Description of the Process

Mistakes to Avoid

Direct Irrigation Works Provided One Avoids These Errors

Root Suffocation (Hypoxia)

This can be avoided by making sure that the path between the Water Well ™ and the ambient air is large enough and by keeping this path open.

Dry Water Well ™

Direct Irrigation works by keeping the roots in constant contact with aerated water. If one does not keep the Water Well ™ filled with water, the effect is lost. Growers are so used to seeing dehydrated plants that they frequently fail to notice that the Water Well ™ is empty. Either a dip stick or some type of water sensor is required to make certain of water level. Automatic watering will help, but in many settings it is not practical, so manual checking of water level is needed.

Collapse of the Water Well ™ from Ambient Pressure

A Water Well ™ buried in soil is subject to pressure from above and below as well as from all sides. If the container is insufficiently strong, it will collapse. The best way to prevent this is to choose a container which is cylindrical in shape and either thick walled, or with reinforcement in the walls. Flimsy plastic will simply not work in agro.

Cave-In of the Root-Permeable Membrane from the Weight of Overlying Soil

Root-permeable membranes purchased from most stores are not stiff enough to support soil without some kind of grid underneath. The grid should be made of either plastic-coated metal (but NOT bare metal) or stiff plastic. A simple test is to place several bricks on the membrane after mounting it to the grid. If it will support the bricks, it will support the soil.

Giving in to the Temptation to Use the Water Well ™ to Distribute Macronutrients (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur)

Ten years of research have convinced us that putting macronutrients into the Water Well ™ retards rather than enhances growth. If this surprises you, it surprised us too, but that is the result that our experments have consistently shown. If macronutrient distribution is required, a Fertilizer Well ™ should be used in parallel with the Water Well ™. This is explained elsewhere in this web site.