When putting together your drip irrigation system, it is useful to know what type of soil you have in your planting area. You do not need to be a soil expert, but you should be aware that water moves differently and creates different wetting patterns through the different types of soil: sand, loam and clay.
Sandy soil: Water moves quickly through sandy soil and does not travel far from the dripper. The wetting pattern is much more vertical than horizontal in this type of soil. If your soil is sandy, then you may want to use higher flow drippers and drippers that are spaced closer together to ensure your plants receive enough water. With a higher flow, you may also want to water for shorter durations, but more often.
Loamy soil: Loamy soil is more dense than sandy soil so water will travel slower allowing it to spread more evenly through the soil both vertically and horizontally. Mid-range drip emitters may be a good choice and you can space drippers further apart since the wetting pattern will be larger.
Clay soil: This type of soil is very dense, which causes water to be absorbed very slowly. Drippers with the slowest flow rate are a good choice to prevent the water from pooling on the surface of the soil near the plant. Any water at the surface of the soil could eventually be lost to evaporation or runoff to areas you don't wish to water. With lower flow rate drippers, you should water for longer durations to ensure your plants receive enough water.
By knowing your soil type and how water behaves under the surface, you'll be able to design your drip irrigation system with the right components and the right watering schedule to ensure your plants stay healthy.
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