“The fertility of the soil is not its state, but the process that takes place in it.". This famous phrase of the agronomist and permaculturologist Nikolai Kurdyumov explains why, in fact, make puff warm beds, in which the process is “going on” all the time. Plants develop better, cope with night frosts more easily, bear fruit earlier ... It is important that the gardener's labor costs are reduced. Let's look at what kind of beds "almost according to Kurdyumov" FORUMHOUSE users make in their gardens.

Here are the main components of a smart garden according to Kurdyumov:

• High beds with walls made of improvised materials
• Paths mulched with anything, even garbage
• Tall vegetable trellises oriented north-south
• Efficient irrigation system

high beds

From the user of our portal Roberta not a bed, but a box, or, as she respectfully calls it, a box of boards measuring 2mx1m. Here is the filling of the bed: at the very bottom there are knots, branches and a little broken brick, a layer of compost on top, then garden soil, and again a layer of compost on top. This "sandwich" warms up better and faster than ordinary beds, and during the frosts, the plants in the Box survived, although the rest of the garden plantings died.

An example of such a box, made by an active member of our portal Liftanuty, we see in the photo below.

Most gardeners make warm beds 20-30 centimeters high. For fencing, boards are often simply knocked together and placed on the ground, right on the turf. The beds are started depending on the conditions, for example: cut grass is placed down, loose earth from compost is placed on top, covered with non-woven material and planted in a slot. Or a layer of chernozem is poured on a layer of sand and a layer of peat gerbil is poured on top (the proportions depend on what crop you will grow in the garden).

Lucy_ FORUMHOUSE User

What a good strawberry I have and without weeds! I was dying in the strawberry patches. They were overgrown with catastrophic speed with wheatgrass. Now I have seen the light.

Here's how to make warm pepper beds pchelka who lives in the cold Irkutsk region. In a box about a meter high, first he puts mowed grass, cut raspberries, etc., in the second layer - a layer of earth mixed with humus (20-30 cm). It covers with a film so that the humus "caught fire" - the hand lowered into the ground should feel warm.

Pchelka FORUMHOUSE User

Peppers love to keep their feet warm.

When the peppers grow so large that their tops protrude from the box, arcs are placed on top. On a bed of 1x3 meters, 27-36 bushes grow. Enough for food, and for preparations, and even for sale.

Covering material

Vegetable growers often cover the bottom of the beds with geotextiles, they also mulch the paths . Geotextile is a versatile material. It protects the beds from weeds, passes water well, but at the same time prevents soil from washing away. Apply the material, depending on its density. The strongest, silver-colored geotextile (sold in hardware stores) is used as a drainage material. For other garden work, for example, to cover beds, users of our portal recommend taking black and white.

alisa FORUMHOUSE User

Serves for a very long time. Doesn't break with hands. The laboriousness of caring for such a bed is reduced many times over. Although, perhaps, this is for the lazy.

It cannot be said that by laying the base of the beds with geotextiles, you will forever say goodbye to weeds. But “pulling out one weed exhausted by the struggle for rooting” is much easier than constantly bending your back on weeding. Having done everything right once, then it remains only to maintain order.

The height of the bed over the geotextile depends on the size of the plant's root system. It can be 30 centimeters for the "ordinary greenfinch", and half a meter for something larger. In general, it is recommended to immediately make a bed 50-60 centimeters thick.

Watering

The top layer of soil in high beds dries quickly, and this must be taken into account when planting. When watering high beds, you can focus on the following formula: if you pour 10 liters of water per square meter, the earth will get wet by 10 centimeters.

Cucumbers in such beds are grown with watering from a "weeping" hose. The hose and the entire bed can be covered with old rags and connected to every 3-4 days. A bonus is the absence of splashes, which slows down the spread of powdery mildew spores.

Another important point: it does not spread to the bottom of the bed, like a rug, but fits in a trough, that is, the bed should also be protected from the sides. The sidewalls are rigidly reinforced.

