Cost of automated watering system

Q. I'm planning to install the automated watering system for my 18 raised Grow-Boxes. I thought it was supposed to be inexpensive, but I'm nearing $300 for the PVC and fittings so far. Maybe I'm buying the wrong things. Can you give me the detailed list of what I need, and an estimate of what my 18 bed watering system should cost?

A. In Salt Lake City, Utah I would pay approximately the following for 18 beds, including risers from a main line. I have not included the cost of your main line to the garden, since I don't have any facts.

18 - 3/4" T with Riser side threaded - - - - - - - - - - - $ 13
54 - Male threaded adapters - glue to pipe ends - - - 25
18 - Sch 200 pipe for risers 1' each - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
18 - Slip/thread elbows - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
18 - 1 1/2" nipples - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
18 - Plastic threaded ball valve - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
54 - 10'-long 3/4" Sch 200 PVC pipe - - - - - - - - - - - 60
36 - slip/slip connectors to make 30' lengths - - - - - 9
18 - threaded end caps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9

Total - approximately $202.

This represents a 20 year investment of $10 per year, which is less than 6 cents per day of a 6 month growing season. It will will save you money every day for 20 years on water, plus the time required for watering, and it will make the water distribution more accurate and effective. We consider it a very inexpensive investment, with a high rate of return.

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Companion planting yes or no?

This is actually a never ending debate among the scientific
community and the biodynamic gardening community. The biodynamic
gardening is based on some "bad science" especially with the
"sensitive crystallization method".

However, there is a type of "companion planting" done on large farms called no-till farming. This technique has become popular in recent years and is being used around here for the sorghum and grain crops. However no-till is planting in the residue of the last crop and not doing the traditional tilling of the land. This is different that the companion planting you are referring to.

The farmers here are for the most part highly educated with bachelors
and master degrees and keep up with the latest research, and none of
them utilize companion planting except "no-till".

I have never seen a lot of scientific studies that have really studied this technique but have personally tried it a few times myself and was not impressed with the results. The last time was two years ago when I tried doing the three sisters approach. Actually the corn did good but the beans and squash were nothing to write home about.

I am sure that Mittleider studied the technique thoroughly and came to the conclusion it was not useful and actually detrimental as I experienced.

I could not consider the article you posted as a "Well Researched Article" but it is a very well done general introduction of companion planting. I enjoyed reading it myself. Please refer to this article for what a "research article" is.
http://www.lib. utexas.edu/ lsl/help/ modules/research .html

Below is an article of a study that a student did for her masters degree She did a two year study of companion planting with potatoes. This is a summary article and of course not a research article. There is not a research article cited. However, it is interesting reading.
http://www.organica gcentre.ca/ ResearchDatabase /res_cpb_ companion_ tara.asp

This is an article from Cornell.
http://www.gardenin g.cornell. edu/factsheets/ ecogardening/ complant. html