Drip Irrigation Technology

Drip irrigation can produce lush foliage.

Drip irrigation is a method of delivering targeted amounts of water directly to the plants that need them. One of the main ideas behind drip irrigation is to minimize water waste by only watering specific plants rather than the empty soil between plants.

Methods

There are several methods of drip irrigation. Drip hose irrigation is where a perforated rubber hose is laid around the base of plants. Using a drip hose is an effective way to target large areas at a time. Hose emitters are a variation on the drip hose where, rather than the water escaping through factory-created perforations along the length of the hose, you have the ability to attach tiny nozzle emitters into the hose at whatever intervals you desire. This strategy conserves more water than the drip hose and, depending on the nozzles you use, you can control the water flow at each drip site. Individual emitters are a variation on the hose emitter in which individual water lines are routed to each emitter. This is beneficial if you want to use drip irrigation to water individual flower pots or if the layout of your garden is non linear, making a single hose impractical.

Applications

Drip hoses are an ideal way to water shrubbery. You can set the hoses right at the base of the shrubs and never have to worry about wasting water trying to penetrate the canopy. Additionally, as shrubs are a fixed point on your property laying a hose is a task you only have to complete once. Using individual emitters to deliver drip irrigation to individual patio plants and fixture plants that are scattered throughout the landscape is an ideal way to efficiently deliver water to each individual pot and plant without the hassle of individual watering using a hose, watering can or other means.

Advantages

Drip irrigation delivers water directly to the base of the plant, which means that water is not wasted via evaporation. When you consider the large spray patterns of most sprinklers and hose nozzles, it's clear where evaporation waste happens. Similarly, because drip irrigation targets only the area surrounding the base of the plant, water is not wasted on empty soil. The slow nature of drip irrigation gives plants enough time to soak up the water being delivered to their roots. Typically when plants are watered it is necessary to saturate the surrounding soil so the area around the plant stays damp enough to allow an extended period of absorption. Because drip irrigation releases the water slowly, this over-saturation is not necessary.

Drawbacks

While drip irrigation is ideal for targeted applications of water like individual flower pots, individual plants and shrubs, it is not well suited for all tasks. Large areas of garden or grass that require an even amount of water are not suited to drip irrigation. The number of emitters or drip hoses that would be required to cover a large area such as a lawn would be impractical and not an efficient use of drip technology.

Costs

The cost of drip irrigation varies significantly depending on what and how many supplies you need. At the low end of the cost spectrum are drip hoses. These are typically no more expensive than a regular garden hose and with proper care can last for many growing seasons. At the high end of the spectrum are custom-drip systems that combine all three drip technologies with integrated scheduling systems to automate waterings. These systems can easily run into the thousands of dollars and are beyond the scope of many homeowners, often requiring the help of a professional landscaper.

References

• Irrigation Turorials: Drip Irrigation