Therefore, the system can be assembled with your own hands without the involvement of specialists. You will receive an excellent assistant in the country, which will save a lot of your time and effort, while properly watering your garden.
- To make it with your own hands we need the following. We must take pieces of hose or plastic pipes with a diameter of up to 12 mm. You need to make millimeter holes in them at a distance of about 30 centimeters from each other.
- Now you need to install the tubes so that the holes are directed into the soil. One end of our system must be plugged, and the other must be open for free access and connection of an external water carrier. The carrier can be an ordinary barrel, which is first raised to a height of two meters to create pressure.
In such a container you can pour not only water, but also solutions of special fertilizers. The system allows gravity to slowly deliver liquid to the root systems of plants, where it is slowly and evenly absorbed. This is very convenient, because quite often in the evening there is not enough pressure to water from the hose.
Spot watering
If we need to water mature crops that grow in separate holes, then this method of watering will suit us. This type of device can be made with your own hands. High pressure it will not happen here, as often happens when watering with a hose. It is best to do this moisturizing in the evening. To do this, you need to bury inverted plastic bottles near the plant, having first cut off the bottom or made holes on the side to connect the hose. The second method will allow us not to cut off the bottom, which can protect our water from evaporation.
The lid needs to be screwed on as best as possible. Next, measure about 3 centimeters from the neck. We need to make a hole. Its diameter must be appropriate for each type of soil:
- sandy loam, sand - 1mm;
- oily loamy soil - 1.4 mm;
- clay soil - 1.5 mm.
We turn our container upside down and deepen it near the cabbage seedlings or tomato and pepper bushes.
- The hole should be directed towards the plant’s root system and deepened by 3-5 centimeters.
- The distance to the stem should not exceed 5-7 centimeters. Now we pour some water into the bottles.
- This moisturizing is very convenient, it can be carried out not only in the evening, you will not depend on pressure, as is often the case.
- As a rule, after 3 hours there will be no more water in the funnel. Throughout all this time root system plants will receive moisture. This homemade type of device will allow you to get rid of condensation in the greenhouse during watering.
- This plastic bottle can be half filled with compost. Water will gradually wash away nutrients from it and deliver them directly to the roots. This will increase the level of plant development.
- Beds on sandy soil require regular watering, but in small doses. On clay soils - less often, but more abundantly.
- It is best to water dry soil in 2-3 doses, as the water is absorbed.
Wick watering the garden
This irrigation system has been used in the garden for a very long time. Wick watering helps gardeners moisturize their plants without personal presence. This is a very convenient method, especially in cases where you need to leave your plants unattended for a couple of weeks. To do this, you need to dig water containers near the beds; their edge should not be higher than ground level. You need to light a wick from these containers.
Be sure to dig it down 10 centimeters. Try to keep as little wick as possible in the open air, and the container should be tightly closed with a lid. Any fabric that does not rot can act as a wick.
The width of the fabric strips can be from 2 centimeters. The wider the strip, the more moisture will flow through it.
So, the plants will gradually take as much moisture as they need.
Watering according to the lunar calendar
Water plays the same important role for plants as it does for humans. Without water, it is not possible for all life on earth to exist. Just imagine that you are tormented by thirst, and you are not allowed to drink just because lunar calendar not allowed. Plants, like humans, have a number of factors that influence water consumption.
Temperature, lighting and development all affect moisture needs. If the plant does not receive the required amount of water, it will stop growing. Therefore, it is absolutely not advisable to even try to water the plants according to the lunar calendar. Not without this, the Moon may be able to have some influence on the level of water consumption of the crops being grown, but when you need to water the garden you need to decide for yourself, and not trust the lunar calendar. Despite this, many gardeners continue to follow all processes according to the lunar calendar.
So we told you everything about watering the garden. Thanks to the information received, you have replenished your stock of knowledge and can now apply everything effective ways in fact, on his own plot of land. You have learned that you should not trust the lunar calendar for watering. Now you can make any equipment and watering device with your own hands. Such methods can save not only time, but also money.
After that Once all the crops are planted, the next questions arise: when, how and how much to water what is planted?
