Baseline Systems BaseStation 1000 - Manual (Page 8)

BaseStation 1000 Irrigation Controller Manual
• Water deeply and infrequently. Studies show that watering deeply and infrequently
promotes deeper root growth and more drought tolerant plants.
Watering deeply means that the soil should be wetted down to a depth of 6 inches or deeper
for grasses and 12 inches or deeper for trees and shrubs.
Watering infrequently means that the next irrigation event (or start time) should be delayed
as long as possible without stressing the plants.
• Deeper roots = more efficient plants. Plants with deeper roots are able to draw more
nutrients from a larger area of soil, making fertilizers and soil treatments more effective.
• Avoid runoff. Matching the application rate of irrigation to the infiltration rate of the soil is
critical to avoid runoff.
• Only apply the amount of water needed. Irrigation water is a supplement to natural rainfall –
you only need to apply the amount of water needed to return the soil to optimum moisture.
Irrigation water applied above the field capacity of the soil is wasted – water will
gravitationally sink through the soil below the root zone of the plants.
Unlike other irrigation controllers, the 1000 is specifically designed to make efficient irrigation easy.
Before you start setting up and programming your BaseStation 1000, it is helpful to understand the
following concepts:
• Soil moisture content
• How to use soil moisture sensors, including how to identify the hydrozones in your
landscaping
• Watering strategies
• Root depth and plant water efficiency
• Soak cycling
• Distribution uniformity
The remainder of this section covers these key concepts in more detail.
Soil Moisture Content
Soil scientists and agronomists have been studying the plant-water-soil system for over 100 years.
Early work in irrigation efficiency focused on the estimation of soil moisture based on weather
information, plant water requirements, and soil information such as soil texture and slope. With
the availability of inexpensive and highly accurate soil moisture sensors, we are able to take soil
moisture based irrigation to a whole new level of efficiency and effectiveness.
With soil moisture sensors, your controller can operate like a thermostat for your landscape –
applying water when it is needed, and where it is needed.
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