Boards for fencing beds are treated with an antiseptic. It can be drying oil, it can be generally used machine oil. The treated wood does not get wet, does not rot and lasts long enough.

Often, in order to exterminate the turf (it happens that there is simply neither strength nor desire to dig it under flowers or beds), summer residents use ordinary cardboard. Grass is mowed from the selected area, the mowed place is covered with cardboard, 15-20 centimeters of earth are poured on top and something insignificant is planted, for example, flowers with small roots. To reduce the access of light and air to the turf, boards are placed on the sides. Over the summer, the cardboard completely rots, and the turf also "disappears somewhere." And the flowers will grow by leaps and bounds.

Also, the bottom of the beds can be covered with a layer of newspapers. This method is great for getting rid of weeds. The base of the beds is covered with newspapers, on top - a layer of fertile land. Any plants with small roots are planted on this bed. By autumn, the weeds will have dried under the layer of newspapers, and by the next gardening season, the newspapers will have completely rotted away. You will get an excellent loose bed, even if there used to be virgin soil in this place. The result can be further improved if you make another layer under the newspapers - from cut grass, food waste, leaves, etc.

Mariska simplified the process of arranging beds from “all kinds of garbage”. In the spring, she makes an ordinary bed, but in the middle she drips a trench 20-30 centimeters deep and lays paper, grass, and small twigs in it. From above, the trench is covered with earth, harrowed, spilled with warm water and covered with a film until the time comes for planting cucumbers.

Mariska FORUMHOUSE User

Cucumbers grow and run amok from year to year!

Ptitsa Govorun offers an ingenious version of a cucumber bed, indispensable in emergency conditions: when, for example, construction is underway and the land for a vegetable garden is not ready. You need to take a large polypropylene bag, fill it with grass, dandelions, humus, add garden soil “two handfuls per bag”, a spoon or two of dry bird humus. Sow seeds in such a bed and water it - the harvest will be earlier than that of the neighbors.

If you own a summer cottage or keep your own garden, then more than once you have come across a situation in which planted vegetables grow poorly and bear fruit due to an excess of moisture or a lack of it. In the summer, in the absence of rain, watering should be carried out daily, but in no case during the day under the scorching sun. Plants can "burn out". The most suitable time is in the evening, but it is not always possible to do this. Therefore, we suggest that you consider installing a drip irrigation system yourself. This will give you the opportunity to carry out constant and high-quality watering of plants, reduce water consumption, and also leave you free time to do other things.

Drip irrigation. Way of working and positive aspects

If, nevertheless, you decide to start building a drip irrigation system in your suburban area, then you must have patience and free time. Great skills are not required. But first you need to know about the features of installing such a system. It represents:

• a metal container in which water is located (in the absence of a water pipe);
• pipes;
• drip tapes;
• filter;
• droppers;
• connecting fittings.

You need to know that the water tank rises to a height of 1 to 2.5 meters and is installed in a place where there is no direct sunlight. All other components of the system must be purchased at a retail outlet.

How does this system work? Water from the tank is passed through the filter, independently through the main pipe it reaches the tape with droppers placed along the planted plants. Drip irrigation makes it possible to irrigate the earth in small portions, moistening the roots of plants.

Positive characteristics of such a system:

• can be used both for irrigation on open ground and in greenhouses;
• designed for watering not only vegetables, but also trees, bushes, flower beds, green hedges;
• helps to save water, free time and effort;
• due to the constant supply of water in a small amount, the plants do not flood and do not dry out, which contributes to an increase in yield;
• in this way, fertilizers or top dressings can be introduced without damaging the plants.

Benefits of using the system

Let's take a closer look at each plus of the irrigation system.

