Aronia Planting Guide Part V - Drip Irrigation, Precipitation
Irrigate Efficiently Using Drip Irrigation The annual demand by aronia plants for water is reported to be 32 inches of rain or more spread evenly throughout the year. (I must say this seems a little low to me). An efficient irrigation system may be a necessary requirement. The sprinkler is generally an inefficient system. Sprinklers can deliver a large amount of water in a short period but at the same time large amounts of moisture is lost due to evaporation. Sprinklers however may be the ideal choice for watering when establishing alfalfa. Alfalfa is relatively drought tolerant, but its growth does depend on the availability of soil water. If there is little or no irrigation water, annual yields will be low. Sprinkling can help serve as frost/freeze protection for vineyards during bud break and early shoot development in an occasional early spring frost to save a crop but is generally not cost-effective. The cost of materials, installation, and development of a pond or other water re...