Keep Your Plants Happy & Lower Your Waterbill (Part I)

With record-breaking temperatures many gardeners are looking for ways to keep their garden from wilting in the heat and keep their water bills low. While mulching reduces the need for watering and rain barrels reduce the amount of municipal water you're using, you can reduce your dependence on municipal water even further by watering more efficiently. This involves using systems like drip-irrigation, soaker hoses, and water timers. In the first part of this series I will go over the basics of drip irrigation.


Drip irrigation is probably the most efficient watering system for the small garden. In involves delivers small amounts of water (drips) at a time right to the roots of the plants. This minimizes water loss due to run-off and allows the plants to take up the water slowly and effectively without flooding. Drip systems may seem complicated, but are actually easy for the first-timer to install with a minimal amount of instruction.

The basic components of a drip watering system are:

Pressure reducer: needed to reduce the amount of water pressure from your tap, so your low-pressure drip watering system isn't overwhelmed

1/4" or 1/2" hose: connects the components of the drip system

T joints: allows you to run hose from your main line(s) to the individual plants




In-line drippers or sprinkler heads: delivers water to the individual plants. Some plants require only one dripper or sprinkler head per plant, some plants may require multiple, depending on water consumption needs.


Drip irrigation can be used for gardens, containers, or a combination of both. Just be sure to follow the instructions for the maximum distance the hose can extend from the water source - because this system is operating on low pressure if you try to cover to much distance the plants furthest away will get little/no water. This method of irrigation is great for using with rain barrels, where you can skip the pressure reducer, since rain barrels are low pressure to begin with. The only caveat is that the rain barrel water level must be higher than the plants you are trying to water - raising them on cinder blocks helps.

Drip systems can be purchased in kits, or in individual components at hardware stores. To make watering completely effortless you can add a water timer, which allows you to automatically water your plants for a specified length and time of the day. Timers will allow you to water early in the morning or late at night, which helps prevent water loss due to evaporation and helps minimize plant disease. Remember to check to see if your water timer goes off as expected and for the appropriate amount of time before you go on vacation. Start with 5-10 minute watering times. Yard soil should be damp about 2" below the soil surface, and containers should be damp without water running out of the bottom. For more information on drip watering click here.