Many novice gardeners and gardeners self-confidently believe that this is as simple as shelling pears: if the soil is dry, water it. Meanwhile, watering also requires skill. It is bad, for example, to irrigate with water freshly taken from a well or underground well. It is too cold for plants and has a depressing effect on them. Therefore, water is first poured into barrels, allowed to warm up in the sun for a day or two, and then watered.
To save water and time, some gardeners practice the so-called surface watering. One watering can or bucket of water is enough for them to water 3-4 berry bushes or two fruit trees. Meanwhile, there is little benefit from such watering, since the moisture does not reach the roots of the plants. And after a day or two, seeing that the soil is dry again, watering is carried out again. And so all summer. As a result, the amount of water, the cost of time and effort is not only not saved, but increases significantly compared to those who do not frequent superficial, but abundant (or deep) watering. Experienced amateur gardeners claim that 3-4 deep waterings throughout the summer are quite enough for a good harvest of berries and fruit trees (for vegetable crops the watering regime is different).
After each heavy watering you need mulch the soil in a near-trunk circle (peat, earth, sawdust) or cover with scraps of felting felt, plywood, mown grass, and other materials at hand. Mulching performs several functions: it reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil, prevents the formation of an earthen crust, and inhibits the growth of weeds.
Naturally, different plants require different amounts of moisture during the growing season. Yes, for adults apple trees, for example, in Western Siberia, on average, 4 deep waterings are required.
1. During the budding period - 50 liters per m2.
2. After flowering - the same amount of water.
3. During the period of fruit filling - 50 liters.
4. The last fourth watering is moisture recharging, which is done late (50 liters).
They say they like a dry head but wet feet. Therefore, they are watered rarely, but accurately - only at the roots (in no case on the leaves!). The soil under the bushes needs to be soaked to a depth of no less than 35 cm - the roots of tomatoes extract water from low layers of soil. And then you should retain the moisture in depth by loosening, while letting the top layer of soil remain dry. Excessive watering contributes to late blight and other diseases. A deficiency leads to cracking of the fruit. You should water your tomatoes not “like everyone else,” but with cold water in the morning. Only such watering is useful and healing. Evening watering and even warm water are harmful to them - the roots of tomatoes do not like excessive heat. In July and August, you can water your tomatoes at night. 20-30 days before the end of the harvest, watering is stopped, this will speed up the ripening of the fruits.
Peppers, like tomatoes, do not require frequent watering. But the water should be warm, and they should be watered only at the root.
Carrot sits deep and can receive moisture from the lower layers of the soil. If you do not water it, the root crops will be irregular in shape and may crack. So during the ripening period of carrots, watering is very important. With a lack of moisture, root crops grow rough and woody. But with excess water, carrot tops grow greatly, and the growth of root crops stops. In July-August it is necessary to water at least once a week, even more often on hot days. Watering should be deep and only with warm water.
Beetroot You can water both at the roots and over the leaves, in dry times at least once every two weeks. With a lack of moisture, like carrots, the root crop turns out to be rough and woody.
Beans- the plant is heat-loving, but it does not tolerate heat and drought, so it cannot be done without rare but abundant watering.
You, of course, noticed that in the irrigation regime one stage of development of all plants is missing - flowering. The fact is that surface watering from a hose during flowering does not bring benefit, but harm, since the water washes pollen from the flowers and even knocks off the petals. If there is a need to water during the flowering period, then water should be supplied only to the base of the plants or to the tree trunk.
There are several watering methods. The most commonly used are from a hose (irrigation), from a watering can, from a bucket, from a ladle.
Less common, but more effective, are the following irrigation methods: cup irrigation, along furrows, through wells. The cup method is good for young seedlings of trees and shrubs. An earthen border 10-15 cm high and 25-30 cm wide is poured around the trunk. Water is poured into the resulting “bowl”, and when it is absorbed into the soil, it is mulched.
Furrow irrigation is best used along vegetable beds or strip plantings of trees and shrubs. For example, along a row of raspberries, currants, honeysuckle, furrows with a depth of 10-15 cm are made on both sides at a distance of 25-30 cm from the center (for tree species - 20-25 cm). Water is poured into them. Then the furrows are covered with earth.
