Originally developed in Israel and South Africa, drip irrigation is commonly used in the desert regions of the United States and is becoming more popular on the east coast because of increasing scarce water resources. Drip irrigation is highly efficient since water and nutrients are applied slowly and directly to the roots of the plant where it is most needed. Drip irrigation uses much less water than traditional sprinkler systems. In this segment we are joined by URI Master Gardener, Dick Perreault, in the URI Demonstration Vegetable Garden to learn about the drip irrigation system the Master Gardeners have installed.

Advantages of Drip Irrigation:

• Reduces disease problems associated with high levels of moisture on plants
• Allows less evaporation or run-off; water soaks directly into the soil
• Plants undergo less stress from variations in soil moisture
• Weed growth is reduced
• Less wasted water; water is applied directly at the plants roots where it is needed
• Saves you time and money!

Drip irrigation systems are easy to design and install and can be inexpensive. However, you will have to do some homework to design the best system for your yard. If you are interested in designing a residential drip irrigation system you may want to visit these websites. Systems can be designed for all terrains and soil conditions.:

Irrigation Tutorials

Drip Works

Or, look into these books:

Drip Irrigation for Every Landscape and All Climates, Robert Kourik, Metamorphic Press, 1992

Ortho's All About Sprinklers and Drip Systems, Meredith Books, 1998
Sunset Garden Watering Systems, Sunset Books, 1999

Watering Systems for Lawn & Garden, R. Dodge Woodson, Storey Books, 1996

Sunset Garden Watering Systems, Sunset Books, 1999

A basic drip irrigation system includes the following components: valve; backflow preventor; pressure regulator; filter; tube adapter; drip tubing; emitters and an end cap. You can learn more about each component of the system by visiting one of the web sites listed above. Kits are also available that include everything you need to set up a drip irrigation system for your garden.

In the URI Demonstration Vegetable Garden, we are using three different types of irrigation tubing. Which type of tubing you select for your garden will depend on a range of factors including cost, type of plants being watered, size of the garden, etc.

T-Tape Tubing

• Water flows through the supply tubes in a turbulent flow and is uniformly emitted from slit outlets
• Slit outlets automatically close when the system is shut off to prevent foreign objects from entering
• Less expensive and therefore often used commercially in agriculture

¼ inch Polyethylene Tubing

• Made of low density UV resistant poly resin
• Available in a wide range of coil lengths
• Emitter holes every 12 inches

Shrubbler

• Creates a water ring around plants similar to how a sprinkler works
• Designed for individual larger plants
• May water up to a 30 inch diameter

For more information please call the URI Master Gardeners at 1-800-448-1011.