container plant irrigation considerations tom yeager department of environmental horticulture

Container PlantIrrigation Considerations

Tom YeagerDepartment of Environmental Horticulture

Apply Irrigation Uniformly as the Amount Needed

Application AmountDistribution Uniformity

What impacts the uniformity of delivery?

Overhead sprinkler

Design: spacing

Design: spacing

Take into account slope

2.31 ft = 1 psi

Design: pressure

Pressure loss due to friction for 100 ft Sch. 40 PVC pipe

Design: pressure 

Pipe Size (inch)

Flow(GPM)

Press. Loss(PSI)

1.0 12 3.4

2.0 12 0.1

4.0 12 0.0

R em ove obstructions

inside and in front

of em itters

Remove obstructions

inside and in front

of emitters

Maintenance

Monitor uniformity and application amount

Monitor uniformity and

application amount

53566166

47495761

42435053404148

81616 5149

48 49

56

57 49

61

61

66

43

41

50 53

47

53

40

42

53566166

47495761

42435053404148

81616 5149

48 49

56

57 49

61

61

66

43

41

50 53

47

53

40

42

Calculation for Uniformity

40+41+42+43 = 166 = 414

Distribution Uniformity Overall average (ml)

Low quarter average (ml)=

0.80 = 80% DU=4151

166

Convert Volume to Application Depth

Average volume applied =

= 0.9 cm

Cup area = 3.14 x 4.25 2 = 57 cm2

51 ml or cm3

= 0.4 inch2.54 cm/ inch

0.9 cm

= 0.4 inch51 ml or cm3

57 cm2

51 cm3

57 cm2

Determine distribution of water over the areaAmount applied per duration of irrigation

Application AmountDistribution Uniformity

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep458

Summary

Match Water Demand with Application Amount

Overhead sprinkler

Are there differences inwater demand?

Species

Salmon’s Nursery, FLPodocarpus 0.33Rhaphiolepis 0.35Rosa 0.38Loropetalum 0.39Ilex 0.44                Rhododendron 0.47Viburnum 0.53

0.14

Saunder’s Nursery, VARhododendron 0.32Spiraea 0.33Weigela 0.35Hydrangea 0.38Gardenia 0.39                Berberis 0.50

0.07

Plant water demand or loss (inch/container)July August3- gal

Can you manage for the species differences?

Are there differences inwater demand?

Calculation for Uniformity

Overall average (inch)

Low quarter average (inch) Distribution Uniformity

=

0.65 = 65% DU=0.260.40

0.40 – 0.14 = 0.26

Overall Average – variation between species =

number to exceed so sprinkler variation does not overcome species variation

Are there differences inwater demand?

Species

Spacing

Spacing (inch)0369

Water loss (inch)0.300.330.360.400.10

Container Water Loss for 3-gal Ligustrum

Spacing (inch)0246

Water loss (inch)0.320.380.420.450.13

June July

Million and Yeager, SNA 2013

Spacing 0 inch 5.5 inch 11 inch 16.5 inch

% Cover 95 52 35 24

Wt. loss (g) 400 520 ( 30%) 570 ( 45%) 610 ( 50%)

ETc (inch) 0.25 0.33 0.36 0.39

Light interception per

plant

Temp.

20

40

60

80

100

120

Substrate - Wide Spacing

Substrate - Close Spacing 

Air

Tem

per

atu

re (

F)

Jan 10 Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13

Hourly measurements

Dwarf Yaupon 1-Gallon 2013

Are there differences inwater demand?

Species

Spacing

Size

Plant Water Demand Affected by Plant Size1-gal Viburnum - spring planting

0 14 28 42 56 70 84 98 1120.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Water loss

Size index

Day

Wat

er l

oss

(in

ch) S

ize ind

ex (cm)

Match Water Demand

Overhead sprinkler

With Application Amount

Species

Spacing

Size

Capture Factor (CF) =

Volume captured

Volume captured

Canopy Affects Capture of Irrigation and Rain

Match Water Demand

Overhead sprinkler

With Application Amount

Species

Spacing

Size

Capture Factor

How Do We Use This and Other Information?

Match Water Demand with Application Amount

Thanks for Your Support!

Center for Applied Nursery Research

Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association

Saunders Brothers Nursery

Salmon’s Wholesale Nursery

Southwest Florida Water Management District

http://hort.ufl.edu

yeagert@ufl.edu