This Blenheim Vineyard is leading the way in water storage for irrigation. This is 1200m3 of water is the biggest Water Flexi Tank that we have installed so far in New Zealand! It equals 1.2million litres of water storage!
Drought season and how to cope
Marlborough has had its longest recorded dry spell this summer. Fruit Growers lost irrigation rights in early February and some farms are starting to struggle. Planning is key.
Having suitable water storage, and a plan for the increasing hotter, drier summer weather is insurance for your livestock and crops.
In the Winepress March 2020 Publication, an article by Sophie Preece suggests some great tips that can not only be used for vineyard growers but that we've adapted for anyone with green fingers:
- Keep your vines trimmed. More foliage needs more water.
- Water at night or early morning so you don't lose water through evaporation.
- Water less frequently, but for longer. Half an hour a day won't infiltrate to a depth that will be efficient. Water different sections over the course of 2-3 days, concentrating on an area at a time.
- Weed so they don't compete with your plants for water, but you need to mulch to protect the soil from loss of moisture.
You can read the full article and advice for vineyard growers here https://issuu.com/winepressmag...
Our team has been busy keeping up with the increasing demand of installing flexible water tanks and effluent storage bladders throughout New Zealand since we introduced our innovative liquid storage bladders in 2017.
We've had an unprecedented increase in the number of savvy farmers that have been harvesting and storing rainwater in our Flexi Tanks, giving them that vital buffer when water supply is at emergency lows like they currently are.
We've seen an uptake of Marlborough Produce growers implementing our water storage bladders as an emergency planning measure, as the Councils in the Marlborough region have restricted irrigation rights. The growers having a spare 500,000L or 1,000,000L water stored in our Flexi
Tanks can continue to irrigate throughout the peak of summer without losing the crop and eliminating plant stress.
Many of our local Waikato Horticulturists are also adopting Flexi Tanks to store their water too. They have found that the quality of their stored water remains constant and just as fresh as the day it went into the tank, which is just one of the many benefits of using Flexi Tanks as they eliminate sunlight and algae growth which decreases water quality.
The use of Flexi Tanks is a very economical, cost-effective solution for storing large quantities of quality water.
Flexi Tanks are also safe from an OSH perspective, being totally enclosed.
The stored water is also safe from not being contaminated by airborne sprays, dust, vermin, and birds.
For more information on Flexi Tanks NZ call us today 07 829 5940.