Drip Irrigation in Our Urban Gardens

Have you been by to see the spectacular transformation the Dayton’s Bluff Youth Garden has undergone this season? If you pass the corner of 3rd and Maria in East Side Saint Paul, you will notice our switch to production beds in order to maximize growing space — and it looks great!

With the help of a Mill City Farmers Market grant, we were able to install drip irrigation systems at both the Dayton’s Bluff Youth Garden as well as the Urban Roots home gardens. Drip irrigation is the most efficient watering system, requiring about half as much water as overhead sprinklers. Through a series of tubes and black “tape” with slits every foot that will be in place fort the season, the crops are watered by a slow drip. Thus the water soaks directly into the beds with no runoff and minimal evaporation.

With our youth intern summer session kick-off this week, we are excited to have drip irrigation implemented! The youth interns in our Market Garden Program will be able to learn about watering produce the way most organic production farms irrigate their vegetables.

Check out the happily watered vegetables in our gardens!