Gardeners who want to lighten their impact on the environment — or just save money—may want to consider installing a drip irrigation system. Drip irrigation has many advantages over other forms of watering, including less wasted water, lower costs and less risk to your precious plants. Overhead watering can leave standing water on the foliage and flowers, and that extra moisture can be an invitation to disease for many garden plants.

Lay Out Your Plot

Before installing any drip irrigation system, carefully measure the area you want to cover. Measuring the garden plot you have to cover will help you determine how much piping you will need. When measuring your garden plot or flower bed, it is important to account for any odd-shaped areas, and it is important to always err on the high side. It is better to have a few feet of extra irrigation tubing left over than to be left scrambling to find more piping once the irrigation system is in place.

Choose Your Fittings with Care

The right fittings can make your drip irrigation system more effective and more efficient. Drip irrigation systems are designed to work with a number of different size fittings, so it is important to choose fittings that will be appropriate for your plants. If you are like many gardeners you grow many different plants and flowers in the same plot of land, and each variety of plant and flower may have different watering needs. Some plants will require a lot of water, while others will need less water. By choosing the right fittings for each part of the garden plot you can make sure that each plant and flower you grow gets just the right amount of water it needs.

Check the System Frequently

A properly installed drip irrigation system should not need a great deal of ongoing maintenance, but it is important for gardeners to check their irrigation systems on a regular basis. Leaking fittings could mean that your plants are receiving too much water, while clogged fittings could be robbing those plants of the moisture they need. Ignoring needed repairs or adjustments to the system could also waste water, negating the positive environmental and financial impact that drip irrigation can provide.

This system is easy to set up, and you can probably make it without having to buy too many things. It is also one of the most eco-friendly, water saving irrigation systems you could possibly install. For advanced repair though, you might want to hire the services of a professional home landscape service.