Water your garden efficiently, one drip at a time

As gardeners, we are often torn between wanting to provide all the water our plants need to stay healthy, and knowing we also need to conserve water. Drip irrigation is the practical solution to that creative tension.

With drip systems, water is applied directly to the area of newly planted seeds or to a plant's root zone, so there is almost no water loss from wind or general evaporation.

Drip irrigation can be used to water veggies and herbs, annual flowers, perennials and shrub beds. Drip systems are also practical because they can provide automatic watering for hard-to-reach places. The small tubes can be routed to hanging baskets as well as containers on the porch or patio.

Many of us have automatic sprinklers that take care of the lawn when we're away, but still have to ask a neighbor to water the flower pots. With a drip system, all of your plants can be watered automatically--and the neighbor will be glad to know she's off the hook.

Since it requires very little water pressure, drip is usually an easy add-on to an existing sprinkler system. Three basic types of drip irrigation include:

• Micro sprays which emit a mist of water. These sprays are very effective to keep the soil moist while seeds are germinating. They are also good for misting certain veggie crops like lettuce.
• Laser tube is placed on top of the soil and emits water directly from the tube. It is effective around the base of plants like tomatoes. It can also be run to hanging baskets and patio containers.
• Sub-surface irrigation, as the name suggests, is placed underneath the soil and emits water in the root zone of the plants.

Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC