In the field of gardening and agriculture, using the capillarity of water as a property is quite interesting. It is a property that has water that allows it to be distributed in spaces of a very small size and end in all places. If done well, a capillarity irrigation system can be used in both gardening and agriculture to be able to water plants and crops. It is a system that has many advantages, especially when it comes to saving water.
In this article, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about capillary irrigation, its characteristics and its advantages.
What is Capillary Irrigation
Capillarity irrigation is a technique that allows much better optimization of the use of water resources in the field of gardening, agriculture and home gardens. Capillarity is the ability of water to be able to filter to distribute itself through all air spaces until they are covered . In this way, the plants can take in the amount of water they need at the exact moment to be able to grow.
Thanks to capillary irrigation, the amount of water used can be optimized quite well so that the plants use the water they need without excess so as not to waste this precious resource. In addition, by not wasting water, we are also lowering production costs in agriculture. This system is quite interesting since it is a mechanism that helps to avoid spending too much time watering the plants . Above all, when you have a somewhat larger garden, it can take you a long time to water.
If we take into account the demands of the various plants before watering, it is a very useful mechanism that can give each plant what it needs to supply its demand. It is also considered a very useful strategy to help save water, which means a significant decrease in the water bill each month.
Which plants benefit
Once we place a capillary irrigation system, we must know well which plants are the ones that benefit. It is a system that can be used with almost any plant species. And the fact is that the roots of the plants have very small hairs that are responsible for absorbing the water from the earth. It is a mechanism that applies to both small species and large trees.
The only thing to pay attention to when taking good care of plants is the individual needs of each species. This is because, depending on it, the duration of the water in the tank will be one or the other. Nor can we have to store the water for too long since it would lose quality .
How to install our own capillary irrigation system
We are going to take the main steps to be able to install a capillary irrigation system in our home garden. It can be done in different ways. We are going to explain one of the most complete ways.
You must define an area on the land that you are going to use to create the garden with the irrigation system. Next, open a hole the width of the space you are going to plant, keeping in mind that the depth must be at least 50 centimeters. The holes must be distributed between the water tank and the area where the plants are planted. You have to level the ground fairly well to ensure that the water can be distributed evenly over the entire surface. If the water is left in any corner, the process will not be efficient.
We must bear in mind that the capillarity of the water must be used well to be able to take advantage of it. You must make sure that there are no stones or other elements that could damage the layers of waterproof fabrics that will be placed next . It is necessary to regulate the intensity of irrigation at all times. To do this, water the soil abundantly at the beginning of the base to ensure that they can be compacted. The watering process at the beginning helps to level the ground well.
After all this, it is necessary to place the waterproof fabrics that will prevent the water from being absorbed by the earth below. You should also make sure to cover the walls. You can have an L-shaped pvc pipe so it can perform various functions. The first is to serve as a contact to the outside to be able to fill the pit with water when necessary. Thanks to this type of pipes we can distribute all the water evenly inside the pit. The holes will have to be directed towards the bottom so that the plants can absorb the water well . Otherwise, the roots could cover them.
The other part of the tube should be oriented towards the surface part so that the water can be poured when needed. All spaces should be covered with soil and the base of the pit filled with a medium-sized layer of gravel . It is important to make sure it has a uniform distribution. It is necessary to cover the structure of the water pit with an anti-weed mesh to prevent organisms from forming inside it.
Advantages and disadvantages
Let’s see in summary what are the main advantages of the capillary irrigation system:
- Control the humidity so that the plants are always and in stock.
- I save a lot of time in watering on a daily basis.
- Now a lot of water , which is important since it is a very precious resource.
- Crops such as trees, flowers, plants and agricultural crops benefit. Especially those that require constant humidity such as peppers, tomatoes and avocados benefit from capillary irrigation.
As you might expect, there are also some downsides. The main one has to do with the design of the facility . Although it does not require a lot of investment in both time and effort, some people may not be prepared to carry it out. It is necessary to be very attentive to the duration of the water in the pit to carry out constant replenishments. If not, many of the plants that require moisture may wilt.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about capillary irrigation and its characteristics.
