Elevated gardens can give you a unique aesthetic that normal gardens don’t achieve, but they do face unique challenges, with the most critical being limited soil depth and increased exposure to wind and sun. This environment makes an efficient watering strategy essential if you want optimal growth. You can install good irrigation systems to make a difference and create a thriving elevated garden.
There’s a range of different irrigation systems that you can use for your elevated garden, focusing on efficiency, precision and automation, to give you the best solution for creating a garden that is high up. This guide will look into this further and provide you with some irrigation systems that you can set up for maximum effectiveness. Continue reading to find out more.
Irrigation Systems for an Elevated Garden
Drip Irrigation
Drip systems deliver water directly to the plant’s root zone, one drop at a time. This minimises water lost to evaporation, which can be a bigger issue with rooftop gardens due to them getting hit by more wind. This will save significant water that can be saved and used elsewhere. Setting up place emitters where each plant grows will keep them hydrated across diverse planting areas.
Pressure-compensating emitters are modern drip lines that are great for uneven rooftops, as it makes sure that the plants at the start of the line receive the same amount of water as those at the end. Drip irrigation can also reduce the risk of fungal disease, which is common for overhead watering methods.
Sub-Irrigated Planters (SIPs)
For this method, you can construct your own water reservoir underneath your elevated garden, which will separate it from the soil above. A wicking system draws water from the reservoir up into the soil, exactly as the plants need it through capillary action. The water is then added to a fill tube, as it prevents overeating during rain.
Depending on the reservoir size, you may only need to refill it every 1-4 weeks so you don’t need to constantly check up on it. With this system, plants receive constant moisture, eliminating the stress of manual watering.
Capillary Matting Systems
Absorbent synthetic fabrics mats can be placed on a waterproof surface with capillary matting systems. The mat is kept saturated with water, usually via a wick running from a small water reservoir. Plotted plants with drainage holes placed directly on the map will draw up water into the soil through capillary action. It requires no complicated fittings, as you just need a water source.
This type of system is ideal for keeping a large number of smaller pots evenly watered with minimal daily effort. The matting is affordable, easy to cut to size and highly portable, which makes it best suited for seed starting and propagation areas.
Soaker Hoses
While you can use a manual hose to spray an elevated garden, using a soaker hose will be much more effective. Using a porous hose that slowly releases water at relevant times will give your plants the best chance of growing well. It’s really simple to install and covers a large area evenly, so the soil surface will receive a good amount of moisture. Gravity-fed systems will benefit the most from this, especially those connected to a water butt.
The only drawback with soaker hoses is that they lack the pressure compensation of dedicated drip lines, making them a less reliable choice for a large rooftop with multiple zones or elevation changes. However, they are great for smaller elevated gardens.
Overhead Sprinklers
For most elevated gardens, traditional overhead sprinklers are not recommended, as they can cause:
- High Evaporation: The fine mist is quickly lost to the air and wind on an exposed rooftop.
- Foliage Disease: Wet leaves are susceptible to fungus.
- Wasted Water: It waters pathways, walls and structures, not just the plants.
Sprinklers are great if you’re using them sparingly and are usually necessary for the establishment phase of an extensive green roof, but a permanent drip or dripline system is preferred once the root system is established.
Water Automation
For high-up gardens, automating your irrigation system will be best for growth success. The best system is one that runs perfectly even when you’re away. Automation starts with a water timer that connects directly to your water source, allowing you to program precise, consistent watering schedules.
For peak precision, an advanced soil moisture sensor goes a step further, eliminating all guesswork by only activating the system when the soil moisture level drops below a specific threshold. This ensures your elevated plants receive exactly the water they need, no more and no less so you won’t be wasting anything.
Solar-Powered Systems
A fantastic alternative for elevated gardening is the solar-powered irrigation system, which provides an eco-friendly solution. These systems are especially valuable for high-up gardens that lack convenient access to an outdoor faucet or electrical outlet. They typically operate by using a solar panel to charge a battery, which in turn powers a pump.
This pump draws water from a separate reservoir and distributes it via drip lines to your containers. This design automates the watering process and conserves water, as the reservoir can be filled with harvested rainwater, making the entire setup an efficient solution for sustainable elevated gardening.
Final Thoughts
With these efficient irrigation technologies, you move from simply maintaining plants to actively creating a vibrant elevated ecosystem. It helps with minimising the need for manual intervention when you’re watering plants. These can be simple to set up with the use of powered access, giving you the height advantage over your elevated garden.