1. air permeability and soil moisture. Due to the fact that waterlogging of the soil does not occur, the root system of plants is well ventilated during the entire period of development. The root system receives a sufficient amount of soil oxygen, which subsequently achieves its maximum functioning.
2. Development of the root system. This watering method encourages root development. The constant intake of liquid by the plant contributes to the saturation of nutrients. Thus, in terms of quality, such a system exceeds the rain one by 1.5 times, and the surface one by 18 times.
3. Make-up. When applying liquid fertilizers, they directly enter the root system, which helps to saturate with nutrients for maximum effect. This is especially important for areas with arid climates.
4. Protects plants. Since the irrigation passes exclusively through the root system, and not the leaves, the likelihood of plant diseases decreases, because, getting on the leaves, the drugs are practically not washed off.
5. Prevents soil erosion. This system can be installed not only on a flat surface, but also in areas with sharp slopes and drops. There is no need to level them or move the soil.
6. Significantly saves water. The presence of this system will allow you to save water by an average of 70 percent. For the reason that. That the liquid goes directly to the roots, it hardly evaporates on hot summer days.
7. maturation speed. If such a system is used, the temperature of the soil rises, which makes it possible for vegetables to grow and bear fruit faster.
8. A lot of free time is released. Now you do not need to water the garden and garden in the evenings after work with a watering can. Save your strength and energy for communication with your family. And the falling pressure in the pipes will not have a significant impact on the quality of irrigation.
9. You have the opportunity to cultivate the soil, spray the plants and pick ripe fruits whenever you want, regardless of watering, because, unlike a watering can, not all the earth gets wet, but only the roots of the plants.
10. Improving the quality of the soil. If the soil on your land has a moderate salt content, then you can add a little salt to the water.

Irrigate the soil with a drip

When we have found out all the positive aspects of the drip irrigation system, we can begin to mount it. To do this, you will need hoses and medical droppers, which will be interconnected using tees, plugs and other connections.

At the very beginning, we determine the water source. There is no problem if a water pipe is laid on the territory of the land plot, then the hose is connected directly to it. If this is not possible, then we are looking for a secluded place to install a metal container or a plastic barrel. Do not forget about raising it to a height of about two and a half meters so that the water flows into the system on its own. The supply hose may be in the form of plastic pipes or rubber hoses, and not necessarily new ones.

Step-by-step instructions for installing a drip irrigation system

1. First you need to lay out all the tubes parallel to the beds. As a rule, there are several beds, so we create a single system in the form of wiring, using tees.
2. Plugs are installed at the ends of the hoses.
3. Holes are made in the hose next to each irrigation item. This can be done with a regular awl or self-tapping screw.
4. The resulting holes are equipped with a plastic end of the dropper. The dropper has a movable wheel, which is a regulator of the amount of incoming water.

As for the use of this system when irrigating cucumbers, water should flow constantly, but only in small portions. But with regard to the irrigation of tomatoes, the intensity of watering should be greater, but not necessarily constant. This is all achieved by adjusting the drip irrigation system. The process of mulching the ground near the plants with straw or peat mulch will give a greater effect to this system. This makes it possible to reduce the process of water evaporation and improve the moistening of the root system.

How to take care of your drip irrigation system

If you use such a system for a long time, then you probably saw that it gradually becomes clogged, which negatively affects its performance. If your system began to work poorly, then it is worth disassembling it and washing all its parts. But to avoid constant pollution, do not be greedy and equip the system with a quality filter.

The use of plastic bottles for drip irrigation

The easiest way to make a drip system on your own is to adapt the plastic bottles that remain in each family. Especially if your garden is small. Several plants can be watered from one bottle, but this is more an advantage than a disadvantage. If crops need a lot of moisture, then many holes are made in the container. Practice has shown that three liters of water can be irrigated for three days. If you cannot constantly monitor the amount of remaining water in the container, take a plastic eggplant with a volume of 5 or 7 liters.

There are several ways to make an irrigation system using plastic bottles.

