Garden plants have watering needs that require gardeners to think about an efficient way of maintaining moisture in the soil. Drip trays for planters, for instance, are water wasters and they do not manage to keep the optimal levels of moisture in the soil. Sprinklers look like a better solution, but they are consuming a lot of water, also, a big chunk of all this water never gets to nurture the plants, as it is simply wasted. The alternative embraced by many at the moment are drip irrigation systems, as they are more efficient, and they do not waste water, while keeping moisture levels at ideal values for plants.
Make Your Plants Thrive with Less Water
Clean, healthy water is a precious resource in the world we are living in today. Water shortages become more frequent as the world population grows. Under the circumstances, the wise choice is to use systems that are not wasteful of this natural resource.
The main advantage offered by a drip irrigation systems is the ability to water each plant with just the right amount of water, without overflowing or starving the plant. The best part is that each drop of water goes directly in the soil, and it is not lost through evaporation or surface runoff.
This means that you can offer your plants ideal watering conditions, without wasting water.
Combat Fungal Diseases
There are many fungal diseases that affect plant leaves, when water stays for too long on the foliage, without drying. This is the main disadvantage of sprinkling systems. As they spread water over a large surface, it is inevitable that some of it will end up on the leaves of all the plants in that area.
This does not happen when using a drip irrigation system. Because the water ends up slowly infiltrating the soil, and feeding the roots, but without being sprinkled from above, it is obvious why drip irrigation systems are preferred, especially when you want to combat fungal diseases in your plants.
Convenience
Drip irrigation has a major advantage over other types of systems: convenience. By setting a timer, you can automate the system to water your plants regularly, without having to lift as much as a finger, something that cannot be said about other watering systems.
An Ideal Solution for Gardens and Potted Plants
At first glance, it would look like drip irrigation must be conducted over a large patch of land, but this is not always the case. These systems can be adapted for small gardens and even for potted plants.
As long as the system is designed so that the dripping holes are positioned next to each plant, ideal conditions for watering can be achieved. Potted plants can benefit greatly from this type of watering system as it also greatly reduced the appearance of weeds. When growing plants in large planters, weeds can be an issue, since it can become very difficult to pluck all the weeds regularly from the pots.
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