I have a small trickle irrigation system hooked up. It irrigates my orchard and the hazelnuts in the windbreak.
Today I flushed out the system, replaced the filter element and turned it back on.
I am surprised that I need to irrigate on June 19 but that is what the ground is telling me. The MSU Integrated Pest Management page tells me that the closest weather station had 1.3" of rain in June versus 3.3" of Potential Evaporation. A 2" deficit is enough for me to start irrigating.
The emitters gurgled like they were supposed to so I have my fingers crossed that I don't have any major leaks in the hose. I want to run it for a couple of hours and see if I have any swamps.
Also on the subject of watering, I hand-watered the tomatoes, cabbage and peppers with the hose. They looked a little bit nitrogen starved so I gave the ones that looked the most needy about 8 oz of 1500 PPM nitrogen and I will see if that perks them up.
Weeding the potatoes
I got two rows weeded. Only five more to go!
Quince
It looks like I have a lot of fireblight strikes on my quince trees.
I bought a drip irrigation kit last week to install in me wife's front yard garden. I had to have my hands on one before I could understand all the bits and pieces, and see what else I'll need to customize it for her garden. I'm sure it's no where near as elaborate as yours is, but it will help keep her plants happy.
ReplyDeleteHarvested my first taters today. Pontiac reds couldn't take the EastTN heat last week. Other varieties holding up. Planted the lot in March.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see some details of the irrigation system. Am toying with a passive one using those 300 gal IBC containers and gravity...
ERJ, for the first time ever I have hooked up a hodge podge watering system consisting of a four hose bib, three hose and sprinklers, and an automatic timer. It has done wonders for my garden. The fourth hose is on a nozzle as I continue to hand water the corn and tomato plant.
ReplyDeleteERJ, do you add N to the peppers? Two years ago I inadvertently did so. The result was the plants withered and did not return.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a question of adding too much. It is adding any at all since peppers require so little.
Hi Rick:
ReplyDeleteI did fertilize the peppers after I spot watered them.
Plants in greenhouses often get 150-to-250 ppm N on a constant basis in their irrigation water. I will let readers know if I nuked to peppers with the 8 oz of 1500 ppm N on top of the spot-water.
-Joe
ERJ, thank you. Yes, an AAR is appreciated.
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