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Buried Treasure in Your Landscape |
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Aarrgh!! There’s no water where there oughta be in them thar flower beds!!Recently I spent two days pulling up a drip system that had been installed about six inches below the soil. The plank for the one who dares to bury that treasure! I realize that black tubing running through your beautiful flower beds isn’t very aesthetically pleasing As-theti-klee pleezing?? Aye mate, but we be but poor, unlearned pirates. What does this mean? Sorry . . . it doesn’t look very nice.Unfortunately the reason I spent two days pulling up the tubing was that the plant and tree roots had squeezed off the tubing in places in less than 13 years. This eliminates water flow. The emitters are also unserviceable and can’t be inspected to make sure they are working. When a person wants to dig for new plantings, they can’t know where the tubing is and thus tend to slice it up. If it’s underground that means it’s going to push mud whenever the tubing gets sliced into the downstream tubing and clog the emitters. Another thing that can allow dirt into the lines is at the connections where the emitters are and any tees and elbows are. These are not sealed connections. So with all that said, it’s best to have the drip lines above ground to avoid roots and dirt from invading and crushing. Even having it under weed cloth and plastic sheeting will create the same environment. I have dealt with a lot of it. By having it above ground you can inspect the system periodically and make any adjustments or repairs as needed. If you absolutely can’t stand it being seen then just cover it with some type of wood chips or bark—not rock which can break the connections when it gets walked on and it’s too difficult to unbury every connection to inspect them. If you have buried treasure in your landscape and decide now to unbury it, you may need to re-route it where the plants or trees have swallowed it whole. Just cut and splice. The only emitter I use now is an adjustable one that irrigates 0-10 gallons per hour (GPH) and can be unscrewed to flush it out. In some instances like groundcover I also use micro spray nozzles that attach to the drip tubing via small risers. Whichever floats your boat, mate! When routing the tubing keep it well away from the base of plants and trees. Train the plants and trees to come to the water so the roots will have to reach out and thus become stronger and retain more water.Water is our most precious resource—blimey, it’s more precious than gold! However I can be of help. My cell phone is 878.5449.
No content may be published wihout the author's written consent. Copyright Tom Lanier |
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This is a simple website for the moment, but check back soon as I will have helpful information for home dwellers and landscape professionals alike. I will include links to other helpful websites and information on different aspects of your sprinkler system and landscape tips. I am based in Santa Maria on California’s beautiful Central Coast, but much of the information I will have here will be relevant to most of you reading this. Look around and remember to bookmark this website in a folder you can create called ‘Landscape and sprinklers’. Tom Lanier, owner |
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