Full Product Manual

Table Of Contents
Page 36 Chapter 5
Watering
depth
()x
Emitter spacing:
x
Coarse soil Medium soil
Fine soil
2x 4x
Figure 5-4: Emitter spacing in different soils
Landscape Dripline: A More Technical Approach
The preceding information about selecting the appropriate inline emitter flow
rate and spacing for the proper design of a Landscape Dripline grid was based
primarily on identifying the soil type of the planting area. In this section, we add
one more factor to the selection criteria: the desired watering depth based on the
plants’ root zones.
Table 5-4, page 39, shows the estimated root depth for two common dense
planting schemes along with the desired watering depth. Remember that since
the top half of the plant’s root zone is most active, (see Figure 1-1, page 3) that is
where you want to deliver most of the water.
Use these figures as a guideline for your specific situation. Record your selection
on the worksheet.
Emitter Spacing Versus Watering Depth
Figure 5-4 illustrates the emitter spacing required to water different soil types to
the same depth in consistent, uniform soils. For a uniformly coarse soil, the ratio
between emitter spacing and desired watering depth is 1:1, for a uniformly
medium soil 2:1 and for a uniformly fine, clay-like soil 4:1.
EXAMPLE
If the hydrozone you are irrigating with Landscape Dripline tubing includes
ground cover and shrubs, with the ground cover as the dominant plant that
also requires less daily water than the shrubs, then the base plant root depth
will be 12"-18”. To irrigate at least half the depth of the root zone, your
minimum watering depth will be 6”-9”. In this case, the desired watering
depth is determined by the ground cover in the landscape.
TABLE 5-4: MINIMUM RECOMMENDED WATERING DEPTHS
Base Plant Root Depth Minimum Watering Depths
Ground Cover 12"-18" 6"-9"
Small Shrubs 18"-36" 9"-18"
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