The Time-Saving Benefits of Drip Irrigation: One Summer Survival Tip You Can't Miss
It's summertime, and the livin' is easy. Unless you spend more time watering your garden and landscaping than enjoying other summer activities. Sure, gardening is fun and rewarding, but it can also be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Automating your irrigation system can relieve some of your tedious garden watering tasks and give you more free time this summer. Read on to learn how you can quickly create an intelligent garden with easy to set up watering automation.
What is drip irrigation?
Drip irrigation is a system that slowly delivers water directly to your garden or lawn at the root level, eliminating much of the labor that goes into traditional watering methods. Drip irrigation systems can be configured to suit any garden or landscape, whether it is flat or sloped, or has different types of plantings. They can be designed to operate automatically, using a timer or controller, or manually, using a hose or valve. These systems can be easily customized to provide optimal watering for each plant, ensuring they receive the right amount of water and nutrients they need.
How does drip irrigation provide more free time in the summer?
Drip irrigation offers numerous benefits over other watering methods, like sprinklers, soaker hoses, and handheld hoses. First, drip irrigation can save up to 50% of water compared to other methods by providing more precise water delivery. As a result, drip can reduce soil erosion and runoff, discouraging weed growth, leaf spot, and other plant diseases resulting from overwatering.
Drip irrigation also saves time, as there is no need for manual watering or moving sprinklers around. And by attaching a timer, you can fully automate your drip irrigation system to water your lawn or garden while you enjoy your other summer activities.
Installation and maintenance tips for drip irrigation system
Depending on the size, planning and installing your drip system is an easy DIY project you can complete in a few hours. Start by choosing the right Rain Bird components. These include emitters, tubing, filters, a pressure regulator, and a timer. The Rain Bird Landscape and Garden Drip Watering Kit includes a variety of the most common drip parts to help get you started.
Emitters
Emitters, also called drippers, are devices used to deliver water to the soil. They come in different types, such as drip emitters, micro-sprays, or bubblers. Depending on the watering requirements for your plants, you can choose emitters that release water slowly or deliver water more quickly. Find Rain Bird emitters.
Tubing
Tubing is the backbone of drip irrigation to transport water from the water source to the emitters. It comes in various sizes, and the choice depends on the length of your garden and the number of emitters you will use. Thicker tubing, typically 1/2-inch in diameter, can handle more water flow and be used for long garden rows or large areas. Smaller, 1/4-inch tubing can be spliced off the main tubing to run water to individual plants or containers. Find Rain Bird tubing.
Filters
Filters come in handy to prevent emitters from becoming clogged. These are essential system components, mainly if you are using well water or your water source is high in sediment. Pressure regulators are also crucial because they help control the water pressure from the source to prevent damage to the emitters and tubing. Find Rain Bird pressure regulators.
Timer
A timer, such as the Rain Bird Premium Hose End Timer, connects easily to your hose faucet and can be programmed to water your garden at specific times. This lets you leave home for your summer vacation without worrying about manually watering your plants.
Once you have chosen the right components, installing the system is relatively easy. First, lay out the tubing throughout your garden and secured it to the ground using stakes. Next, attach emitters. Emitters can be inserted into the tubing using punches. The timer, filter and pressure regulator can be connected to your water source to attach to the tubing.
TIP: The Rain Bird Sprinkler Design Service can help you make your personalized irrigation plan.
Maintaining your drip irrigation system is simple, too. Check your drip system regularly to make sure the emitters are delivering water properly, and there are no leaks, kinks or clogs. Flush out the emitters yearly to remove sediment or debris that might accumulate over time. Ensure the timer is working properly and replace the batteries at the start of each season. Changing or adding components to your drip irrigation layout is also simple using compatible Rain Bird parts.
This summer, automate your garden watering with a Rain Bird drip irrigation system and save time and water while enjoying more summertime fun.
