Month: May 2013

Happy farmers know drip irrigation products provide an efficient way to keep crops watered.

Drip irrigation products are a water saving addition to any irrigation system, taking care of plants while showing kindness to the overall environment. This method of watering works with water moving at low pressure through plastic pipes. Small emission devices in these pipes distribute the water in a slow even drip giving the perfect measure of water to plants when placed at a proper distance.

Drip irrigation works well in a wide variety of soil types. Because water is applied at a slow rate it has time to soak into the soil before running off. Since water runoff is almost completely eliminated, drip irrigation is ideal for irrigating crops grown on hillsides.

Since drip irrigation uses small orifices to control the flow of water, clogging can be a problem. But with the proper selection and use of a quality filtration system, clogging is rarely a problem.

Water quality can also be an issue with drip irrigation products, but economical water treatment solutions can solve most water quality issues.

Contact the drip irrigation specialists at W. P. Law, Inc. with your questions: www.wplawinc.com/corporate-contact

Make Gardening Effortless and Fun with the Garden Drip System

It’s bound to hit you right about this time of the year – the burning desire to plant your own vegetable garden. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or this is your first garden ever, you’ll do well to add a garden drip system to make watering a snap.

Have you caught the gardening bug? Starting your own isn’t hard. Here’s what you need:

• A small space outside your home. You can choose to till the soil and add amendments or you can build raised beds. Raised beds work well and they assure you of good drainage. Regardless of which option you choose, select a site that receives sun most of the day.

• A garden bed or containers. If your space is limited, you may want to consider container gardening. It’s a good option because it allows you to move your plants from one location to another, the weeding is minimal, and you may be able to design your garden to minimize squatting.

• Plants or seeds. You may be surprised by how well either works in your garden. The most common mistake of new gardeners is over-planting because they don’t believe their seeds will produce. Be sure to thin seedlings as they emerge so you have enough room for your plants to grow.

• Water source. If you want a garden, then you need to have an efficient garden drip system. Remember that aside from the sun, plants also need enough water to grow and thrive. Make a point of getting hold of a reliable garden drip system.

Watering is can be expensive and time-consuming, or cost-effective and effortless. It all depends on your system. A garden drip system is one of the best choices available for the home gardener.

W. P. Law’s garden drip systems add to the joy of gardening. Contact us with your questions here.

What type of automatic plant watering system is right for your garden, business, or lawn?

Victory gardens are making a comeback. No wonder they’re popular; they yield whole, fresh, and local produce, they’re a morale boost to those who tend them, and they provide built-in exercise from planting to weeding.

Not only do gardens require the sweat of your brow, they also need regular watering, no matter what Mother Nature provides. That’s where automated plant watering systems come in handy. A system that is installed properly helps owners water the garden on a set schedule. Most systems are metered and help save on your water bills too.

Determining the water pressure and the amount of water (flow rate) that you have available in your location will be an important step. Each system has different requirements so it’s important to know this information before installing.

• Micro-spray systems work well with orchard crops such as apple and peaches where the root zones are spread over a large area. Micro-spray systems also work well in loose porous soils such as those found in planting containers and annual beds. Micro-spray systems operate at low pressure (typically 30 psi) and a typical micro sprinkler will have a flow rate of between 10-30 gallons per hour.

• Drip systems use emitters to apply water in drops to the plant’s root zone. Drip systems also operate at low pressure (typically 30 psi) and a drip typical drip emitter will have a flow rate of 0.5, 1, or 2 gallons per hour. Drip emitters can either be externally installed by punching them into the drip tubing, or they can come pre-installed in the tubing at a regular spaced interval (typically 12”, 18”, 24”, and 36”).

• In ground pop-up sprinkler systems are the best automatic plant watering system for the lawn. The sprinkler heads pop up when water is turned on and retract back when water is turned off. This allows you to mow without hitting the sprinklers. Pop-up sprinklers consist of two types, rotary sprinklers and fixed patter spray heads. Rotary lawn sprinklers typically have a radius of 15 to 40 feet. Spray heads usually have a radius of 8 to 18 feet.

Contact us with your questions on automated plant watering systems or anything else you need for your own victory garden.

Every gardener wants to be able to water easily. Read on for two water pump features you’ll love.

Having your own garden is a great way to produce your own food. However, if you live in a drought-prone area, you know water is at a premium and you may have to get creative to keep your garden green and growing.

Part of getting creative means understanding which features to look for as you invest in a water pump station. Make sure you check out these two tips before purchasing a water pump for your irrigation system.

• Look at the pump’s performance curve and compare it to your system requirements. A pump’s performance curve will show you the relationship between flow-rate (GPM) and pressure (PSI). For most centrifugal pumps, the higher the pressure the lower the flow-rate, and the lower the pressure the higher the flow-rate. Many homeowners purchase pumps at the big box stores based on horsepower alone and do not consider the pumps performance. For example, stores will advertise a pump “delivers up to 75 GPM” or “delivers 60 PSI”. This can be somewhat misleading. While the pump in question will indeed deliver 75 GPM, it does so at a very low pressure (not 60 PSI), and yes this pump will deliver 60 PSI, but it will do so at a very low flow-rate (not at 75 GPM). The lesson to learn here is, look at the pump’s entire performance curve (or chart) to determine if it meets your system’s requirements.

• Consider using a self-priming centrifugal pump if you are pumping out of any body of surface water (pond, lake, or stream). Self-priming centrifugal pumps are commonly used for irrigating average-sized lawns and gardens. These ease of operation make them ideal for many DIYers. The pump casing on self-priming centrifugal pumps does need to be primed (the process of filling the pump casing with water before turning the pump on) before system start-up. However, self-primers can usually tolerate small suction leaks that would cause straight centrifugal pumps to lose prime.

That bumper crop you’re dreaming of is only a few months away. With a water pump system in place, you don’t have to worry about irregular rainfall. Just pump your own, and keep your garden growing!

For advice on which water pump system will work best for your needs, ask the experts at W. P. Law, Inc.