Blog posts tagged with 'drip irrigation'

In the past month alone in areas throughout Florida, droughts have had an impact on:

• Fires, 
• Relief, response, and restrictions, 
• Tourism, and 
• Water supply and quality. 

• Plant more shrubs than annuals. Shrubs grow deeper roots than annuals and can withstand drier weather. Annuals do not develop deep roots as easily and are more susceptible to changes in weather.
• Plant strategically. Evaluate your house and the natural flow of water surrounding your property to identify areas that naturally get more water than others. Position plants that require more water in high water traffic areas (for example, below the gutters). Those that don’t need as much water can be placed in drier areas of your yard.
• Install drip irrigation. Products such as Mister Landscaper’s 50 ft. Micro Sprinkler Starter Kit keep the ground moist and provide continuous water supply to plants, shrubs, trees, gardens, and flowers.
• Finally, don’t forget the mulch. It serves a greater purpose than just being visually appealing - it also maintains moisture in the soil. 

Most people who work in the landscape or gardening industry know about Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation.  It's been used in some agricultural areas for over 40 years and is increasingly being used by larger and larger farms and groves for everything from grapes to oranges.  This has proven to be a vast improvement on the goals of saving water and wise use of water by the industries that depend on it to survive.

In recent years, large landscape companies have also adopted Micro and Drip Irrigation as a way to water a variety of landscapes, keeping the plants well-nourished and saving 50% or more on water usage.  Everywhere you look you can see it, little black stakes in the ground with Micro Sprays hidden behind bushes, Drip Irrigation tubing stretching through landscaped flower beds. With ever-increasing awareness of conservation of water, and the importance of being wise with resources, this trend will continue to improve as time goes on.

All of these things are incredible on their own, but they are just the beginning.  Where Drip Irrigation is heading now is into the garden and landscape of the average homeowner.  Most homeowners shy away from trying to mess with installing irrigation, for fear that it is too complicated or that they will not do it right and create a disaster that will kill all of their plants. But with droughts at a record high, and the desire of many to establish home gardens, that mentality is quickly changing. 

The benefits of using Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation are tremendous.  It's not just about not wasting water.  The plants get what they need rather than too much water, which can lead to fungus growth and premature rot in the root systems.  Also, many areas in the country that are under drought conditions will allow home owners to use low-flow irrigation products in their landscapes and gardens, rather than sprinklers.

Right now, homeowners across the country are realizing the need to use water wisely and are looking to install their own Micro and Drip Irrigation systems .  We applaud that - and encourage others to do the same.  A difference can be made, one garden and landscape at a time!

Drip Irrigaiton Is?

Many people have heard of Drip Irrigation, but not everyone knows what it means, where it came from, or how easy it is to implement into your landscapes and gardens. I wanted to write a quick bit about it and share how awesome this method of irrigation can be for your plants.

What is Drip Irrigation?

Drip irrigation is an irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone,  Basically, it means that you can control where the water goes - being extremely efficient, effective and environmentally cautious in your plant development. 

Where did it come from?

Drip methods of watering plants where water was scarce have been around for centuries - from ancient times where clay pots were filled with water and allowed to seep into the soil to modern methods that involve poly and vinyl tubing and pressure compensated drippers for a specific flow rate for plants.  The more modern version of drip was developed after World War II, and it was used in arid climates to grow crops.  That method of drip irrigation is very similar to what is used today. With technology leading the way in water conservation, Drip Irrigation is improving constantly, allowing for more water saving and better irrigation of plants then ever.  Electronic water timers and soil moisture sensors can be added to drip systems to make them extremely effective at using water with little or no waste, making Drip Irrigation the most environmentally friendly way to irrigate, outside of natural rain storms.

Installing Drip Irrigation?

When most people think of installing irrigation, pictures of long hot hours in the sun, digging ditches, laying pipes in the ground, and using tools to cut, manipulate and arrange them, come to mind. All of that is how underground irrigation is installed. Installing drip irrigation is actually really easy by comparison. For home garden and landscape use, many times all that is required is a faucet hook-up somewhere near where the irrigation is to be laid.  This makes installation really fast and efficient for homeowners to set up.  The most simple of Mister Landscaper's Drip Irrigation Kits is set up by attaching it to an outdoor faucet like a hose and running a line of poly to the location where the irrigation is needed.  The only tool really needed is a pair of scissors, and maybe a small hammer if you have hard ground. 

If a homeowner has underground irrigation, it is even easier to install Drip or Micro Irrigation.  For instance, one can easily attach adapters to PVC pipes for existing irrigation and then run lines to the areas where they would like to have drip.  Most set up of Drip or Micro Irrigation can take less then an hour to do and can save over 50% of the water used in traditional irrigation methods.

So, if you want to save time, save money, water your plants the best way possible, and most importantly save water for generations to come, Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation is the way to go.

Does Mister Landcaper have the best Drip Irrigation on the planet, Well, we think we do. 

Have an awesome day!

Everyone spends a great deal of time and energy discussing the environment these days. Global warming, the oceans rising, strange weather events. Very few media events focus a great deal of energy on a much more serious problem, saving fresh water.  There are some parts of the United States where droughts are so bad that people are using rain buckets to collect fresh water so they can water their plants when there is no rain because using sprinklers are prohibited.

Water is a precious resource in our environment. All life depends on it. Growing populations and ongoing droughts are running our fresh water resources dry, causing natural habitats to decline and impacting our everyday use of water.

People in industrialized populations should feel obligated to pay more attention to how we are using water, and how we may be wasting it. We must bridge the gap between our understanding of how important water is to our survival and what we can do to ensure that we have an adequate supply of clean water for years to come.

Here are 10 easy and practical tips for thinking "green" by saving the "blue". 

1. Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street. 

2. Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full, and you could save 1,000 gallons a month. 

3. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save 80 gallons of water every time. 

4. Only water your lawn when needed. You can tell this by simply walking across your lawn. If you leave footprints, it's time to water. 

5. When you clean your fish tank, use the water you've drained on your plants. The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, providing you with a free and effective fertilizer.

6. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.

7. Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.

8. Wash clothes only when you have a full load and save up to 600 gallons each month.

9. When you give your pet fresh water, don't throw the old water down the drain. Use it to water your trees or shrubs.

10. Choose new water-saving appliances, like washing machines that save up to 20 gallons per load.

For more tips on how to save fresh water in your day-to-day lives, go to http://www.wateruseitwisely.com.

Of course, Mister Landscaper recommends using their products to save water as well. By utilizing Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation in your landscapes and gardens, you can save over half the fresh water you use every time you water.  Imagine the impact that would make if everyone did that.