Raised Planter Irrigation

Systems

• You can water a raised bed planter in several ways. You can use a sprinkler to water the raised bed, but foliage that gets wet is more likely to attract diseases. You can always water by hand, though this requires more intensive labor. An irrigation system, such as drip irrigation or soaker hoses, requires less time and effort on your part but can have significant costs.

Best Practices

• No matter what system you choose, the water should go only to the root systems of the plant. Sprinklers offer less-efficient watering because they broadcast over the whole planter. Watering by hand or with irrigation allows you to direct water to the root, wasting less. Watering in the morning allows water to get to the roots before it evaporates under the sun. Finally, plants need adequate water: 1 to 2 inches of water per week from rainfall and irrigation works for most plants.

Setting Up a System

• Start with 10 psi irrigation tubing for a soaker hose or 25 to 30 psi irrigation tubing for a drip irrigation system. Lay a path through the garden bed, pushing the tubing into the soil with stakes. Do not pierce plant roots with stakes. Hook the system up to a timer for efficient watering, then allow the timer to run for the amount of time it takes to saturate the soil with 1 to 2 inches of water. If you're not sure how long this takes, run some tubing into a bucket and time how long it takes for 1 to 2 inches of water to collect in the bucket.

Tips

• Using mulch can help your raised garden bed retain soil moisture for longer. Apply 1 to 2 inches of mulch over the soil surface, using an organic mulch such as pine straw or wood chips. As the mulch naturally decomposes, add more to retain the same depth. Plant your garden bed so everything growing in the same bed has the same watering needs. If you plant a water-loving plant together with one with low watering needs, one will suffer while the other thrives.