DRIP IRRIGATION
Avoid these 5 mistakes for better drip installation and function.
look wilted, nearly dead, and others show signs of disease. You know there’s a functioning drip irriga-
tion system and wonder, what is going on? When you’re out troubleshooting an ex-
isting system, see if one of these five mistakes might be to blame. When preparing to install a drip system, keep these common errors in mind to avoid callbacks or dissatisfied customers.
Y 1
INSTALLING IT AND WALKING AWAY
Whether comprised of rotors and sprays or drip, an irrigation system is
a mechanical system. And it’s sometimes con- sidered “finished” upon installation. However, Declan Keane, owner of Life Source Irrigation Inc., a New York City-based drip irrigation company, disagrees. Life Source specializes in rooftop gardens
across Manhattan and Brooklyn. His clients in- clude private residences, hotels, restaurants and property management companies with small- to medium-sized spaces along the buildings in front of Park Avenue, Central Avenue and Fifth Avenue. He says the ideal situation is to check the
system weekly and make decisions for repairs or adjustments in collaboration with a gardener or landscaper, if plant maintenance is outside your contract. He starts his weekly check-ins inspecting the plants and determining if any changes are needed. “I like to run a deep watering twice a week
in spring. Ten I water every other day in the summer,” he says. “If you water heavily and
ou’re on a site visit and the first thing you notice is the lackluster plants. Tere is a glaring differ- ence in the same plant species’ height, color and vitality. Some
then let the plants dry out, they do much better. You must factor in what type of plants and en- vironment and make changes accordingly.” In addition to checking plant health, it’s im-
portant to examine the system mechanics. For Keane, that specifically includes the drains. “Te rooftop gardens are 30 floors up, and
you have to plan for the worst-case scenario,” he says. “It’s not like on the ground where the excess water from a broken pipe runs off. You could flood a place and do a lot of damage on a rooftop.” Western New York-based irrigation and water management consultant Jim Navarra emphasizes that the same principle holds true for commercial sites with landscaped beds and planters at ground level. In addition to the points mentioned above, he added that other site contractors could disrupt a system. With- out an inspection, it’s impossible to catch until the plants show signs of stress. One client is a prominent grocer with more than 100 stores on the East Coast. It’s not un- common to have utility workers, general con- tractors or municipal workers digging up curb lines or asphalt. Te more “hands in the pot,” the more chances for breakdowns, he says. “Not everyone considers what they are dis-
turbing when they work along a curb line and can easily damage or break dripline pipe,” he says. “Also, seasonally changing planting beds can disrupt the system, so it’s essential to check on it to ensure it’s working properly.”
2 MISMATCHED WATERING NEEDS
Plantings have specific and varying water needs. Without planning in
the design phase, it’s common to overlook this detail. Keane suggests grouping plants with similar watering needs in the same zone. For
IF YOU INSTALL DRIPLINE WITHOUT USING FILTERS, YOU’LL END UP WITH PROBLEMS BECAUSE NO WATER SOURCE IS 100% CLEAN. – Declan Keane, Life Source Irrigation
irrigationandlighting.org Summer 2022 Irrigation & Lighting 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
