Subirrigation systems allow plant growers to apply water to a trough or moist mat that the plant is sitting on or in.
Growers have to totally readjust their fertility programs.
However, Reed estimated that growers can cut their water and fertilizer use in half, depending on how much water they used before installing the system. The plants can only be flooded to about 1 inch deep, so it cannot be used on a plant that is greater than 6 to 8 inches in height. The major drawback of the system is the cost of materials and installation, since it is still such a new industry in the United States. However, Kevin McGuckin of Indian Creek Nursery near Brenham is sold on the system. When he first started his wholesale nursery business in the early 1990s, he and his workers watered all of the plants by hand or with drip tubes.