By Bill Smillie, UC Master Gardener
“Water wars! Water is one of THE key commodities in the coming years. There's less and less of it generally available (not that the ocean volumes are changing much) and it's becoming increasingly expensive. As a result, homeowners are focusing on water use like never before.
Without question, the best method of garden irrigation for most home garden and landscape situations is drip irrigation. Efficient watering means putting the right amount of water, in the right place, just at the plants needing it, without excess, runoff, overspray, or waste. The most efficient irrigation method available is drip. Drip irrigation exceeds 90 percent efficiency, whereas sprinkler systems and hand watering are 50 to 70 percent efficient. The advantages of drip irrigation greatly outweigh the disadvantages. The primary advantages are:
- Lower water use
- Less water waste
- Ease of watering
The two primary disadvantages are the necessity of routine maintenance, and the need to know and monitor your garden—since by and large you can’t see drip at work, you have to pay attention to your plants, as well as visually monitor the system.
Drip irrigation works by placing water slowly and directly into the soil—literally “dripping” it in from the many small water emitters which are placed one or more at each plant, or through in-line emitters in dripline. Drip is also excellent for watering sloped gardens because the slow rate of water applied through drip irrigation means it is more likely to soak in before it runs off.
Whether you currently hand water, use hose-end sprinklers, have an in-ground sprinkler system, or are putting in new landscape, there is a drip system for you. Some are very, very basic, and still require turning the water on by hand, on a schedule that keeps your garden properly irrigated, and others are more complex systems, with electric valves and electronic controllers—but you get to choose.”
