You think you have pricey water

[Buck_wheat]

Palm Beach County is running grey water lines from their treatment plants even as we speak. Soon they'll bring them into the communities and force a hookup for irrigation, right now it's voluntary (plus cost).

[Kiril]

Originally Posted by irrig8r

Perhaps you haven't experienced extreme hard water mineral buildup in poly tubing. IME, if the tubing is at surface level, and warms up, residual mineral deposits accumulate inside the tubing and then slough off, with large particles (crystals?) effectively blocking emitters. This all occurs after initial filtration at the valve. Happens more with well water in the hills here, but because boron and sulfur levels are too high as the wells go deeper, there's less of that being used now. Meanwhile, municipal water systems here deliver hard water. It means more frequent system maintenance and replacement of emitters.

I have areas I work in that the hardness is off the charts .... but I have not seen any major impact on SDI. I have some systems that were installed over 15 years ago and still function, regardless of the excessive hardness.

That said, I do agree though that discrete emitters on the surface, or even just on surface installs of any drip can most certainly form deposits, especially if you allow the line to drain through the emitters.

Originally Posted by irrig8r

This year in particular I've seen more rodent damage than ever before. Maybe there is a boom in the squirrel or roof rat population here, but it's always been an issue in the suburbs where there are lots of untended citrus, etc.

I've got one place where I had line laying on the surface for about 6 months, but both the rabbits and squirrels that are living there left it alone. Not sure why they did ... they were living right in the middle of the area. I expected them to chew it to hell and back .... maybe I got lucky.

Originally Posted by irrig8r

If you are watering for the plants needs (as opposed to trying for some kind uniform distribution network based on a grid, watering areas between plantings where the water will not be utilized) then you will add emitters towards the expanding dripline of trees as they age.

In my experience, except in areas of dense groundcover, spotting emitters as needed is a better use of water than Netafim. Any system, including Netafim, can be wasteful. Remember the goal, we're trying to get water to satisfy the requirements of plants, not apply water uniformly across a space.

I categorically disagree, except on the wasteful part.

It takes water to develop a soil, and it takes a healthy, moist soil to expand the root system. What you are referring to is what I refer to as an in ground pot. I have seen some f'd up shiit when it comes to watering plants individually .... least of which being able to pull the plant out of the ground with almost no root growth outside the original root ball years after planting. If an area will at some point support a root system, then it should be watered.

I'll throw out my remember here ..... remember, managing soils is more than just water application, and managing plants is more than just meeting transpiration requirements.

[Kiril]

Originally Posted by irrig8r

Drip in turf has always seemed like a nutty idea to me.

Eventually the roots will intrude. And I don't like the idea of using herbicides/ root inhibiting chemicals into an irrigation system.

So what do you tell the homeowner, that in maybe 7 to 10 years (maybe sooner?) he'll have to have the system reworked?

Not a chance I will be doing this kind of install. I don't have enough confidence in the idea to sell it.

I would probably tend to agree with regard to recommending for turf, however now you have no choice in this state given the new 2 foot rule.

BTW .... you don't necessarily need root inhibiting chemicals to discourage root intrusion into the emitter. Maintaining a zone of saturation around the emitter will discourage root growth near the emitter.

[Inspired]

Drip is by far the most common way to irrigate ornamental ground covers, shrubs and trees here. I very rarely see bubblers and sprays anymore. How we design and install drip is evolving based upon experience (a lot of that is horticultural experience) now rather then what the manufacturers and suppliers tell us. Generally speaking, one emitter per plant is like putting each plant in a pot.

I really don't know much about drip in turf. It should be interesting to see how the new law in Cali helps to develop it.

Kiril. How will a zone of saturation around the emitter discourage root intrusion? I would think it would encourage it.

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by Inspired

How will a zone of saturation around the emitter discourage root intrusion? I would think it would encourage it.

I'd assume that if the soil was saturated, the roots would have no need to get at the emitters. I believe that's what Kiril was getting at.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

I'll take micro spray any day over drip.

[Kiril]

Originally Posted by Inspired

Kiril. How will a zone of saturation around the emitter discourage root intrusion? I would think it would encourage it.

One of the requirements for root growth is oxygen, and a saturated soil has less of it than a soil at or below field capacity. Roots in general will grow where the conditions are most conducive to growth, so you would expect to see less root growth in that saturated zone.