Installing a Drip Irrigation System
Drip irrigation isn't just for commercial farmers or climates that experience droughts. It is convenient, handy, time-saving, easy to use, and inexpensive for the home gardener as well. Garden watering can be a real chore. A medium size garden can take over an hour to water thoroughly, especially during a heat spell. Even heat spells that last a few days can completely deplete your garden of water. Drip irrigation solves these issues easily.
A drip irrigation system delivers water through pinprick size holes in a hose that is arranged around your plants. The hoses are all connected to each other and to a water pump and pressure controller. The pump supplies the water and the controller regulates how much water is delivered through each hole. A drip irrigation system can be as small or large as you like. The hardest part of using a drip irrigation system is deciding where to lay the hose and setting it all up. Once it is laid out though, you don't have to worry about watering the garden for the rest of the season. As any gardener knows, this is a huge deal.
A system can be set up relatively inexpensively. A pump, pressure controller, and tubing are all you need to start this system. Some people have used an old garden hose with holes poked in it in place of specialty tubing. While this may save some money, the specialty tubing is worth investing in. It is much thinner than a garden hose and easier to work with.
There are two types of drip irrigation: above ground and below ground. There are benefits and downsides to both and the one you choose will depend on your own garden's needs.
Above ground Irrigation System
