Anticipating Water Usage

[dorjewright]

I've got limited water and will be trucking extra water from a friend's place a few miles away. I'm trying to predict how much water each hole will absorb without becoming soggy yet enough water so it penetrates to the bottom. They are between 3 and 4' round and deep filled with a local "Mary Jane" mix of compost with lots of goodies plus some native soil. I'm thinking maybe 2x a week with 5 gallons each time. Or maybe once with 5 gals and the next time 10 gals spread over a week or so depending on the weather. I'm on the Coast of NCa so it rarely gets very hot. In the past I've grown in large grow bags so it was easy to tell. This year I'm in the ground so a new ball game.
Also going to use a mix of gray and fresh water.

 

[Seamaiden]

I use drippers for irrigation, that's how I would begin to calculate. I'd have to find my spreadsheet to begin discussing specifics, but the needs will change through the season as the plants grow. I usually use .5gph drippers and have them turn on several times throughout each 24hr period.

In-ground I think you'll find that you may use less water, and will need to water with far less frequency. Let me see if I can find my spreadsheet... Shit! I hope I don't have to create it from scratch again, but I can't find it now. :( I'm going to go from memory here, and IIRC at the end of the season each plant is receiving about 2gals/day.

 

[dorjewright]

Seamaiden, your correct in my situation the best option is a drip system. I've opted for soakers since I have a lot of leftovers. But I've also got a lot of drippers 2. Probably end up with a combination and see which one plugs up first. I'll have to hand feed because the earth juice and teas will plug things might fast.

 

[Seamaiden]

Our drippers plug up because the water's so hard. I still haven't been able to find my spreadsheet. I'm going to just go with my gut and how I'd treat it if it were my plant. I'm sitting on heavy clay, so the slower the drip the better, otherwise it puddles on top and then streams away--not the goal! 1/2gph, usually set at 30min increments to start, usually 1x/day. As they respond, as the season progresses, as weather permits or doesn't, that duration may be increased or reduced, as well as frequency. At the end of last year I was going with 15mins 4x/day, and it was keeping soil conditions pretty nice for not having cover crops in.