DIY Drip Irrigation: Installing the b-hyve Smart Shrub & Flower Bed Drip Kit

In This Guide You'll Learn

• What should be in a complete drip irrigation kit for flower beds and shrubs?
• What tools and materials do you actually need for installation?
• How do you plan a drip irrigation layout?
• What are common mistakes to avoid?

Quick Answer

Why DIY Homeowners Choose Drip Irrigation

Most people assume they need a professional to install an irrigation system. That's simply not true. Drip systems appeal to DIY gardeners for good reason:

• No special skills required.
• Flexible setup. You only water what you want to water, shrubs, flower beds, containers, even vegetables.
• Affordable starter option. A basic kit costs much less than an in ground sprinkler system.
• Easy to modify. Add or remove plants later without major changes.
• Works with existing water source. Just attach to your outdoor faucet or spigot.

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What Goes Into a Complete DIY Drip Kit

When shopping for a drip irrigation kit, you'll see lots of options. Here's what's included in Orbit's b-hyve Smart Shrub & Flower Bed Drip Kit.

Hose Timer

A hose timer connects directly to an outdoor faucet and automates watering for garden hoses, sprinklers, or drip irrigation systems. By running watering schedules automatically, hose timers help deliver consistent irrigation, even when you're away from home.

Orbit Hose Timers are available in both standard and smart models. Standard hose timers allow users to create automatic watering schedules directly on the device, providing a simple way to maintain consistent watering without daily manual adjustments.

For gardeners looking for additional control, Orbit b-hyve Smart Hose Timers can be managed remotely through the b-hyve app. Smart models offer features such as remote scheduling, schedule adjustments, and weather-based watering with WeatherSense® technology, which uses local weather data to help avoid unnecessary watering after rain. This can help improve watering efficiency while maintaining healthy plants and landscapes.

Tubing

50 feet of ½-inch mainline tubing forms the main trunk of your system. This is what attaches to your faucet and runs along the perimeter of your flower beds or shrub area.²

50 feet of ¼-inch emitter tubing branches off from the mainline and delivers water directly to individual plants. This is the tubing that connects to drip emitters, which release water slowly where plants need it most.

Emitters

Emitters are what they sound like, the small devices that release water from the tubing. The b-hyve Smart Shrub & Flower Bed Drip Kit includes Adjustable Bubblers on Spike. For mixed flower beds with different plant sizes, adjustable emitters give you more control, water delicate plants lightly while shrubs get more.

Connectors

The b-hyve Smart Shrub & Flower Bed Drip Kit includes multiple types of connectors and fittings.

• Barbed couplings and connectors join tubing sections together.
• Tees create branching points so you can split one line into two directions.
• Couplers let you connect two pieces of tubing end to end if your garden is longer than your original line.
• End plugs seal the ends of the ¼-inch emitter tubing, so water doesn't escape where it's not needed.

Pressure Regulator

Water from your faucet often comes at higher pressure than drip emitters can handle. The b-hyve Smart Shrub & Flower Bed Drip Kit includes a Pressure Reducing Tubing Adapter which reduces that pressure to around 25 PSI. This keeps emitters from spurting instead of dripping.² Without it, you'll get uneven watering and frustrated results.

Tubing Stakes

Tubing stakes hold your tubing in place against wind and foot traffic.

Other Tools Included

Here's what you need to have on hand. The good news: you probably already own most of this.

• Tubing cutter to cut tubing cleanly
• Punch tool to make holes in ½-inch tubing where ¼-inch tubing connects
• Figure 8 end for tightening connections

Planning Your Layout

This is where most DIY installers succeed or struggle. A good layout plan takes 15 minutes and saves you an hour during installation.

Walk Your Garden

Before cutting a single piece of tubing, grab a notebook and walk around your flower beds and shrub areas.

Note:

• Where is your water source?
• How far is your farthest plant from the faucet?
• What's the rough shape of your planting area?
• Are there obstacles (trees, pathways, deck footings)?

Sketch a Simple Layout

Draw a rough overhead view of your garden beds and shrubs. Mark the faucet location. Trace where the mainline tubing would run, following the shape of your beds.

Mark where ¼-inch tubing branches off to individual plants. If you have clusters of shrubs close together, one branch point might serve 3-4 plants. Isolated plants get their own branch.

This sketch becomes your installation map.

Measure Total Tubing Needed

Most homeowner flower bed systems need 25-50 feet of ½-inch mainline tubing.

Consider Water Pressure

Standard household water pressure (40-80 PSI) is fine for drip systems, thanks to the pressure regulator. But if you're running a very long mainline (100+ feet) with many emitters, water pressure drops at the far end.¹ Plan accordingly. If you have a large area, consider two zones (two separate faucets or a tee-split system) rather than one long line.

Common DIY Mistakes

Mistake #1: Skipping the Pressure Regulator

Water pressure from your faucet is too high for drip emitters. Without a regulator, emitters spray instead of drip, and you'll overwater. Always install one at the faucet.

Mistake #2: Forgetting to Flush

Installing emitters without flushing the system first is asking for clogs. Sediment in new tubing blocks emitters. Spend 30 seconds flushing. It prevents weeks of frustration.

Mistake #3: Not Using Stakes

Leaving tubing loose might seem fine, but wind, foot traffic, and water pressure will shift it. Unsecured tubing wanders, leaving some plants dry and others overwatered.

Mistake #4: Undersizing the Mainline

Using ¼-inch tubing for your main trunk seems cheaper but causes pressure loss over distance. Stick with ½-inch mainline and ¼-inch branches. This is the standard for good reason.

Mistake #5: Installing Emitters Too Close Together

Overlapping watering zones creates soggy, overwatered areas. Space emitters far enough apart so their watering zones don't overlap excessively.

Geographic Advantages of DIY Drip Systems

Utah & Colorado: Drought Priority Regions

In water-restricted regions, drip irrigation is often the recommended watering method. Municipalities and water authorities actively encourage homeowners to switch from sprinklers to drip because water efficiency is 50% higher than overhead sprinklers.¹

DIY installation means you're not waiting for a contractor's availability or paying premium pricing during peak season (summer). Install it yourself and enjoy water savings immediately. Plus, many states offer rebates for drip irrigation systems.

Southern California: Conservation Standard

California water restrictions have made drip the standard in landscaping. Smart rebate programs favor drip irrigation installations. A DIY system qualifies, and you'll see water bill reductions in the first month of operation.

Texas: Heat Management

Drip systems excel in high-temperature regions because they reduce evaporation losses that plague overhead sprinklers.² In 110°F+ summers, the difference between drip and sprinkler watering is 20-30% water savings. DIY installation lets you deploy the system immediately as temperatures spike.

Florida: Humidity & Fungal Prevention

Overhead sprinklers wet foliage, creating ideal conditions for fungal diseases in humid climates. Drip irrigation keeps water off leaves and off the soil surface, reducing fungal pressure. Florida gardeners and landscape professionals increasingly prefer drip for this reason alone.