Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation has been used for thousands of years by many different cultures to provide precise and efficient watering of crops and landscapes. Drip irrigation is the process of delivering water very slowly directly to the root base of plants. Drip uses hundreds of times less water than conventional spray and rotor heads. Drip irrigation is best used in flower/shrub beds and is not intended for most lawn areas.

There are several different types of drip products on the market today. You have the option to provide external, individual emitters, micro-spray heads, or drip tubing with pre-installed emitters for easier and quicker installation.

I'm a big fan of the drip tubing with pre-installed emitters. The Rain Bird Landscape Drip Tube that I use has emitters inside of the tube that deliver 0.9 gph (gallons per hour) each. The tubing can be "doubled up" or looped to provide more emitters to each root base for "thirsty" plants. Also, all drip irrigation should be installed on its' own zone and not mixed with a spray or rotor zone. This will allow you to control the watering for the drip separately and prevent you from over or under-watering your plants or lawn.

Drip irrigation can help save water, money, and cut down on unwanted weeds. The process of drip irrigation is pretty simple with the right knowlege and the proper materials. That's all for now, I'll give some more information about drip on my next post! Have a good week!