Using a drip irrigation system is a very efficient way to maximize your time and effort when it comes to watering. The system also reduces water usage in the garden while giving your plants deep root watering.
The use of a properly constructed drip system will keep all the plants watered at a slow rate directly to the roots where it’s needed and you can relax and enjoy your garden knowing that every plant is getting the water it needs.
Benefits of a Drip System
There are several benefits to installing a drip system, the greatest of all is that it’ll save you time.
You won’t have to stand with a hose while you could be doing other things like eating the delicious fruit that you’ve grown. When my garden was huge, it would easily take me 6 to 8 hours just standing holding the hose watering.
I didn’t use a sprinkler because when the plants leafed out in the summer, it created an umbrella for the container and the soil got no water from above.
Drip systems can be set to water at an adjustable rate through the drip heads and mini sprinklers. You can choose each drip head design (there are several) individually so it suits each container or baskets’ needs.
The system helps the plants because they get a more complete soaking down to the center of the root ball over a much longer period of time. There is a problem that some containers can acquire over time where the soil rinses away from around the roots inside the pot or sometimes the soil gets excavated by ants, either way it causes the water run out too fast and it misses the root ball without soaking in.
This can happen because the water wants to find the “path of least resistance” and it forms canals down through the edges of the pot to the holes in the bottom.
You’ll quickly see that using a drip system is perfectly suited for container gardening is a great investment of time and money.
Drip System Kits
There are kits specially designed for container gardens, greenhouses, window boxes and even vacation drip kits. A drip system kit is perfect for a raised bed garden because they have all the necessary pieces already included.
The 1/2″ tubing can be constructed and fixed to run tightly up the side of the bed and then turn the corner to have a 1/4″ tube run a mini-sprinkler into the center of the bed or anywhere you choose. These kits are wonderfully versatile and easy to work with.
The sprinkler heads clip into a little support that keeps them up out of the soil, with proper placement you can attain complete coverage of the bed.
A drip system is also perfect for hanging baskets. The 1/4″ tube can run up to the basket and be secured there with a drip head nicely keeping the very thirsty annual flower basket moist all through the hot days of summer.
Featured Image: modernfarmer.com