Wells are usually made around mature trees. Along the periphery of the tree crown, holes are dug a little wide larger size bayonet shovel, fill them to 2/3 of the depth with gravel or broken brick. Through such wells, water quickly seeps to the roots. Liquid fertilizers are also supplied through them. For the winter, wells should be insulated with branches, coniferous spruce branches or other materials.
We must not forget that plants suffer not only from lack of moisture, but also from excess and her. The roots are oppressed by the fact that water displaces the oxygen (air) they need for breathing from the pores of the earth, and the soil becomes very compacted. Excess moisture can lead to complete death of the root system.
Simultaneously with watering, it is advisable to fertilize vegetable and garden crops, if necessary.
Every amateur gardener does this in his own way, as he is used to. Some, before spring digging or before loosening the soil, scatter organic matter or “garden mixture” along the beds or in tree trunk circles. Others prefer to apply fertilizer in a diluted form. First they feed and then water abundantly. Still others do not use mineral fertilizers at all. Their motto: only organic! The motto is good, but the problem is - where can I get it in the right quantity? Getting humus is a problem, and it’s quite expensive. Meanwhile, humus can be constantly produced on your site. All mowed weeds, fallen leaves, tops, in short, all garden and vegetable waste, as well as leftover food, waste rags, papers - put all this in compost heap. For accelerated process rotting, shovel it from time to time, sprinkle the layers with lime, earth and regularly moisten with water. After a year, excellent organic matter will be formed, which will be used to fertilize the beds.
In addition, you should not be afraid of the very concept of “mineral fertilizers”. They can really cause harm if used incorrectly. Strictly dosed use of mineral water, and even more so its combination with organic matter, brings undoubted benefits to plants.
Where did the water go?
It happens that you need to determine where and in what quantity water leaks during irrigation. The following method will be useful for this. Make a probe with two metal rings isolated from each other at the end, included in a common electrical circuit(see picture). Now you don’t need to dig anything: you drive the probe into the ground and look at the galvanometer. As long as the soil is moist, the circuit is closed and the galvanometer displays current. The needle of the device jumped sharply to the side - this means that the probe has reached dry ground, all that remains is to look at the depth to which it sank.
It is well known that nothing grows on its own. Cultivated plants require care, one of the most important measures of which is their moisture supply. Sufficient water is one of the basic requirements of all plants, and this is especially important in the summer. Water dissolves the nutrients and trace elements found in the soil and makes them available to plant roots in the form of a soil solution. It is part of plant tissue; many crops consist of 95-97% water. A prolonged lack of moisture causes suppression of growth, provokes the occurrence of diseases and often leads to the death of the plant. Moisture is especially necessary for plants during periods of the most active development of plants: during the period of initial growth, flowering and fruit formation. If at this time the plant experiences a lack of moisture, then the yield is significantly reduced, and in perennial crops even the next year, since with a lack of water, the flower buds that ensure fruiting in the next year are poorly formed. next year. Therefore, the lack of natural moisture must be compensated for by regular watering, which is a necessary measure for caring for any type of crop.
There are several long-established watering rules that gardeners try to strictly follow. But is everything really as these rules claim? In particular, it is argued that
1) you should water it not very often, but abundantly. It makes no sense to water a little every day, since the water remains in the surface layer of the soil and the plant roots cannot use it. In addition, water quickly evaporates from the surface, and plants lose it. When watering, the soil should be saturated with moisture 20-25 cm deep so that water saturation occurs at the level of deep root layers. In this case, even if the soil surface is dry, the plant roots will be in a moist soil environment and will not suffer from a temporary lack of moisture. However, in a number of floral and ornamental crops The root system is located shallowly, in the top layer of soil, and surface drying is very dangerous for such plants, since they are not able to take advantage of moisture from the deep layers. Therefore, the rate and frequency of watering depends on the type of crop and the depth of the plant’s root system.