1. We dig in a bottle between the planted rows, make holes in the sides with a small needle, the bottle neck protrudes above the soil surface for convenient pouring of liquid. The lid is also pierced to expel water with air. The number of holes directly depends on the type of soil.
2. Bottles can be hung over the beds. Supports are dug in on the sides, a beam is installed on them, to which bottles with a cut bottom are hung. This method contributes to the rapid evaporation of water, but the temperature of the liquid will also be higher than in the previous version. To regulate the flow of water, we pierce the neck with small holes.
3. The system can also be mounted using a plastic container and a ceramic cone. The latter is put on the bottle neck and inserted into the ground. Cut off the bottom of the bottle and put it directly on the ground.
4. Find a use for your old hoses for this irrigation system. If the hoses have cracked, these places can be insulated. With such a device, the hose should deliver water to the garden bed, and not under great pressure. At the very beginning, we lay out the hoses between the beds, then we make holes in the right places. If the pipes are plastic, then heat the needle before making punctures.

Automatic watering method

What is this system? First of all, it provides high-quality and constant automatic irrigation of green plants, watering vegetable gardens and flower beds, flower beds and shrubs. Automatic or semi-automatic irrigation systems consist of a wide range of elements and materials, thanks to which good irrigation is possible both for small areas (up to five acres) and very large ones, such as football fields, stadiums, parks, squares and others. The system is controlled by a controller - the so-called mini-computer, which independently regulates the optimal irrigation regime. The installed program makes it possible not only to take into account the configuration of the watered object, but to independently determine the required amount of water that will pour out on certain plants, depending on their needs. A wide variety of sensors are mainly connected to the automatic irrigation system: they can regulate the humidity of the soil and air masses, and determine possible precipitation. A miniature meteorological station can also be connected. All these components will make it possible to minimize excess water consumption by almost half. But it must be remembered that such a system will not work if you do not spend significant money on it. But it's worth it and you will soon see it.

How carefully you care for the soil depends on the growth and fertility of your plants in the beds. It is especially important to organize the correct watering of seedlings: without water, they simply wither away. Watering implies taking into account the requirements of plants to the saturation of the soil with moisture. Otherwise, you run the risk of flooding the plant, which will also not give a positive result in growing.

There are several types of irrigation organization (for example, drip, automatic). In this article, we will deal with you in detail how to properly organize the watering of the beds on your site. Next, we will learn about the principles of operation of the drip and automatic garden irrigation systems. At the end of the article, recommendations are given on how to create such a do-it-yourself irrigation system.

No, even the highest quality and most expensive fertilizers and the most advanced vegetable growing methods can provide you with a high yield of beds without thoughtful and well-organized watering. Remember to keep dill, parsley or other herbs fresh by watering them regularly. Don't want to get bitter beets or carrots? The same recommendations. But at the same time, it is also necessary to adhere to the measure: excessive watering will lead to the fact that the roots of the plants will begin to rot, and the vegetables will eventually become watery in taste.

To simplify irrigation, special systems were invented:

• automatic;
• semi-automatic.

If you prefer traditional watering methods, you can moisten the soil with a watering can or hose (pictured).

You can make an irrigation system without your presence in the garden with your own hands. But we will talk about this further.

And now let's take a closer look at the basic principles and rules that should be followed in order to rationally water the beds:

1. Irrigation water should be well warmed up so that the plants do not get sick in the end.
2. On very hot days, plants should not be watered, otherwise the moisture will quickly evaporate, and the plants will get sunburn. It is best to water on such days in the evening.
3. To avoid the occurrence of powdery mildew on tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and peppers, it is not recommended to water them after 6 pm.

