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Food growing · First season: grow, protect and harvest · food-19

Schedule irrigation through the season

Adjust watering as weather and crop growth change. Fixed timers waste water early in the season and under-water at peak.

How

  1. Use the Garden water need calculator monthly with that month's ETo and the crop stage Kc. FAO gives lower Kc for young crops (for example about 0.5 to 0.7 for many vegetables at the start) rising to about 1.0 to 1.2 at mid-season.
  2. Subtract effective rainfall from the need for that period.
  3. Check soil moisture by hand or with a meter a few centimetres down before each scheduled run.
  4. Adjust the controller at least monthly, as WSU Extension advises, and flush lines periodically.
  5. Keep a simple water log (date, minutes run, rainfall) so you can compare use with your water budget.

Sources

  1. Crop evapotranspiration (FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 56), Chapter 6: ETc single crop coefficient (Kc). FAO, accessed 2026-11
  2. Crop evapotranspiration (FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 56), Chapter 1: Introduction to evapotranspiration. FAO, accessed 2026-11
  3. Drip Irrigation for the Yard and Garden. Washington State University Extension, accessed 2026-11

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