Propagation: Propagation: part XIII based on my own experience, 1 by Pughbear7

Pughbear7 wrote:
Greetings fellow campers. Today was a glorious day we toped out in the lower 70's, which snow does not like yeah!!! as you can tell I seem to be doing quite well today. I managed an outing to the local garden center always a mood lifter in my book. of course I spotted a bunch of neat new things ...ok new to me.... there was Pelargonium 'chocolate' a cute dark purple almost black. froma distance it was black. I am wondering if its semi hardy here in oklahoma? Oh well I probably wont see it again for another year, as they only had less than a dozen. ok on to the serious stuff.
Micro irrigation (I highly recomend it) is using either drip or soaker hoses to water your plants. the true micro irrigation is the use of a small poly hose that delivers water to each plant its usually under the mulch. I got to play with it at my grandfathers last time I was down in florida. It starts with a 5/8" thin wall black pvc and the 1/8" feeder tubes branch off the big header pipe. They have a spider sprinkler thats cute it looks like a spider made of water. it rotates and covers a pretty good sized area. Home depot sells kits but I just find the free booklet and go from there. I bought the hose bib reducer last year and have some of the 1/8" tubing running along the top of the greenhouse. My biggest problem has been getting the heads to stand up. I use the 1/2 circle and the 1/4 circle to mist everyone down in the greenhouse. I just have a few dry spots to work out. I have added a close up of a micro mist 1/2 circle.
I hope to have it all over the back yard. There was a vendor that would install a sprinkler system for you where its attached to the outside hose bib. the system was $500.00 per zone. so like my front yard would be 3 zones turf, hosta bed and the privacy hedge across the front entry way. Of course I would probably opt for 2 zones and let the turf water the hedge. Its kind of cool but I think If I had a strong helper to dig I could get that accomplished. But then there is a lot to be said for time management. Is it worth my time to install the zones instead of having it done for me. I know my plan this year is to have at a minamum the hose end impack sprinklers on timers so I can just check it from time to time and have the watering done early in the am.
early am watering is best because it helps reduce the evaporation of the water being used. it also is helpfull to combat diseases that are spread by water. I am sure we all are familliar with black spot on roses. I will have to watch the black spot as my new privacy hedge is going to be Photinia and they are really bad about getting it on the leaves. Most of the time its not a killer but it sure is ugly on the plants. If watering is done in the early evening or midnight time frame plants are more susceptable to black spot, powdery mildew and several other nast diseases spread by splashing water and encoraged by staying wet for an extended time over night. In my opinion though when its 100 degrees in the daytime and it only drops to the upper 80's overnight I would think the high temps alone would help with evaporation and reduce the time of exposure to wet condition in which dieases thrive.
I am sure I missed a few diseases that will be encouraged by extended diseases but the basic thought is its best to water at dawn or just before dawn so that the morning sun will evaporate any excess moisture left on the leaves and the early timing increases saturation of the water and get the water where it will be best used. sorry if there is some redundancy in the above. anyone have any questions? Janette would you like to see a pic of the hose bib adapter for the 1/8" tubing? I am sure it can be put on the end of a hose also.
Dave