1. The most favorable time for watering tomatoes, peppers, eggplant is in the morning (between 10 and 11 hours). But root crops, cucumbers, radishes and herbs are recommended to be watered from 4 to 6 pm.
2. Watering the seedlings that you just planted is necessary every day. After it is finally rooted, it can be watered less frequently - once every 3 or 4 days.
3. When watering the beds in the water, you can add ashes or bulb husks. At the same time, it is necessary to water in the following sequence: pour 2 times with ordinary water, 1 time with infusion of onion peel, 2 times again with ordinary water, 1 time with a solution of ash and again in the same order.
4. The frequency of watering is influenced by plants that are planted in the beds. For zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers, watering once every three days is considered sufficient, since their root system goes deep underground. But cabbage and tomato have shallow roots, so they should be watered every one or two days.
5. As for watering fruit trees or berry bushes, they are patient with drought. But small plants of these types need regular watering.
6. When watering with a watering can, raise it as high as possible so that the water splashes (as in the photo), and does not flow in one continuous stream. You can use a spray nozzle on a watering can to moisten the soil well in the end and at the same time not harm tender young plants.
7. Water from the hose should flow moderately so as not to erode the top layer of soil. It is most effective to water the soil at the roots of plants, and not their leaves.

Using a watering can or hose to water the beds is a long-term and physically difficult task. Therefore, automatic and semi-automatic systems are often chosen as irrigation tools. They are very convenient if you rarely visit the cottage.

Sprinklers

Sprinklers are circular, pendulum, sector and impulse. At the same time, they have a basis from a system of pipes that are dug into the ground and connected to each other by an adapter or a ball valve. Such a system belongs to the semi-automatic type of irrigation, since it requires manual activation or deactivation.

The most convenient semi-automatically controlled system is drip irrigation (see photo below).

Its popularity among summer residents is explained by the fact that drip irrigation allows you to save water and at the same time provide an accurate supply of not only the water itself, but also solutions of mineral fertilizers.

Watering is one of the most labor-intensive gardening jobs.

Another advantage of drip irrigation is that it can be supplemented with a controller. At the same time, you will already have an automatic irrigation system that will provide control over the dosage of water. The main advantage of drip irrigation is that such a system provides the necessary moisture directly to the roots of plants. This has a beneficial effect on soil moisture. Due to the fact that water is supplied pointwise, the possibility of active growth of weeds is excluded.

The principle of operation of drip irrigation is based on the transfer of water through a hose that has special droppers. In a strictly allotted time (since the system is semi-automatic, you adjust the time of its operation), moisture enters under the roots of plants in small portions. Drip irrigation solves the problem of watering your beds very easily and efficiently.

For those who have difficulty with constant visits to the site, we recommend that you pay attention to automatic watering, which works on a timer.

1. The electronic control of such a system allows you to water the beds on time, regardless of whether you are in the country or not.
2. Controlled parameters include the regulation of the pressure of the water jet, the time of the start and end of irrigation.
3. Automatic systems have another unique distinguishing feature: water diffusers are hidden in the ground under the cover immediately after watering (pictured below). So, they are protected from soil pollution.

In addition, special rain sensors can be connected to the automatic system and it will not turn on in bad weather.

We make a do-it-yourself irrigation system for garden beds

If you spend a lot of time at your dacha and like to do everything with your own hands, then making a drip irrigation system will not be very difficult for you and even interesting. Such a system will greatly facilitate the work in the garden, will reduce water consumption, and you will get excellent yields. How to do everything with your own hands, let's figure it out further.

First you need to carefully plan the design of your drip irrigation system, draw a plan, calculate the amount of materials needed (as in the photo below). To do this, you need to do the following:

1. Mark the location for the main water tank on the system drawing. After that, determine the location of the main hose or pipe, through which water is distributed through the drip tapes.
2. Be sure to measure the distance from plant to plant in order to correctly select the length of the hose and determine the distance between the holes for the drippers.
3. The main water tank must be installed at a height of about 2 meters above the ground.

Now you can install our drip system:

• The hose or pipe must be placed perpendicular to the plants in the garden.
• After that, we drill holes in them that correspond to the distance between the plants.
• Drip tapes are attached to the main pipe or hose using start fittings.
• It is necessary to lay the tapes along the beds, while the droppers should be placed as close as possible to the plant.

