“Irrigation” is a word most often associated with farms and other large-scale agriculture. For many of us, home gardens are generally watered by hand or with a hose, both of which we’ve discussed elsewhere. However there are some great irrigation options for the home gardener, and whether you’ve got an ornamental garden, a vegetable plot, or a container garden there’s likely an irrigation option that can work for you. So let’s dig in and learn about irrigation systems for home gardens and how we can make use of them.
Let’s start with a quick definition of what irrigation is and how it generally works. Irrigation is a controlled method of delivering water to plants that need it. This could be a garden, an agricultural field, an orchard of trees, or a lawn depending on the need. Irrigation systems are some of humanity’s oldest engineering achievements, with examples dating back into prehistory. Some of these were elaborate indeed, spanning nations and linking vast regions together. We don’t need anything on that scale for our home gardens, but it’s interesting to know how complex irrigation systems can be.
Many of you already have an irrigation system of sorts in place: sprinkler systems are a popular addition to lawns and landscaped areas due to their easy of use and the convenience they offer: flip a switch and your grass gets the water it needs! These can work well, but they generally require installation from either a professional or an experienced DIY-er. They’re also subject to code restrictions and limits on water usage, particularly in drier locales and at hotter times of the year. As with all irrigation options, whether or not an in-ground sprinkler system is the right choice for you depends on your circumstances and needs, but these are a few things to be aware of.
There are of course other irrigation options, some of which lend themselves to easier user installation. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are both fairly easy for gardeners and home owners to install themselves, and both are efficient means of watering your plants, albeit with slightly different uses cases. Drip irrigation, designed for desert environments, feeds directly from your home’s water supply. It consists of a series of hoses and flow reduction devices that connect to feeder lines and drip feeders, which, when operational provide a steady drip of water to the base of the plants. Of all the options we’ll discuss here, drip irrigation is the most efficient, delivering up to 90% of the water used directly to your plant. They can be adapted for use in veggie garden beds, raised beds, container gardens, or landscaping. For folks in hot places, on well water, or with other water restrictions, drip irrigation is an important option to consider. The down side to drip irrigation systems is that while they lend themselves well to a DIY approach, they can be pricey to implement in larger garden spaces.
Soaker hoses are a related technology, albeit a slightly less directed one. Rather than focusing the water on the roots of each individual plant, soaker hoses are sections of garden hose with many tiny holes or perforations in them. These openings allow water to “soak” out from the house gradually and saturate the soil. Soaker hoses may be used in either vegetable or ornamental gardens. While not as water-efficient as drip irrigation, soaker hoses can be very effective for irrigating landscaping and ornamental flower beds especially when combined with good mulch or other ground cover. Soaker hoses are also cheaper and easier to install than either drip irrigation or in-ground sprinklers, which may be an important consideration for some gardens. The only noteworthy disadvantage to soaker hoses is that they may clog easily , especially on well water, and will require some regular maintenance to keep them flowing freely.
Hand watering, by via hose or water can, is a perennially popular option with gardeners of all sorts. While time consuming, it can be fairly efficient if done properly and gives us time with our plants and in our garden spaces. For small gardens or container gardens, it may be the ideal solution and combine with a rain barrel can be quite cost-effective. It does require some physical exertion, so older gardeners or those of us with mobility limitations may need to plan around that. Hand watering is a form of irrigation that’s always accessible and may be the best place to start for many gardeners.
As always there’s no single “correct” solution; it’s your garden and you get to decide what approach works for you. We do hope this blog helps you understand your options and how you might go about implementing them and as always you can reach out if you have any questions. Gardzen is all about community and we love to hear from you!
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