tel: 512-280-1192 July 15, 2011
Nursery Notes: Some exciting sales this weekend:
3 gal. bougainvillea & hibiscus - reg $24.99 on sale for $19.99, or 2 for
$36.99 50% off Antique Roses / Intellitrap: we are really excited about
this new organic product - a small patio and indoor mosquito, gnat and
fly catcher that uses a liquid attractant and black light to lure the pests. A
shipment will arrive this Wednesday, July 20. and they will be priced at
$65.00. LIMITED QUANTITIES!
[No newsletter next week. Editor heading south down Mexico way!]
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The Beautiful Tricks of Flowers: In this dazzling Ted talk, Jonathan
Drori shows some of the astonishing ways that flowering plants evolved
to attract insects to spread their pollen. flower tricks
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On this week's Central Texas Gardener (KLRU), a visit to the garden
of avid recycler/re-user Michael McNichol; and Tom Spencer talks with
Cheryl Hazeltine author of the re-issued Central Texas Gardener, about
the huge changes in the Austin gardening scene since the 1980s. Sat. noon
The Benefits of Drip Irrigation
by Chris Winslow
Usually at this time of year, when I am not imagining myself immersed in
a spring-fed water hole, I am often thinking of ways to keep all of my
lovely plants alive.
As gardeners, we must try our hardest to conserve as much of our precious
water as possible for our parched landscapes. Drip irrigation, without
question, is the best way to accomplish this.
The traditional approach had been to use hoses and sprinklers. Then along
came the high-tech underground water systems with its automatic timers
and pop-up sprinklers and rotors. All of these simply throw water in the
air in the hope that some of it might benefit the turf, flowerbeds and plants
that it lands on.
Drip irrigation, however, is a focused technique that supplies the right
amount of water directly to the plant’s base. Plants love it, and will
demonstrate their gratitude by flourishing through the hot summer months.
To set up a drip system, connect a soft poly pipe to your water faucet,
and run the pipe along the soil surface. You then simply punch ‘emitters’
into this pipe at the base of each plant. Gardeners often use mulch to
cover the pipe and emitters to further conserve moisture.
Some other benefits of drip irrigation:
1. You save water (and therefore money) since there is no evaporative
loss to the air. It all goes directly to the plants.
2. Water is added to the soil slowly. This reduces and often eliminates
water loss due to run off.
3. Weeds don’t get watered as much.
4. Plant diseases, like powdery mildew, are kept at a minimum because
foliage is kept dry.
5. Water can be tailored to individual plant needs. Water loving plants
can be given more by adding extra emitters, while xeriscape plants can
be given less.
6. Best of all, drip irrigation is easy to install for both existing flower beds
and vegetable gardens. Often there is no trenching and existing automatic
systems can be adapted easily.
When we combine drip irrigation with native and adaptive plant species,
we can then all make the very best use of water… our most precious resource.
Happy Gardening everyone!
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