Drip Irrigating Your Garden Kent Phillips, Howard Co. Master Gardener

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Begin with the basics. How much water does a garden need? What other factors determine watering requirements? – Soil structure – Soil texture – Plants

Soil texture Sandy Loam Clay

Soil structure Arrangement of soil particles Organic matter

Why is soil texture and structure important? Determines how water penetrates the soil. Determines how much water remains in the soil.

How do you irrigate? Watering can Hose

What is micro irrigation? Gravity fed system Watering the root zone

Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages

Low Tech Micro Irrigation Place water holding containers in the ground.

Other low tech solutions Row crops and raised garden beds – Soaker hoses

Example using 3 ft. x 8 ft. beds TomatoMilk jugs Pepper

Higher Tech Solutions Drip tube – 100 ft costs $30 – 500 ft costs $130 Drip tape – 6,500 ft costs $120

Major Parts of a Drip System

Backflow Preventer/Anti Siphon Valve – Cost $2 to $6

Major Parts of a Drip System Pressure Regulator - $10 to $12

Major Parts of a Drip System Screen or filter - $15 -- $20

Major Parts of a Drip Tube System Adapters and Connectors Header line $1 $.70 $3 $.25 to $75 $50 for 250 feet

Major Parts of a Drip Tube System Emitters, punches, cutters and goof plugs $.15 to $.75 $3 $18 $.20

Major Parts of a Drip Tube System Timers, Controllers and solenoid valves $20 $300 $15

Major Parts of a Drip Tape System Home garden kit - $60 to $240

Drip Irrigation Rules Don’t exceed your water supply Limit water pressure to psi Water flow will be limited by pipe size Drip tube size controls length of run

Planning Layout garden on a sheet of graph paper Plan your zones Flow to any line/zone or zones – Can’t exceed 75% of supply. – Limited by tube size and length – Flow to the zone depends on number and size of emitters or length of drip tape

My Garden Header line Drip Tape Drip Tube

Planning Layout garden on a sheet of graph paper Plan your zones Flow to any line/zone or zones – Can’t exceed 75% of supply. – Limited by tube size and line length – Flow to the zone depends on number and size of emitters or length of drip tape

Wrap up Plan your zones Obey the rules Check the web

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This program was brought to you by the Maryland Master Gardener Program Howard County University of Maryland Extension