Precision Irrigation Pilot

Overview

Watering by Measurement, Not Habit

We used to water on a timer — same hours every hot day, whether the soil needed it or not. For this pilot we buried simple moisture probes in the vegetable blocks and the young orchard, and let the readings decide when the drip lines run. The pump ran far less, and the crops never wilted once.

The Challenge

Our summer water comes from a single borehole with a limit we must respect. Overwatering also fed weeds and washed nutrients past the roots. But underwatering even once can ruin a cauliflower heart or check a young tree for a season — so the crew watered generously "just in case."

Our Approach

• Fitted affordable moisture probes at root depth in each main block.
• Watered only when readings dipped below each crop's agreed threshold.
• Mulched every drip line with straw so evening water stays in the soil till morning.

Outcome

The borehole level held steady through the driest August we can remember, weed pressure along the rows visibly dropped, and the crew now trusts the probes more than the old timer. We are rolling the same setup out to the orchard blocks next spring.

See how we restore soil