The Chisholm Trail Technology Center had a great, interactive, and exciting bunch out on August 30th for their irrigation presentation. Adult workshops have become somewhat of a thing around here and won’t be stopping anytime soon. Watering or irrigating may sound easy, but a lot goes into it. What kind of landscape do you have? What’s your soil like? What kind of plants do you have? How much water do they need? These are questions you need to ask yourself when considering how much water to use and conserve.
Understanding your soil is going to help you make decisions on how to irrigate. As always, Josh Campbell, the workshop presenter, came prepared with plenty of resources, recommendations, and information. He even brought props for the attendees to look at.
Some key takeaways were:
• The best time to water is early in the morning between 12am to 8am. There is typically less wind movement and allows for less water waste. The best way to water is by hand at the base of the plant or drip irrigation, especially if it’s a raised garden bed or vegetable garden.
• Water a couple times a week allowing for a rest day in between watering. Plants need oxygen too and if they are constantly being watered without any breathing time they are essential being drown.
• The perfect type of soil to have is loam soil. If you don’t have loam and maybe have sand or clay soil there are ways to combat that like using compost or mulch.
• Composting quadruples a plant’s ability to hold water.
• Mulch isn’t just for aesthetics. It serves a purpose. It protects the soil and provides it with nutrients.
• There are multiple ways to conserve water such as different sensors, timers, irrigation systems. Also thinking about the types of plants and grass you have, and how much water they need is important.
• Implement the 1/3 rule. Never cut more than one third of the height of your grass at one time. This way it stays green longer and you don’t have to water as much.
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To find out about more exciting things coming up at CTTC contact Dan Craig at (405)-729-8324 and get signed up for their email list.
Photos by AAK Maitland Pickle All the Things You Need to Know 24/7 – 365
