OT: Irrigation Vs Rain
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: OT: Irrigation Vs Rain
- From: L* M* <l*@icx.net>
- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 05:59:58 -0700 (MST)
Mark Cook added:
> Rain does the following the irrigation does not do: Clean the air,
> clean off all plant material instead of cleaning only what is by the
> sprinkler, and lastly, moistens all the soil instead of only that near the
> sprinkler.
It also tends to keep summer temperatures much cooler (and winter temps
warmer) - a rainy summer day rarely gets out of the 70s but a clear day
may reach 100o F. This past summer, the rain was unreasonably profuse
well into June, but temps were also unusually cool - lows in the 40s.
Soft rot seems to be at its worst after we've had a lot of rain and it
warms to the upper 80s or 90s- as long as temperatures stay cool.
So it may stay cloudy and cool long enough for the foliage to dry off in
the extra breezes before temperatures warm up in contrast to overhead
irrigation. And it may clear all the pollution out of the air -
certainly true around here. I don't know how sensitive irises are to
ozone and other air crud, but levels here are high enough that sensitive
varieties of green beans get zapped a bit all the time. There are
interactions with light and humidity, though I can't remember at the
moment what they are.
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
