Drip irrigation system design guidelines

#Drip irrigation system design guidelines manual

Homeowners that travel frequently or are gone for extended periods during the summer may find it difficult to maintain a landscape using manual irrigation. During the hottest part of the summer turf may require irrigation three times a week to maintain a healthy appearance. High water use plants such as turf require more irrigation, applied more frequently, than the rest of the landscape. Once established, many water-wise plants may require only occasional supplemental irrigation during prolonged dry spells or during the hottest part of the summer. There are many inexpensive timers available for use with manual irrigation that can be attached to the hose bib that allow irrigation with multiple hoses, and have features such as multiple schedules, cycle and soak, and time of day watering.

If the area to be irrigated is kept small and regular in shape manual irrigation can be very easy to manage. Manual irrigation of small areas is more easily managed than irrigating large areas which may require moving hoses and sprinklers frequently. How you chose to irrigate your landscape will depend on several factors including the following: You may decide to use manual or automatic irrigation, or a combination of both. There are two basic ways to water: manually (hand watering) with hoses and sprinklers or nozzles, or automatically with clock-driven, in-ground irrigation. Important facets of landscape irrigation are shown below: A properly designed and well-managed system will apply water only when it is needed and only the amount necessary to replenish the soil moisture that has been lost due to evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the plants. Irrigation design consists of the type of sprinkler system (manual or automatic) and the layout of the sprinkler system. Good irrigation design and scheduling are essential for maximum water efficiency. In many areas of North America, a well-designed water-wise landscape can thrive with little or no irrigation water once it has been established. The water needs of the landscape are determined by the local climate, plant type, the time of year, and the desired quality of the landscape. The primary goal of installing a water-wise landscape is to reduce the need for supplemental irrigation while still maintaining a healthy and attractive landscape.

Drip irrigation system design guidelines