Ever walk by a house after the sprinklers are done irrigating and see the sidewalks wet with overspray?

How about seeing a small flower garden where a large area sprinkler head is not only watering its intended target, but everything around it (the fence, the rocks, the neighbor’s yard) as well?

These are just two examples of poor water conservation practices.

One way to help curb the use of water and drop it more accurately on the spots that require it is to use drip irrigation.

Drip irrigation is also known as micro-irrigation. It combines a low-volume of water and a low-pressure release of that water so that it is more accurate with its irrigation delivery mechanism.

Drip irrigation systems can easily be camouflaged under bark, mulch, or decorative rock; they can also be on top of the ground.

So, why consider drip irrigation systems? View the video below and read the tips that follow.

Conserve water:
Drip irrigation systems manage water. A sprinkler can often deliver too much water for the soil to hold and runoff can occur.

Water precisely:
Certain areas won’t be over- or under-watered because you can focus the water exactly where it is required for plant growth.

Curb diseases:
Fungus (and resulting diseased) are less likely to occur in soil that is not constantly saturated with water.

Reduce erosion:
A fast release of water will often be disruptive to soil. A slow drip, on the other hand, can help the moisture penetrate the ground in a same and non-disruptive manner.

Install easily:
Orbit drip irrigation systems are sold in kits and are available online and in many retail outlets. These kits make it easy to install yourself, and you can also use the drip components to customize your irrigation system.

---

Do you have a drip irrigation system installed?

What other benefits do you see to having a drip system installed in your yard, lawn, or garden area?
Please leave your comments below.

Need help designing your drip system? Click HERE.

The best answer to this question is that it depends on where you live, what type of equipment you plan to install, and whether you will do some of the work yourself.  But the following will help you at least ballpark what you ought to be paying for an automatic sprinkler system.

Do you plan on having a professional contractor install part or all of the system?

A basic rule of thumb is that a sprinkler contractor will price things out so that he has 1/3 of the total bid price in materials, 1/3 in labor and overhead, and 1/3 in profit. That leaves enough room so that he can still make money on the job even if some of the site-specific variables like a hard to find mainline, lower-than-expected pressure, or hardpan soil throw him some surprises. You should be able to buy equivalent materials at a home improvement store for about 15-20% more than the contractor will pay at a contractor supply store, but you will need to factor in rental of trenchers and whether you can install the backflow prevention yourself, so you should figure your total cost of installing the system yourself will be around half the average of three competitive bids. A really simple way to estimate the cost of installing the system yourself is to use the Orbit Sprinkler System Designer. 

If you need a quick and very rough range of where you might expect bids from professional sprinkler contractors to come in, you could use a range of $0.50 to $1.25 per square foot of area to be watered and probably not be too surprised. Just keep in mind that small properties will tend to be at the higher end of the range.

This is the first of a four part series that will ask the questions to help give you a good idea of things that will drive the cost of an automatic sprinkler system up or down. Some are things that you can choose and some are things that your specific region, climate or building codes will drive.

Winterization – a condition that occurs in gardening and landscaping enthusiasts as they prepare for spring during the winter months.  It could also be defined as the process of removing water from your sprinkler system before freezing temperatures set in. 

With winter well underway, hopefully your sprinkler system has been winterized.  As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

For winterization instructions click here.

Have you been wanting an automatic irrigation system for your yard?  Now is the perfect time to plan for your new installation.  Visit orbitonline.com to use one of our free online sprinkler system design programs.

Also, as you make plans for your spring planting and gardening, take time to inspect your sprinkler system for broken heads, lines or other problems.  For tips and how-to videos on sprinkler installation and repairs, or to download that lost manual, check our website www.orbitonline.com