Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Feb 16, 2010 7:30 pm Re: Rain vs irrigation 5Feb 17, 2010 11:42 am 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Rain vs irrigation 8Feb 17, 2010 3:00 pm Blog - http://snakedr.blogspot.com/ Build Thread - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=12084&p=307406#p307406 Status - PCI 15/10. Things nearly done. Re: Rain vs irrigation 10Feb 17, 2010 6:03 pm I have often wondered about the difference between rain & spray. Fascinating. Thanks Fu. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: Rain vs irrigation 11Feb 17, 2010 7:28 pm Forget the bucket, it has no place in water efficiency because it has no way to deliver water at a regulated rate. Just like hand watering. Hand watering only saves a city water because no one goes out and does it much. If everyone went and hand watered, the water level in dams would plummet. It is effective when viewed over the population. When viewed on it's direct use in individual cases it is obscene. Re: Rain vs irrigation 12Feb 17, 2010 7:41 pm Quote: how does drip irrigation fit into this as it doesn't mimick water falling from the sky at all? Half the process of the water making it's way to the roots is missing, is it a case that correct sprinkler choice is better than drip sometimes? It fits by applying water slowly, at low pressure, and without exposing any water to the air. It is the most efficient means of delivering water. However this is not always the best. Having the leaves cleansed of dust and grime can be of a huge benefit to the plants ability to do it's thing with producing sugars for energy. It is a catch 22 and more often than not water efficiency wins. This is why if it is a lawn, gear driven sprinklers or MP rotators that meet a waterwise standard or are certified to be water efficient are the most cost effective means to water a lawn area. Then in garden beds we suggest drip irrigation. Over East summer rains are regular enough to cleans foliage. Over here we don't get such luxuries Must be done by hand watering the foliage but is the water worth it? Well not really. The original question was why do plants look better though so my answer is based on that. Things like micro sprays are an abomination for use in domestic gardens and should be banned from retail sale in the opinions of many experts. They are good in glass houses or controlled environments. Re: Rain vs irrigation 13Feb 17, 2010 7:50 pm borg Interesting facts about tropical train and nitrate. We had some good rain the other day in Melb. Is it possible to measure the amount of nitrate in the rain?? it is and those sorts of tests could be carried out by water testing labs. Just have a squiz in the yellow pages for water testing. Onc could suggest some places in the world of aquaponics as well Re: Rain vs irrigation 14Feb 17, 2010 8:04 pm Quote: What I also wonder about is the rainwater tank I have. I assume the nitrates in the stored water would be eaten by the microbes pretty quickly but I noticed the water still has that lovely earthy smell you get from spring/summer rain. That is because it has some very beneficial microbes in there as well. They also do wonders and the great thing is they occur in very safe numbers and they don't need to be so numerous to have a positive effect on soil health and that then creates good plant health. Re: Rain vs irrigation 15Feb 18, 2010 7:49 pm Thanks again Fu, I have being using rainwater mostly on the plants I want to get going eg the hedges and they seem to be sending off shoots faster. Or I could be kidding myself and it's the summer storms we have been having. There must some serious money for the person that invents the perfect chemical balanced manmade rainwater and applicator. Should also add I bought a holman water gun with the multi modes etc and the shower setting actually mimicks the application of water from a decent watering can. Bugger all spray and it doesn't actually throw far at all you just hold it over a plant like a watering can. Re: Rain vs irrigation 16Feb 18, 2010 10:45 pm hmmmm I am wondering if I come over there and "he biatch man slap" you or say well done for purchasing such a contraption If you are satisfied it matches with what I have described then right on brother Re: Rain vs irrigation 17Feb 19, 2010 3:50 am Soooooo, if I use stored rainwater that may or may not have nitrates left in it, but may have some good microbes, and I pump that water through a hose that has a machine-gun looking 'junk nozzle' attached (it was a present, mmmkay?), but it is set to the gentle rain mimicing setting, and I briefly upturn it to wash the leaves, and I spend the rest of the time slowly watering the dirt, then I'm doing the right thing? Geoff - Decophile. Re: Rain vs irrigation 18Feb 19, 2010 6:22 am nah Fu I bought it way before reading your lecture. I only hand water or, shudder, use a ol skool metal sprinker from the tank. All town water irrigation is through drippers with a bee's apendage of hand watering. To save the threat of copping one upside the head No chance you could recommend a hose connecting sprinkler that is water wise? Re: Rain vs irrigation 19Feb 19, 2010 11:00 am Eager it is set to the gentle rain mimicing setting, and I briefly upturn it to wash the leaves, and I spend the rest of the time slowly watering the dirt, then I'm doing the right thing? As good as can be done but I'd get a better nozzle. Slowly water yes, but not holding it in one spot. Keep the water moving over large areas. It means you should move around a bit as well and revisit areas of the garden several times with an application of a little bit of water. If you get a better nozzle you can do with out the upside down bizzo but try it and feel the water, you'll see what I mean There are two types i would suggest using and both are made by Gardena. I have not found a satisfactory one other than two of theirs. I will have to post a pic and find part numbers for them for you guys. Re: Rain vs irrigation 20Feb 19, 2010 12:55 pm Fu Manchu If you get a better nozzle you can do with out the upside down bizzo but try it and feel the water, you'll see what I mean I've done that before. At our old house, I had one Cocos in a small raised bed in the corner of the yard, kind of like a miniature version of the garden I have now. I regularly tried to mimic tropical conditions when watering that garden by holding the nozzle upside down; to me it is important to water trees this way because this is what rain does in nature. In fact I have always thought it better to water the foliage instead of the soil and letting the structure of the plant distribute the water to the ground in its own way as long as conditions allow it. If I have a good layer of mulch that is doing its job, the soil stays damp in between waters anyway. Here's a question - should I dump a drum of Seasol into my tank? Geoff - Decophile. 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