1. Drip Irrigating Your Garden Kent Phillips, Howard Co. Master Gardener kent.a.phillips@gmail.com

2. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

3. Begin with the basics. How much water does a garden need? What other factors determine watering requirements? – Soil structure – Soil texture – Plants

4. Soil texture Sandy Loam Clay

5. Soil structure Arrangement of soil particles Organic matter

6. Why is soil texture and structure important? Determines how water penetrates the soil. Determines how much water remains in the soil.

7. How do you irrigate? Watering can Hose

8. What is micro irrigation? Gravity fed system Watering the root zone

9. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages

10. Low Tech Micro Irrigation Place water holding containers in the ground.

11. Other low tech solutions Row crops and raised garden beds – Soaker hoses

12. Example using 3 ft. x 8 ft. beds TomatoMilk jugs Pepper

13. Higher Tech Solutions Drip tube – 100 ft costs $30 – 500 ft costs $130 Drip tape – 6,500 ft costs $120

14. Major Parts of a Drip System

15. Backflow Preventer/Anti Siphon Valve – Cost $2 to $6

16. Major Parts of a Drip System Pressure Regulator - $10 to $12

17. Major Parts of a Drip System Screen or filter - $15 -- $20

18. Major Parts of a Drip Tube System Adapters and Connectors Header line $1 $.70 $3 $.25 to $75 $50 for 250 feet

19. Major Parts of a Drip Tube System Emitters, punches, cutters and goof plugs $.15 to $.75 $3 $18 $.20

20. Major Parts of a Drip Tube System Timers, Controllers and solenoid valves $20 $300 $15

21. Major Parts of a Drip Tape System Home garden kit - $60 to $240

22. Drip Irrigation Rules Don’t exceed your water supply Limit water pressure to 12 - 30 psi Water flow will be limited by pipe size Drip tube size controls length of run

23. Planning Layout garden on a sheet of graph paper Plan your zones Flow to any line/zone or zones – Can’t exceed 75% of supply. – Limited by tube size and length – Flow to the zone depends on number and size of emitters or length of drip tape

24. My Garden Header line Drip Tape Drip Tube

25. Planning Layout garden on a sheet of graph paper Plan your zones Flow to any line/zone or zones – Can’t exceed 75% of supply. – Limited by tube size and line length – Flow to the zone depends on number and size of emitters or length of drip tape

26. Wrap up Plan your zones Obey the rules Check the web

27. Join the Grow it Eat it Network! A new campaign brought to you by Maryland Master Gardeners and the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) Goals: – teach people how to grow food – increase the number of Maryland food gardeners – create a network of food gardeners who will keep learning and sharing through classes, workshops, events, web site, blog

28. Resources Grow It! Eat It! http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit – We have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog! Home and Garden Information Center http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic – Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter. – We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts” Maryland Master Gardener Program http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg – Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!

29. This program was brought to you by the Maryland Master Gardener Program Howard County University of Maryland Extension