2) crops should be watered at the root so that the water directly nourishes the root area of the plant and does not damage its foliage and shoots, since many crops are extremely sensitive to dampness, which provokes the occurrence and development of fungal diseases. Indeed, there are a number of plants that suffer from leaf watering: for example, petunia or tomatoes. Therefore, we can agree with this statement, but with a caveat: there are also moisture-loving plants that, on the contrary, require high humidity in both soil and air, and, therefore, they simply need watering by leaves.
3) the most favorable moment for watering is early in the morning, when the ground has cooled overnight and is moistened with dew, and the air temperature is not high. Evening hours are also suitable for watering, although the heated soil and hot air cause unwanted evaporation of moisture. In no case should you water in the sun, especially on hot days, since such watering is not only useless, but can also cause harm to the plants. This is explained by the fact that the resulting contrast between the water temperature and the foliage and root system heated in the sun causes shock in the plant, which can cause inhibition of its development. In addition, droplets of water on the foliage and stems of plants in the sun act like lenses, which can cause burns to plant tissues, damage and drying of leaf blades.
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Now let's look at it from the other side. Water is a necessary component for all physiological processes occurring in the plant: photosynthesis, movement organic compounds, absorption of minerals in the form of soil solutions, and water regulates the temperature of plants by evaporation from the surface of the leaves.
Therefore, the plant needs water most during the day, when the sun is shining brightly and photosynthesis is most intense. Research has been carried out a long time ago and it has been proven that watering daytime promotes better plant growth and increased yield. But gardeners have no time to delve into the scientific literature and check the results obtained by scientists. Almost all popular publications recommend methods developed in the post-war era, ignoring the results obtained over the past 3-4 decades.
If we water or even spray the plantings during the day, then by doing this we relieve the plants from loss of turgor and overheating caused by a lack of moisture, allowing the plant to use it most productively. sunlight(with a sufficient amount of water, photosynthesis occurs very intensively during the daytime). In this case, it is synthesized in the leaves large number organic substances necessary for plant growth and crop formation, respectively, the size and taste qualities fruits and vegetables and their quantity on the plant.
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Of course, the individual characteristics of plants should be taken into account (as discussed above), and some of them should be watered at the root, avoiding water getting on the leaves. But depriving plants of moisture during the most productive time of day is simply stupid.
Of course, if you water “by the leaves,” it is recommended to do this no later than 16-17 hours, so that the plants dry out before the evening and the development of diseases is not provoked.
Additionally, there are many factors to consider when watering your plants. The frequency of watering depends on the structure of the soil, its ability to retain moisture, weather conditions and the moisture requirements of specific crops, which can vary greatly. Any type of crop should be watered gradually, in several stages, if possible returning several times to an already watered area. This is necessary so that the moisture can be completely absorbed into the ground, soften it and make it receptive to receiving a new portion of water. It is important not to miss the moment when to water. A dry soil surface does not always signal the need for watering, since the soil in the root zone may be damp and may not require additional moisture.
It is very important not only to supply the soil with moisture, but also to help retain it. The most proven ways to retain moisture in the soil are mulching and loosening the soil after watering. A mulching layer of organic materials retains soil moisture, significantly reduces evaporation from the soil surface and maintains the soil in a loose, moist state for a long time. Loosening also significantly reduces the evaporation of soil moisture, as it destroys the thin capillaries through which water from the lower layers rises to the soil surface and then evaporates. If you loosen the soil after watering, the connection between the lower layers and the surface will be destroyed, and the moisture will remain in the soil until the capillary tubes are restored. Thus, loosening not only enriches the soil with oxygen, facilitating its access, but also helps maintain fairly stable soil moisture.
In conclusion, I want to say that one should not blindly trust existing stereotypes. It is necessary to monitor new scientific and technical developments and apply them in practice, making life easier not only for plants, but also for yourself. As an example, I can cite such a development as drip irrigation, which allows you to maintain the moisture content of the root layer of soil during the growing season at an optimal level without its strong fluctuations, characteristic of all other irrigation methods. In addition, this method of irrigation significantly reduces water consumption and has a number of advantages over other methods of irrigation.
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Photo: Lada Anoshina, Maxim Minin, Rita Brilliantova