[compost_tea] Re: Watering

From: David Hall <dchall8_at_texas.net>
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2004 01:47:06 -0000

>> «It takes very little management to go from
>> daily watering to weekly, semi-weekly, or even (much) longer
>> watering cycles.  My next door neighbour did not water her tu= rf
for 5
>> full years and her lawn always looked better than mine (much to my
>> chagrin, but I learned from it).  »
>
> Perhaps David would fill us in on his management techniques.

No problem.  First thing the pros do (those pros who care about
watering) is to get a key to the automatic watering box.  They reset <= BR> the schedule from daily watering for 10 minutes to every three days
for 30 minutes (or whatever seems appropriate as a first step). 
Then they have to come in and check the turf every day for the three
day period.  If the grass is not wilting (blades folding together), then they reset the timer for another day and continue checking. 
When the grass wilts, they water immediately for at least the same
extended time they reset the watering for.  The next time they water <= BR> they water for 15 minutes more and check to see that the grass goes
longer before wilting.  Assuming it does, they work their way up to weekly watering and reset the timers.  If the grass gets more water but does not extend the time-to-wilt, then they go in with soaker
hoses.  They use the regular black Wal-Mart soaker hoses but they
put out 100 feet spaced about 18 inches apart.  Starting at the high <= BR> side of any hills they run the hose back and forth on the elevation
contour to the lowest point the hose will reach.  Then they turn on the faucet so that it is a trickle at the faucet.  When you spread out a trickle from the faucet along 100 feet of hose, there is very
little watering going out.  They leave that trickle running for 72 hours minimum before moving it.  When the soil is soft underfoot,
they move the hose down the slope to the next "zone."  You l= ikely
will have to water the rest of the lawn during this process.  The
idea is to allow the water to percolate by gravity as deeply into
the soil as it can and lead the roots down deeper.  If there was a hard pan, clay layer, or impenetrable dead fungus layer, this soaker
hose technique usually penetrates it with both water and roots. 
Then the roots can dig through the formerly hard layer.  Once the
roots are in there, they swell and shrink with moisture to break up
the layers.  When they swell they push the soil crumb or even plain mineral particles apart.  When the roots shrink away from the
minerals or crumbs, air gaps open up that, of course allow air in,
but also allow water to penetrate deeper the next time they get
irrigated. 

I think my neighbor got extremely lucky her grass did not die.  She completely abandoned all maintenance on the St Augustine lawn.  The grass grew to about 12 inches long and flopped over.  After that the <= BR> grass remained green all year long and as I said, never got any
water from the hose.  A well-meaning neighbor mowed it for her
almost killing it, but ample root reserves came to the rescue. 
After that she took the hint and mowed it about 3 times a year. 

For orchard trees, liberal use of mulch has allowed some of Texas
Hill Country orchards to go permanently without artificial
irrigation.  They leave about 18 inches of mulch in rows next to
(but not touching) the trees and allow grass to grow where ever. 
The trees are sometimes sprayed with molasses and seaweed to keep
the insects away.  Our soils are prone to cotton root rot here so
the best organic technique found to prevent it is a product called
Actinovate.  Dust the roots upon first planting and it seems to
protect the trees permanently. 

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Bill" <halstead@m...> = wrote:
> Re David Hall's remarks.
>
> «It takes very little management to go from
> daily watering to weekly, semi-weekly, or even (much) longer
> watering cycles.  My next door neighbour did not water her turf <= BR> for 5
> full years and her lawn always looked better than mine (much to my > chagrin, but I learned from it).  »
>
>
>
> Perhaps David would fill us in on his management techniques.
>
> Here in my nine years of retirement in Portugal on sandy soil I
have learnt that without daily irigation in the months of June to
October I would have no lawn or strawberries etc. The citrus trees
would manage with a soaking a week but use less water with a daily
drip and fortnighly soaking.
>
> I have had to replant my lawn during this period due to lack of
irrigation
> Been using ACT for three years now and convinced by my OWN
observations that  I am using less water and having very good results<= BR> >
> Farmed 42 yrears in a rain shadowed area on good soil in Africa
and fully aware of the neccesity of moisture conservation and
experienced the financial results of not enough rain fall on large
scale cereal production.
>
> Bill




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Received on Tue Nov 09 2004 - 02:17:51 EST

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