Overhead Watering

I am currently installing a drip irrigation system at my gardens. As I was working on it this weekend, I got to wondering if there are certain crops that actually do better with overhead watering as opposed to drip. Salad greens come to mind but I've never used drip before so I don't know if it's a preferred method for all crops.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

BB

Micro irrigation systems now days provide for drip emitters as well as tiny micro sprayers and tiny bubbler. The sprayers can be fixed spray or adjustable. The adjustable ones can be regulated from 0 to x number of feet diameter. There are also sprayers that are on adjustable height risers so that the spray head can be raised above the spray area.

Micro irrigation has come a long ways from the drip systems of the 60's.

If you like learning new ways to doing things, you will have a ball getting a grasp on modern day micro irrigation systems.

Happy Gardening

Jerry

ps....I started my recent study of the micro irrigation systems as a result of reading about Dave's Garden BocoBob's Coco Coir growing systems in 5-gal grow bags filled with Coco Coir and using drip system to irrigate.

Thanks Jerry

It is fun learning about all the configurations we can put in.

BB

BB, the only time I tend to do any type of "overhead" watering is when I'm foliar feeding a supplement (fish emulsion, kelp, compost tea, Epsom's, etc). Oftentimes that is using a spraytank or for larger quantities by using a pump in a large tankful of the supplement and hooking a water hose to the pump, usually using a hose wand rather than a sprinkler.

As for your original question, I can't think of any crop that prefers overhead to drip or a soaker hose system. Good idea to use a mister system on your salad greens, especially if they are the "cut and come again" mesclun types, as long as the mister isn't so strong it throws dirt up on the greens.

Shoe

Thanks Shoe

Ditto the great advice above. There a couple of drawbacks to overhead irrigation: many diseases are spread by fungal spores that make their way around the garden or set up shop via overhead splash. Unless the garden dries out quickly, drip or base irrigation would work against the spread of fungal disease. Also overhead irrigation drops tend to hit he soil and splash back small amounts of soil--this will leave you with a bit more cleaning and preparation in the kitchen to remove soil from leaves, stems, and fruits.

Thanks