Here in the northwest, we have had an epically dry winter. This is a big deal because we normally get very very little rain in the summer, so irrigation is almost completely dependent on winter snow.
Now, I am 'lucky' (it wasn't by accident) to be the first private property, that an irrigation ditch flows through. With water rights, I have access to millions of gallons of water all summer, and with thousands of acres watered by dozens of people, there is significant 'push' by other people, to keep the water flowing.
The problem is, for years, the ditch has been turned on later each year, and turned off earlier.....(when we moved her, it was on year round)
Water rights aside.....the rights don't put water in the ditch when the supply lake runs out. I have a 'feeling' irrigation water is going to be limited this year like no other.
Now, I have very poor soil here, living atop a terminal moraine (think a giant gravel pile left over from the last ice age) so almost all my growing is done in potting soil, in my greenhouse. For bots I use grow bags, because they are the only potting solution I found, that lasts long term. Plastic pots break down and crack in the sun, ceramic breaks when it freezes, wood rots.
Because of the climate, I need the greenhouse to have a chance at growing most vegtables during the short growing season.
The problem comes when the ditch does get turned on until a month after I start planting, and gets turned off a month before the first frost. Normally I manage to make due with well water during these periods, buts its not easy and puts a strain on the well to pump that much water each day.
Currently, my greehouse is watered with microsprinklers in each pot, on a timer, and uses about 250 gallons per day.
I have two ideas. First, is to line all my grow bags, with plastic sacks, to retain water. I think this could make a big difference, although I've never tried it before. I don't know if this would harm the plants, one of the supposed advantages of grow bags, is the increased drainage.
My other idea, is to start rain water collection from the greenhouse roof. Usually during that first month of spring, there is plenty of rain. None of it does the greenhouse any good however. I am thinking about trying to install gutters on the sides of the greenhouse (standard metal framed half cylinder design) to collect rain water, and then use a small electric pump, to run my sprinkler system (normally gravity feed from a 500 gallon hydraulic ram supplied tank)
It's annoying to build a system that intensive...that I know will only even work about one month a year, but for that one month, I suspect I could keep things watered just with rain, if I also reduced water loss.
Thoughts? Ideas? This is rather 'new' to me actually, as I've been used to virtually unlimited cheap water.....but I think I need to pro-actively prepare for less water going forward.
Now, I am 'lucky' (it wasn't by accident) to be the first private property, that an irrigation ditch flows through. With water rights, I have access to millions of gallons of water all summer, and with thousands of acres watered by dozens of people, there is significant 'push' by other people, to keep the water flowing.
The problem is, for years, the ditch has been turned on later each year, and turned off earlier.....(when we moved her, it was on year round)
Water rights aside.....the rights don't put water in the ditch when the supply lake runs out. I have a 'feeling' irrigation water is going to be limited this year like no other.
Now, I have very poor soil here, living atop a terminal moraine (think a giant gravel pile left over from the last ice age) so almost all my growing is done in potting soil, in my greenhouse. For bots I use grow bags, because they are the only potting solution I found, that lasts long term. Plastic pots break down and crack in the sun, ceramic breaks when it freezes, wood rots.
Because of the climate, I need the greenhouse to have a chance at growing most vegtables during the short growing season.
The problem comes when the ditch does get turned on until a month after I start planting, and gets turned off a month before the first frost. Normally I manage to make due with well water during these periods, buts its not easy and puts a strain on the well to pump that much water each day.
Currently, my greehouse is watered with microsprinklers in each pot, on a timer, and uses about 250 gallons per day.
I have two ideas. First, is to line all my grow bags, with plastic sacks, to retain water. I think this could make a big difference, although I've never tried it before. I don't know if this would harm the plants, one of the supposed advantages of grow bags, is the increased drainage.
My other idea, is to start rain water collection from the greenhouse roof. Usually during that first month of spring, there is plenty of rain. None of it does the greenhouse any good however. I am thinking about trying to install gutters on the sides of the greenhouse (standard metal framed half cylinder design) to collect rain water, and then use a small electric pump, to run my sprinkler system (normally gravity feed from a 500 gallon hydraulic ram supplied tank)
It's annoying to build a system that intensive...that I know will only even work about one month a year, but for that one month, I suspect I could keep things watered just with rain, if I also reduced water loss.
Thoughts? Ideas? This is rather 'new' to me actually, as I've been used to virtually unlimited cheap water.....but I think I need to pro-actively prepare for less water going forward.
Keeps near-Everything Out, and easy to back-wash / clean, etc. Great stuff. 
