ᐅ Full-surface irrigation with geotextile fabric for sod installation
Created on: 17 Mar 2024 23:08
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Baufrau95
Hello everyone, we are currently working on the irrigation system for our garden. We live in an area with sandy soil, which is very permeable, and we are planning to install 400 sqm (4,300 sq ft) of turf. We have a 6 cubic meter (6,000 liter) cistern and suspect that this will not be sufficient for irrigation during prolonged drought periods if we go with a “conventional” irrigation system using pop-up sprinklers. We have received a quote for this, and overall the materials are relatively affordable.
However, we were advised at a garden center to consider a fabric-based irrigation system. In this setup, a honeycomb fabric is laid down, and then a drip hose wrapped in fabric, similar to an underfloor heating system, is placed on top.
The problem is that this type of irrigation costs about five times more.
Unfortunately, our budget doesn’t allow for that, but the concept itself is excellent. Therefore, I have thought about trying to replicate it. For this, I found water-retaining fabric.
Does anyone have experience with something like this?
However, we were advised at a garden center to consider a fabric-based irrigation system. In this setup, a honeycomb fabric is laid down, and then a drip hose wrapped in fabric, similar to an underfloor heating system, is placed on top.
The problem is that this type of irrigation costs about five times more.
Unfortunately, our budget doesn’t allow for that, but the concept itself is excellent. Therefore, I have thought about trying to replicate it. For this, I found water-retaining fabric.
Does anyone have experience with something like this?
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Schorsch_baut18 Mar 2024 16:01I only know of water-retention fleece, which breaks down after a few years once it has properly integrated.
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Baufrau9518 Mar 2024 17:11That surprises me. In most neighboring gardens here, many lawns have dried out over the summer because no one managed to keep up with watering, even though drought-resistant grass mixes were used. Some lawns have sod, others were seeded.
I’ve spoken with a few people in the neighborhood, and they water at least three times a week during the hot summer months when it doesn’t rain.
Because of water savings, capillary irrigation is being considered.
I’ve spoken with a few people in the neighborhood, and they water at least three times a week during the hot summer months when it doesn’t rain.
Because of water savings, capillary irrigation is being considered.
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Schorsch_baut18 Mar 2024 17:19What type of fleece exactly do you mean?
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Baufrau9518 Mar 2024 17:44Schorsch_baut schrieb:
What kind of fleece exactly should it be?Ah, I posted a link from A***** but it was deleted. Take a look at Lite Soil Bluenet. There are three types:
Lite-net Bio 1: decomposition after 1–2 years
Lite-net Bio 5: decomposition after 5–10 years
Lite-net pp: permanent
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Schorsch_baut18 Mar 2024 18:02And you would prefer to install the permanent option? The options that break down would then need to be replaced every few years, or you end up with "permanent" material in the ground. I put permanent in quotation marks, because no synthetic material is truly permanent; it will eventually degrade and then remain in the soil as hazardous waste. Polypropylene (PP) is a prime candidate for microplastic contamination.
How about designating part of the 400 sq m (4300 sq ft) as a meadow? Since you mention having sandy soil, that’s a good basis for a beautiful low-nutrient meadow. The meadow only needs mowing twice a year. A smaller area could then be established as an irrigated golf green, which the cistern would be sufficient for.
And if you really just want a lush green surface without any maintenance, you might want to consider artificial turf.
How about designating part of the 400 sq m (4300 sq ft) as a meadow? Since you mention having sandy soil, that’s a good basis for a beautiful low-nutrient meadow. The meadow only needs mowing twice a year. A smaller area could then be established as an irrigated golf green, which the cistern would be sufficient for.
And if you really just want a lush green surface without any maintenance, you might want to consider artificial turf.
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Baufrau9518 Mar 2024 18:12Schorsch_baut schrieb:
And you would want to install the permanent option? The options that break down would have to be renewed every few years, or you end up with "permanent" material in the ground. And I put permanent in quotation marks because no synthetic material is truly permanent—it eventually decomposes and then remains as hazardous waste in the soil. Polypropylene (PP) is a real candidate for microplastics.
How about turning part of the 400 sqm (4,300 sq ft) into a meadow? Since you mentioned having sandy soil, that’s a good basis for a nice low-maintenance meadow. The meadow only needs mowing twice a year. A smaller area could be installed as an irrigated putting green, which the rainwater tank would also cover.
And if you just want a rich green look without maintenance, then I would consider artificial turf.Exactly, the one advertised as permanent seems to be the only reasonable option from my perspective.
The issue is that we have about 1000 sqm (10,700 sq ft) of land. The back part is already planned as an “orchard meadow/bee meadow.”
At the front, I would really like proper lawn around the terrace, and it should look as nice as possible 🙂
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