• After that, we connect these tapes to the main pipe or hose, on the other side we put plugs.
• The main hose or pipe can now be connected to the main water tank.
• Use a filter to purify the water in this container.
• The tie-in of the pipe or hose should be made slightly higher than the bottom of the water barrel so that foreign objects do not enter the irrigation system.
• Now you can fill the main tank with water and start watering.

Attention! For your homemade watering system to work perfectly, remember the following:

1. Check the tightness and reliability of all connections to prevent overflow. This is important because excessive moisture will cause the plant roots to rot in the beds.
2. Prepare your system before use. To do this, remove the plugs and run water through the main pipe and hoses.
3. Droppers require periodic flushing.
4. It is highly undesirable to increase the holes of the droppers, since you violate the internal pressure of the system, and the water is then supplied to the plants irregularly.

Automatic irrigation system or semi-automatic - the choice depends only on your needs. In any case, it is very easy to build such a system with your own hands. Be mindful of soil moisture in your beds. Only in this case you will get a rich and generous harvest.

How to make a drip irrigation system with your own hands, the video will help you figure it out.

Eco-friendly homestead: How I would like to admire the garden, vegetable garden and at the same time do nothing. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep the garden in order, but so lazy. In addition to laziness, many people simply do not have the opportunity and time to take care of the garden. I want to come to the dacha and just relax, without watching, at the same time, how the site is overgrown, like a wild forest. With such requests, we will create a garden for the lazy.

How I would like to admire the garden, the garden and do nothing at the same time. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep the garden in order, but so lazy. In addition to laziness, many people simply do not have the opportunity and time to take care of the garden.

I want to come to the dacha and just relax, without watching, at the same time, how the site is overgrown, like a wild forest. With such requests, we will create a garden for the lazy.

Don't let the weeds grow

Weeding is tedious and time consuming. Let's try to reduce it to a minimum. To prevent weeds from sprouting, the territory can be covered with expanded clay, pebbles, gravel, marble chips, and bark.

In lawn flower arrangements, they look beautiful and profitable. Rarely located alpine slides, lonely standing Japanese gardens and rockeries can do without backfilling. In the garden, weeding can be significantly reduced by filling loose soil with mulch, for which mowed grass, sawdust, and sand are suitable.

Lazy watering system

The lazy garden has its own watering system, which should be considered when planning before planting. It is necessary to carry out drainage flows, take into account the slope of the terrain, take care of the drainage system. Stagnant water should not be in the garden and in the garden.

For irrigation, an extensive network of hoses or metal pipes is used, dug in the ground and interconnected by tees. True, such a system operates, provided that there is a water pipe on the site. In hoses or pipes located in the ground, you must first drill or pierce holes in the locations of beds, flower beds, lawns. Where water is needed, it will flow through these holes. This is the so-called drip irrigation.

A ready-made spray irrigation system is available for sale. This is a flat polyethylene hose with many microscopic holes. Water that flows from the holes under low pressure forms a fine drizzle. Such a system is simple and compact, mounted within 3 minutes.

Homemade or purchased ready-made, the irrigation system evenly wets the soil. By equipping a garden for the lazy with such an irrigation system, you will free yourself from the tedious work of watering the beds yourself. If there is no water supply on the site, then this system can work from a container with water located at a height of 1.5-2 meters.

Drip spraying completely eliminates clogging with dirt, prevents diseases and increases the yield of vegetable crops. This is the perfect way to irrigate strawberries. Water does not go deep and remains in the root top layer, the soil is impregnated evenly. This method of watering, in addition to eliminating the need to personally water the beds, saves water consumption by half, and even more on sandy soils. From such a system, it is possible to carry out spraying against pests, or to carry out drip feeding of plants.

Selection of plants by shape

When planning a garden for the lazy, preference should be given to shrubs and trees. You can pick up varieties of perennials that require little to no care.

For example, you can plant mountain ash, shadberry, honeysuckle, quince, which, in addition to decorating the garden, will also bring a healthy tasty harvest.

