Drip Irrigation Systems

If you’re looking for ways to keep your trees, shrubs or flowers watered without wasting too much time and money, you’ve probably considered a sprinkler, a hose, or a good old-fashioned watering can. All of these methods might be convenient, but most of the time you will end up wasting water on plants that don’t need any. If you live in a dry part of the country or you know that every bit of water counts. I ended up getting a drip irrigation system and haven’t regretted this decision at all.

When you install a drip irrigation system, you can choose one of two varieties: above ground and below ground. The above ground version drips small amounts of water continuously onto the ground, and allows it to soak in. It is all regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that the water just comes out at a drip instead of a spray or a stream. These pressure regulators are very inexpensive. The whole drip system can be set up with a pressure regulator and a garden hose with holes poked in it (although it is ideal for you to get a pipe designed for this type of use, I’ve found that the hose method works fine).

The underground system is somewhat more difficult to install and maintain. However, if you want to keep the aesthetic qualities of your garden the way they are and don’t want any visible watering system, it may be worth the effort. It’s essentially the same as the above ground version, only a small trench is dug for the hose or pipe prior to any planting. This allows the water direct access to the roots for the most watering efficiency.

There are a few things to consider when choosing your system. Do you have the same plant layout year round? If it is always changing, you probably won’t want to bury your hose. It can be a pain to dig it up and re-align it with all your new plants every year or so. Even if your plant layout never changes, you need to consider how much you really mind seeing a hose in your garden. If it really bothers you to the extent that you’re willing to work for a few hours to get rid of it, then by all means bury it. But otherwise I would suggest staying above ground if for nothing else than the convenience of repairing and rearranging.

One of the main advantages of the drip irrigation system is its efficiency. Rather than spraying large amounts of water over a larger area, much of which never reaches the plants, it puts the water exactly where it is needed. It can also provide your garden with constant watering, instead of just having to go thirsty whenever you’re not around to water it.

So if you’re looking for an easy, cheap, convenient, and efficient method to water your garden, consider drip irrigation. You’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to maintain a garden when watering this way.

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