One of the concerns when growing plants undercover is supplying water to them and maintaining moisture inside the structure. Polytunnel irrigation solutions are of many types, depending on the technical capabilities, tunnel size, and crop type. Sprinklers and soaker hoses are the most common ways moisture is maintained inside the polytunnel. There is a wide spectrum of approaches to polytunnel irrigation, and here is a list that you should know as a polytunnel retailer and make sure to include when you purchase a polytunnel kit.
Drip Tape Or Soaker Hose
Drip tapes and soaker hoses are long-lasting solutions perfect for inside polytunnels. They can be hooked up to mains water or the collected rainwater. This system is designed to blend with the soil, thus making a minimal visual impact. In theory, such techniques are very simple, in which a hose is perforated to release water where needed. However, longer hoses require something to increase the pressure along the length of the hose. So, ensure you can offer your customers an efficient system that provides water at the roots. When you purchase a polytunnel kit with a soaker hose system, ensure it also includes pressure-compensating emitters that ensure even irrigation along the lines. The growers can even hook these systems to timers in order to have complete control over the watering schedule.
Bottle Spikes
Bottle spikes are perfect for polytunnels. They are attached to filled plastic water bottles, and the spike is driven into the soil. The spike has a spigot on the side which can be turned on to release water flow dripped onto the plant's ground. Bottle spikes are simple, cheap, and easy but are not long-term solutions. They are ideal if the growers are away from their polytunnel for a few days and have concerns about their plants. Moreover, this system can be messy because although recycled bottles are green and ethnically on point, they may not suit a well-kept garden plot.
Overhead System
Overhead sprinklers are the most natural irrigation solution one can provide for their polytunnel. This system has a lot of positives and is often seen as the ideal solution for polytunnel irrigation. However, they do not offer any control to the grower, and it cannot be assured how much water gets to each plant's roots. Also, certain crops are more liable to leaf mold and blight. Wetting these leaves combined with the humidity in the tunnel can cause problems with food such as plants. However, they are perfect for disease or blight-tolerant plants. Overhead sprinklers offer freedom through timers which can be placed to ensure a thorough soaking. This system is straightforward and effective.
Self-Watering System
The thesis is an ingenious system that uses a wicking material, a water source, and a capillary effect exhibited by the plants. This system does not rely on force to push the water through. Though this system may not be efficient for watering large crop beds, they are great for polytunnels. It can be easily set up with readily available materials.
Ollas
Ollas include the use of terracotta which is a naturally porous material. When the soil dries, it can take moisture from within the terracotta pot buried in the bed. Ollas can be made from readily available materials and shaped to better allow water to exude from the vessel. However, one downside of this system is that they need regular refills and can be hard to locate when growing luscious foliage.
Pre-Incan Irrigation
This unique system uses a central canal of water overlaid with a walkway, with raised beds on either side. It is similar to the self-watering solutions as the plants can wick away moisture when needed. The central canal also acts as a heat sink, thus maintaining warmth in the soil through the night, and also helps to keep it cooler through the day.
Closed Irrigation System
In this setup, the nutrient solution is recirculated, and the nutrients are not allowed to leach into the ground. Water is pumped from storage tanks and delivered to the plant's root zone. After the irrigation cycle is complete, the water returns to the reservoir tank. Water is mostly held in until the medium is brought to field capacity. However, various equipment is available to facilitate and fine-tune this process, which you can offer your buyers.
Subsurface Irrigation Systems
This includes bringing the irrigation into the root zone from below. A water-containing structure is flooded until the water level contacts the medium, after which capillary action moves the water up through the medium and throughout the container. The primary factors that dictate saturation height and speed are the growing medium pore space and medium type.
Conclusion
You can offer a wide range of irrigation equipment to enable growers to design and build their own watering systems for their polytunnels. You may also provide automatic and manual irrigation setups with complete polytunnel irrigation kits.
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