Irrigation

Keeping plants watered in Florida's heat is crucial. Because water enters a plant through the roots and transpires through the leaves, keeping a constant flow is vital for any plant. There are a variety of ways to water for different areas of the garden.

Watering with a hose is the simplest method. Be sure to take the time to thoroughly drench the garden. It's okay if the water puddles a bit. Just let it soak in and water again. You don't want to water it so much that the soil runs off, though. Watering by hand can be relaxing, but it can also be time consuming.

Another common watering method is to use overhead sprinklers. These cover a larger area with less work than a hose. There are some drawbacks, though. Sprayed water can evaporate before thoroughly soaking the plants, and it can be hard to tell when you've watered enough. To check how much water has reached the soil, place a pan or bucket in the watering area. When you have an inch of water in the container you know your plants have received about the same.

A mister system is easy to install and can be hidden under soil or mulch. Most kits allow you to insert sprinkler heads where you need them along the main hose line. This allows you to concentrate the water spray in areas that need this type of watering. In humid climates, excessive overhead watering can encourage and spread disease.

For narrow garden areas like border gardens, a soaker hose system works well. The hoses have tiny holes all along their length. Just attach it to your water source and lay the hose around your plants, close enough to ensure that the roots receive all the water. The only limitation with this method is possible difficulty in getting the hose to every part of the garden.

Similar to the soaker hose method, drip irrigation is meant to be installed for long-term use in a single area of the garden. These systems can be operated on a timer, eliminating the chore of remembering to turn the water on and off. The kits come with all the necessary hardware you'll need, but you can buy separate parts to suit your needs. The only other items you'll need are a hose, a water source and a sharp knife. Drip irrigation systems are fairly easy to install:

	First lay the header line--the main line--along the length of the longest side of the garden bed. Cut off any excess from the header line so that it fits neatly inside the bed.
	At the end of each row of plants, cut the header line apart. Attach the T-fitting and then attach the small lateral hoses. Stretch them down the rows. If you need to, you can cut these smaller hoses to fit inside your bed in the same way you cut the main line.
	Cap the end of each lateral hose, otherwise water will shoot right out the end and your plants won't get the water they need.
	One end of the main line attaches to a garden hose and the other needs to be capped. Before you hook up the line to the hose, insert a small filter to keep any dirt or pebbles from clogging the small holes of the lines. Attach the adapter to fit the hose and line together, and the system is complete.

It takes a little time to install this system, but it makes day-to-day watering easier. On the average, this system should be on for about four hours a day. The ideal length of time is determined by how long it takes to get the soil wet about six inches down. Check this by sticking a wooden stake into the soil to see how far down the water got. Drip irrigation actually conserves water by reducing evaporation rates; they use about 50 percent less water than overhead systems--so they save money too.

No matter what zone you live in, many common plants require more water than naturally falls. Remember that younger plants need more water than established plants. Whatever watering system you use, be sure to water less often but more thoroughly when you do. Watering too lightly causes the plants' roots to stay at the surface of the soil, making them vulnerable to drought. Also, water early in the day so your plants are dry by evening. Plants that sit wet all night run a greater risk of getting diseases.

SOURCE: HOME & GARDEN TELEVISION, The Seasoned Gardener : Episode SGN-204