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The Advantages of Drip Irrigation in the Landscape

Amazingly, landscape irrigation accounts for up to 50 percent of our water usage. In a typical spray irrigation system, up to 70 percent of that water is wasted to evaporation, run-off, and over-spraying. In contrast, 95 percent of water delivered by a drip irrigation system is placed exactly where the plant can use it – the root zone.

Benefits of Drip Irrigation over Spray Irrigation

• Efficient Use of Water: Drip irrigation can significantly reduce the amount of water used in landscaping; as much as 70% over spray systems.
  
  
• Precise Water Delivery: Water is placed exactly where the plat can use it – the root zone.
  
  
• Less Expensive, Disruptive, and Destructive: Installing a spray irrigation system is labor intensive and costly. The spray system requires extensive trenching which damages plant and tree roots resulting in a lengthy healing process. Drip installation, in contrast, is non-disruptive to plant material and because labor is minimal, the cost of a drip system is significantly less.
  
  
• Better Distribution of Water on Slopes: Spray systems cannot adequately manage slopes. The delivery of water is often too fast for the sloped soil to absorb. This leads to poor plant health and excessive run-off. Valleys get over-watered. Drip irrigation, with its slow, metered, water flow is capable of immediate absorption where it is released.
  
  
• Reduced Erosion: The concept of sustainability in the landscape demands that we maintain our soils. Drip systems protect against erosion due to run-off.
  
  
• Promotes Better Soil Structure: Over-watering, common with spray systems, can create the pooling of water which can cause clay particles to clump together, increasing the likelihood of soil compaction. Drip irrigation’s slow watering process helps to maintain a healthy aerobic soil.
  
  
• More Abundant Plant Growth: Plants watered with a drip irrigation system usually grow better than those with a spray system. The plants and trees have the exact water that they need where they need it and do not have to deal with the stress of over and under-watered soils.
  
  
• Reduced Disease: Unlike spray, drip delivers the water directly to the ground. This reduces the occurrences of water-borne diseases such as mildews and funguses. With careful placement of emitters away from the root crowns of trees and other plants, root rot diseases can also be greatly reduced.
  
• Better Weed Control: Opportunistic weeds will grow wherever they have light and water. By watering just the plants you wish to grow, no water is placed where weeds might sprout.
  
  
• Drip Irrigation is a very Flexible System: The drip system is above ground and can be easily changed or expanded. If a plant gets larger and requires more water, it is very easy to add an emitter or change an emitter’s output. The system is user friendly and is simple enough for self care.