Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 26, 1994 TAG: 9408170041
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: David Butler
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Automatic irrigation systems are no longer the domain of golf courses, office buildings and luxury estates. There's finally a low-cost alternative to underground pipes and commercial-grade components and fittings. Flexible above-ground tubing and snap-on emitters made from high-tech plastics characterize a new genre of easy-to-install irrigation products. Do-it-yourself kits are now available f or all but the largest yards.
Besides saving you from the drudgery, an automatic irrigation system is much better for things that grow. Frequent and uniform watering reduces the stress caused by too little (or too much) water. Flowers and vegetables will grow faster and produce better yields. Best of all, you can tailor the system to accommodate plants with differing watering requirements.
Home irrigation systems and components can be divided into two broad categories: lawn sprinklers and low-pressure spot irrigators. The latter includes soaker hoses, misters, mini-sprayers and bubblers as well as above- and below-ground drip systems.
Grass can be watered with permanent sprinkler heads or subterranean drip emitters. Do-it-yourselfers should stick with above-ground plumbing whenever possible; custom lengths of high-quality garden hose will do fine. Keep hoses and sprinkler heads out of the lawn mower's way by watering from the perimeter. If this isn't possible, you can avoid trenching by getting a system that's designed to be in stalled just below the surface.
For other types of plants, drip irrigation is the easiest and most efficient method of watering. A properly designed system can reduce water consumption by as much as 70 percent. By slowly applying water directly to the soil, evaporation, run-off and erosion are virtually eliminated - even on slopes. Furthermore, drip is very selective - a big plus for weed control.
When laying out an automatic irrigation system, you should group plants with similar requirements into independent watering zones. For example, ground covers and flowers require frequent, shallow irrigation while shrubs and trees require less frequent, deep irrigation. Large zones may need to be subdivided if the flow rate exceeds the source. Several drip system manufacturers offer free booklets with helpful design guidelines.
Several companies produce inexpensive hose bib timers to keep everything on schedule. Single-zone timers are best suited for irrigating homogeneous plant groupings. One company gets around this limitation with a special six-zone selector valve. At the end of each cycle, the sudden water pressure drop causes the valve to advance to the next zone. To fully automate, however, you'll need a multizone timer plus an electronically controlled valve for each zone.
Another company produces a unique indoor irrigation system that automatically waters house plants! Miniature water outlets are fed by plastic supply lines permanently plumbed behind the walls. The system can also be retrofit by running supply lines along the baseboards. Drip emitters are available for just about any type of plant.
To receive a list of companies that manufacture automatic irrigation systems and controllers, please send $1.50 and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler F-419, Department TWN, 14713 Pleasant Hill Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28278-7927. The list also includes information about the indoor irrigation system mentioned above.
Reader Tip: Protection provided by the telephone network interface (where the telephone line enters your house) may not be sensitive enough to protect electronic telephones and peripherals. After losing an expensive telephone to a voltage spike on the phone line, I decided to install a phone line surge protector.
by CNB