When you have plants, they need to be watered along with the necessary sunlight. For the major farmlands and plantations, there are already irrigation systems in place. It is definitely not enough to leave your plants to chance since there are areas that do not have regular rain, and if the plants do not get ample water, they will die, resulting in massive losses for the farm owners.

However, there are also consequences when you water them too much. There is a need to monitor the flow of the water, especially during the rainy season. For the different irrigation systems, you can use an irrigation water flow meter to measure and eventually regulate the flow of water using the valves.

Use of Soil Moisture Sensors

When you have an automated watering system, then you should also acquire rain or soil moisture sensors. These sensors can be programmed to control or restrict your automated irrigation system when it reaches a certain predetermined limit.

The rain sensors are small devices and they have very simple programming. It is usually more economical than the other sensors, but they can easily be placed on the plants. Soil moisture sensors are more complex, but they are also beneficial to the plants since they yield a more relevant reading. They detect moisture at the root level and they have a more precise measurement on how much water your plants are actually receiving, not just the rain level. As always, installing and managing these types of sensors is more difficult.

Sprinkler System

A sprinkler system is able to cover large areas. If you have a manual sprinkler, it’s all about even spacing and positioning. You have to turn the valve on, be aware of the time, and eventually turn off the valves.

For an automatic sprinkler system, you can control the valves and just set the timer and the amount of water flow, adjusted to the prevailing weather conditions. Whether you have a manual or automated system, it is advised to water early in the morning to reduce the effect of evaporation.

Drip Irrigation

Drip Irrigation is recommended for smaller yards, as it can water individual plants directly. The way it works is that will drop out four gallons per hour straight to the soil. That is why many small farmers find this very effective because they don’t lose much water through evaporation, unlike the sprinklers wherein the water is just sprayed all around.

Drip irrigation also works well for plantation areas with small amounts of mulch. Sprinkler systems will wash away the mulch while watering, but the drip irrigation is more precise.

Watering by Hand

If you just have plants in your backyard or a smaller area, you can use the most common and cheapest option—water the plants using a hose, nozzle, or watering can. In this method, you can totally eliminate overwatering, and no water is wasted because you have full control. However, it is not the most convenient option and you really need to commit to the activity.

You can choose the type of irrigation system for your plantation depending on its size and your budget. There are different options for every situation but in any system, careful commitment is still a factor in ensuring your plants’ health and growth performance.