My main post for today is over at the Simple Green Frugal Co-op, and is titled “Low Pressure Drip Irrigation“.
When I last checked the post had no comments, so I don’t know how popular a subject it is. I just wanted to compress my 3 part irrigation series into one complete post, that would enthral everyone to rush out and set up their own. Maybe I was a little too optimistic!
Anyway, I have also been writing for the Caroline Springs Community Newsletter, and I now have a column called “Green Living Tips”. I have had lots of nice feedback via email, including one person who wanted to pay me to set up raised garden beds. Here is the link to the newsletter for March, and my article appears on page 18. If anyone would like to recommend articles to cover in my monthly column that you think the residents of Caroline Springs would like covered, please leave a comment. Remember, it must be something I have already done during The Greening of Gavin.
Gav
Personally, drip irrigation has never worked in my garden. It seems that no matter how long I run it, the plants never get enough water. This year I am going back to good old-fashioned hand watering.
I had issues with drip irrigation at my old house, too. I think the ultimate problem was that the garden soil was very sandy, and the water just ran straight down. It never spread laterally.
At my new house, I’ve put drip irrigation in two garden beds and it’s working wonderfully. The soil there is much loamier (plus I top-dressed it with compost), and holds the moisture much longer.
It wasn’t until I saw the drippers working in the new garden that I realised how badly they were working at the old place, and how effective they could be. If you’re having trouble, I’d recommend you get a lot more compost and organic matter into your soil.
Amybe the Northern Hemispherers are still battling some snow and ice, so water not flowing at all for them.
Here Wellington has has two nasty, wet southerly blasts (straight from the Antarctic)since Friday. At last they cleaned the outside of my windows and watered the veggies! Too bad today’s cold balst coincided with the greatest number of new, open flowers on my Kamokamo (same famdamily as zucchini) plant. The bees would have been shivering and I had to dash to work so couldn’t stop to hand pollinate.
Never mind, for a first time vege gardener I just delighted that this plant grows okay!
And I need to proof read my comments!