In order for the beauty of the garden to be preserved all year round, and not only in summer and spring, you can plant evergreens. Of the conifers, they include arborvitae, junipers, cypresses, pines, spruces, and firs. More southern deciduous plants include magnolia, rhododendrons, aucuba, holly, and others. Shrubs and trees, unlike flowers, do not need to be replanted every 2-3 years and divided. This is also a significant savings in time and effort.

A garden for the lazy should not be planted with lawn grass that requires constant care, it is better to replace it with ground cover plants.

An ideal lawn is a clearing sown with young, sedum, arabis, saxifrage and other similar plants. Moorish lawn can also be a good alternative to a regular lawn. Unpretentious and looks very beautiful lawn of clover.

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On a lazy lawn, you should not install flower beds, containers with flowers, solitaire trees. They will create unnecessary obstacles for the lawnmower.

It is best to place plants in your climate zone on the territory. This step fits in well with the now popular concept of natural gardening. After all, heat-loving plants require shelter for the winter, circumcision, fertilizing. In addition, they may not endure the harsh Russian frosts. And all these works are no longer for the lazy.published

As you know, tomatoes are very sensitive to lack of moisture in the soil, and we often cannot always water them. There is a way to provide them with water. Plastic bottles help us with this.

We make several holes in them with a hole punch along the entire length and on all sides and dig them into the ground near each bush so that the neck protrudes slightly from the soil. Before leaving, if you need to leave for a few days, fill the bottles with water and screw the lid on so that it does not evaporate. Water seeping through the holes slowly seeps into the soil, and your tomatoes are always watered.

Four ways to water your garden

The easiest option. Cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle, and make 4-6 holes in the cork. They should be medium so that the water does not flow out quickly. It is better to make small holes first, and then enlarge them if necessary. Stepping back from the stem 15-20 cm, dig a hole 10-15 cm deep. Insert the bottle into it with the cap down at an angle of 30-45 degrees. Walking along the beds, fill the bottles with water. Through the holes in the covers, it will slowly flow directly to the roots.

Drip irrigation. To do this, hang bottles with a cut bottom, cork down, slightly to the side of the plants. Pour in water and regulate its flow by unscrewing the plug. The advantage of this method is that bottled water warms up well, which is favorable for plants. To prevent drops from eroding the soil, put small, postcard-sized pieces of film.

Another interesting way of watering is a hose with holes along the entire length.

Dig it into the garden, after making holes near the desired garden plants, connect it to the tap. Moisture will flow directly to the roots, without being spent on evaporation. And the soil around the weeds will remain dry. And this will negatively affect their growth.

Over the past 5-6 years, I have tried various devices for such irrigation.

Another way to make it easier to water the beds

I continue to look for ways to save energy on watering my beds, writes one summer resident

I'm already doing drip irrigation in my garden beds. Already saved two barrels.

But here I came across another simple method, which is also easy to make yourself.

Watering vegetable crops in the country is always a problem for those who live there all the time in the summer, and for those who come for the weekend.

Systematic watering requires a lot of time and effort.

After them, after a day or two, the soil must be loosened, especially on loams, otherwise a soil crust is formed, which does not let air through to the roots, cracks and tears the roots.

Water preferably with warm water.

Uneven watering creates high humidity in greenhouses and shelters.

These problems are largely solved by drip irrigation.

For example, the simplest and most accessible to everyone.

I have been using it in my garden for many years - with the help of wicks I pump water to the roots of plants from various containers.

Water comes drop by drop from the container under the plant for a long time. I do not know a simpler, more reliable and cheaper way.

Such irrigation allows you to supply water directly to the root zone, spending it very economically.

The most economical option is watering with a wick. Every two meters at the soil level, dig in unnecessary, but whole containers (plastic buckets, basins) and pour water into them.

Prepare a tourniquet of fabric of the required length (wick). Dig it along a row of plants to a depth of 10-15 cm, and lower the end into a container of water.

The fabric will be saturated with moisture and give it to the plants.

