Here in the Southern Nicoya we have a very long and extended dry period. If the past years are any indication the dry season seems to be getting hotter, dryer and longer than previous years. If you are not using a drip Irrigation system , now’s the time to start. It’s a highly efficient method of watering your gardens and helps to conserve that precious resource.
The following are benefits of a drip irrigation system;
Water less: Studies show that a drip system will use less than 30% and in some cases up to 50% less water than other irrigation methods.
Less Weeds: By using drip irrigation and not sprinkler irrigation there are less weeds to weed which is another bonus. This means more time for surfing, fishing or lying in the hammock 🙂
Save time: For most people there are a number of activities that we would all like to do instead of watering with a hose. Drip systems eliminate the dragging of hoses and sprinklers. The system can operate with a simple shut off valve or you can install a timer and it all happens automatically.
Healthier Gardens: If you apply mulch in conjunction with your drip irrigation the plants grow quicker , healthier and utilize the water more efficiently. You can also utilize water soluble fertilizer feeding using a drip irrigation system. By applying water directly to the root zone and not wetting plant foliage there are less chance of fungus attacking leaf foliage.
When designing drip systems it is important to understand the differences in the various types of systems. Drip systems can include soaker hoses which are great for row crops such as pineapples, melons or a line of Hibiscus. However most gardens are not row crops so the need for other types of systems are important. These other drip systems use a politieleno tubing that have either micro tubing with drip stakes or have drip emitters placed in the main tubing. The general idea for any system is the drip irrigation move water at low pressure through tubing and distributes it to precise locations and specific plants in the garden. To utilize a drip system properly your initial garden design is extremely important. Designing your landscape properly from the beginning will allow you to design your drip system to work more efficiently, specifically you will not be watering a tropical flowering Heliconia in the same system as a drought resistant plant. However if you have an existing garden with different plants requiring individual watering requirements you can make some adjustments to the system where the heavier water requiring plants will not suffer from lack of water and your drought resistant plants will not receive overwatering. This requires a little more planning and using some other watering methods within the same system. Some other watering methods would be bubble type sprinklers which release more water using the same main drip tubing that the emitters or drip stakes use. Nonetheless the gardener is still following drip irrigation principles where the water is distributed directly to specific plants and the root zone.
The first step in designing a drip irrigation system is deciding what you want the system to water. Is it only for a small vegetable garden, dry xeriscape garden or will you use drip irrigation for your entire property?
Come by and visit or Home & Garden Center to see our drip irrigation system. We can help you design a system for you whether it’s a starter kit for a small garden or an overall design for a large property.
