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Post by cornishwoman on Mar 29, 2010 14:09:05 GMT -5
Ive been thinking about making an un-rain gauge.No matter how much rain falls I never know if its quite enough for the veg patch.I'm good on mulching,mainly straw in the veg patch,water is from a well on the land,don't have an irrigation system or sprinklers,just a hose and watering can.I fancy I will be able to better tell just how much water that area needs after a rainfall with this system when often or not I think ,OK its rained I don't need to water,when in fact I do need to water.So I will either find a wood box or knock one together,fit a rain gauge on the outside of the box then another inside the box,think the box should just be 3 sided .So ,the un-gauge tube should be marked off in inches,maybe fill that to 4 inches of water maybe more and when I check the rain gauge I should at the same time check the un-rain gauge and it should show me how much evaporation has been lost.Is this a better method than sticking my finger in the soil up to the knuckle !!! or ,is it just a fancifully idea and a complete waste of time.
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Post by silverseeds on Mar 29, 2010 14:24:48 GMT -5
I think at first you should do the finger method, AN?d your un rain gauge to make sure it works..... but it sounds like good reasoning to me...... Infact I might just do it myself.... thanks. If you do do it, please post at the end of the summer if it is working out well.....
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Post by sandbar on Apr 3, 2010 20:34:35 GMT -5
I'm not the inventive type like alla y'all, so I have to resort to a simpler system.
In Ohio, 1" of rain per week keeps crops happy. I keep track of how much rain we get. If it averages less than an inch weekly, I CONSIDER watering based upon the weather forcast and the soil moisture under the mulch.
Did not irrigate at all last year. Did not see any moisture related stress, though the top couple inches under the mulch did dry out by fall. Still had bumper crop of peppers ... tomatoes succumbed to blight ... early.
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Post by spacecase0 on Apr 9, 2010 16:33:25 GMT -5
what you want to build already has a name, it is evapotranspiration does your local NOAA station tell you the evapotranspiration ? they do in some areas but not others, but that assumes that you live in the USA as well... if so, then they have done all the work for you, not sure how you would measure it yourself... but this page looks like it will get you started www.fao.org/docrep/x0490e/x0490e04.htm |
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Post by cornishwoman on Jul 13, 2010 8:24:02 GMT -5
Thanks for that info Space.Guess I tempted fate when I first posted my idea what with the flood we suffered back along.Those 2 sites are very interesting .I'm still going to make my un-raingague at some point of time,course this year I haven't had to worry about watering,it must be some sort of record here in Tennessee for rain fall.
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Post by bunkie on Nov 11, 2010 14:28:35 GMT -5
catching up here...kate, since you are watering by hose, you might take some cat food cans or tuna cans and place them here and there in the garden. when you water, they will fill up and you can tell how much your garden is getting, and where. like sandbar posted, i've read that usually an inch a week is good.
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Post by cornishwoman on Nov 11, 2010 16:49:19 GMT -5
Bunkie that's a good idea.No I never did make my gauge,but I did get 2 free rain gauges from our local co/op, all I need to do is make the box and stick it on a pole then attach the gauge's Your cat food can idea is much easier,see I was going for the bling look.
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