In a plastic 2-liter bottle with a closed cork, I cut a hole on the side (you can leave it with a cap) for the wick and pouring water.

I put the bottle horizontally next to the plant with the hole up and lower the pre-moistened wick (cloth strip 1 cm wide) into it.

Such a wick from a 2-liter bottle continuously pumps water under the plant for three days.

Near the plant there is a circle of moist soil with a radius of 10 - 15 cm.

By adding water to the bottle every 2-3 days, I provide the plants with continuous watering. But, of course, it is better to organize subsoil irrigation.

I put the bottles next to the holes prepared for planting seedlings.

I lower the wick with one end into the bottle, with the other - to the bottom of the holes. At the same time, I put strips of film under the wick and on it so that water does not evaporate from it.

I plant the plant in the hole and immediately spud. The soil around the plant remains dry and loose, which facilitates the penetration of air, and moisture enters through the wick directly to the roots.

In order for the water to evaporate less and not turn green, and the greens do not clog the wick, I close the bottle with a piece of black film.

I cover the soil around the plant with the same film. Instead of bottles, you can use other containers.

They should be wide, but no more than 15 - 16 cm high, so that the wick completely pumps out water.

For example, from a 10-liter canister lying on its side (a hole is cut out in the other side for filling water and wicks), two wicks pump out all the water in a week.

The speed of pumping out water with a wick is uneven - faster if the container is filled to the brim, and slower when there is half as much water left in it.

If the area is flat, for example, a garden bed, then you can do without containers. In recent years, I have been watering tomatoes, cucumbers and cabbage like this.

In the spring, I introduce well-rotted organic matter into the ridges. I dig the soil and level it by level. Then, in the middle of the ridge, I dig a groove 40–50 cm wide and 10–15 cm deep in full length.

I also check its horizontalness by level.

The bottom and side walls of the groove are sealed. Then, with a strip of film (necessarily whole), which is 30–35 cm wider and longer than the groove, line the bottom and its walls. Water is poured onto the film.

It turns out a mini-pool (Fig. 2). Along its long sides I mark out places for planting plants and dig holes for planting seedlings. The wicks are laid out so that one end of it lies at the bottom of the groove, and the other at the bottom of the hole.

A strip of film is placed under each of them so that the wick does not touch the ground and only the end, 4–5 cm long, lies on the ground in the hole. The same strip closes the wick from above. Having planted seedlings in the hole, water well and immediately spud.

So that the water evaporates less, and most importantly, it does not turn green and the greens do not clog the wicks, I close the groove-pool with a strip or pieces of black film. If the bed is sloping, then several pools can be made on it on horizontal segments (steps).

As the wicks suck out water from the groove, it is added every 12 to 14 days. In the greenhouse, due to saving land for irrigation, I adapted a steel pipe with a diameter of 150 mm and a length of 6 m.

The pipe is installed on supports strictly horizontally, its ends are plugged. Holes were drilled on top for wicks, and an oval hole was cut from one edge for pouring water.

A year ago, I put fittings from the drain tank (float and valve) into the pipe. As soon as the water level in the pipe drops, the valve opens and the water from the barrel by gravity (the barrel is installed above the pipe) fills the pipe, the valve closes.

My neighbor instead of a pipe made a long narrow trough. Thus, drip irrigation equipment can be made from improvised materials, and the absence of any adjustments facilitates maintenance and makes the system trouble-free.

The water in the tank is filled with cold water, and warm water is delivered to the plants. With such watering, the air in the greenhouse remains dry, water is used sparingly and is supplied directly to the roots.

The frequency of adding water to the tank depends only on their volume. Due to the uniformity of moisture supply to the plants, cabbages and tomatoes do not crack, cucumbers do not become bitter.

It is also significant that the water in containers covered with a black film heats up well on sunny days, and at night, cooling down, heats the air.

By pouring filtered solutions of mineral or infusions of organic fertilizers into containers, it is possible to carry out top dressing, reducing only the concentration of solutions.