Are you setting up a new irrigation system?
Whether you are a keen amateur gardener or a farmer growing commercial crops you will understand the importance of water if you want your plants to thrive. While air and light are vital they are not enough by themselves. Unless what you plant is also getting sufficient water and nutrients you will never see a healthy crop. Depending on where you live you might think that the crops will get sufficient water from natural rainfall but that isn't always the case. When you need to find a way to water your plants it is rarely feasible to walk around with a watering can and water everything by hand especially if it will need to be done multiple times each day. In most cases, you will want to build an irrigation system that can provide the right amount of water for the crop automatically.
'Drip-feed' or sprinkler?
When you are planning an irrigation system there are two main options that you will need to think about. You could install a 'drip-feed' that takes the water directly to the roots of the plant or you could decide on a sprinkler system. There is no perfect answer for every crop you must consider how the plant normally gets the water it needs. Does it come through the soil and the roots or is much of it absorbed through the leaves? For plants that often rely on their leaves then installing a sprinkler irrigation system is always going to be the preferred option.
Setting out your irrigation system
Planning an irrigation system is about much more than deciding where the water will fall on the plants. You must also plan the route of the irrigation system as well as choosing the source of the water. You might draw your water from either the mains supply or a rainwater tank but whichever you choose you must be able to create a route from the source that flows around all of your plants without missing any and without wasting water. If you settle on a sprinkler irrigation system then you must be sure that not only is no plant missed but that you aren't wasting large amounts of water by sprinkling ground that isn't planted.
When designing your irrigation system it is always helpful to discuss your requirements with the supplier. They will know what components are available and how they can be put together effectively to create the irrigation system you need.
