Drip Irrigation Methods for Residential and Commercial Growers

As leaders in Drip Irrigation, we believe that Drip Irrigation is the the most effective and economical way to water a garden. It is arguably the most efficient method for delivering water to specific areas. From watering wide areas like row crops (using standard dripline or drip tape) to watering specific areas (using single emitter systems), drip irrigation offers you a variety of ways to water your garden. Drip Irrigation is the most versatile system you can use; it is extremely adaptive to your specific watering needs.

When designing your drip irrigation system, there are several methods to choose from.  Virtually all methods will provide excellent results but do vary in terms of their initial cost, durability, and ease of assembly.  There are also considerations such as the size of the operation that need to be addressed when choosing the right Drip Irrigation Method. 

We will now look at the most common Drip Irrigation Methods in use today and provide benefits and drawbacks of each method.  We have also provided in depth summaries of each method including illustrations and examples from actual installations we have provided design assistance for.

Single Emitter Drip Assemblies

Single Emitter Drip Assemblies offer excellent results and require little effort to set up.  We always recommend using Pressure Compensating emitters which are available in several outputs from .5 to 10 gph (2 – 37 lph) although .5 to 2 gph are most commonly used.

Assemblies are available fully assembled or can be made with the combination of an emitter, micro tubing (Netafim Super Flex is recommended for all assemblies) <link> and a barbed drip stake.  The emitter is then inserted/punched into the distribution tubing (solid drip line)<link>. 

Advantages:

• Low Cost and Simple Assembly.
• Versatile layout (you can add dripper as needed by simple putting another one in the distribution line).

Disadvantages:

• If emitters clog they need to be pulled and replaced in a new location on the distribution line, which may result in system replacement over time.

To see comparisons between our single emitters, please click here.

To see sample plans using individual emitters, please click here.

Adjustable Bubblers/Sprayers

Adjustable bubblers/sprayers are available in 180º or 360º versions. The bubblers' spray arc is adjustable which is useful to cover larger areas with stream spray than a single emitter assembly would. The 180º version has an adjustable radius of 3 inches to 1 foot. The 360º version has an adjustable diameter of 6 inces to 2 feet.

The bubblers are available for direct application into the supply line (DD-SR180B or DD-SR360B) or on a 5.25" stake (DD-SR180S or DD-SR360S). The staked version is excellent for shrub plantings, flowers beds, trees, and containers because it is situated up higher which creates a larger watering pattern.

Advantages

• Adjustability gives this product great versatility in meeting watering needs.
• Simple system design.

Disadvantages

• Superior flow rate means it uses a larger amount of water than a single emitter.

To see comparisons between our bubblers click here.

To see sample plans using individual bubblers click here.

Halo Drip Assemblies

Halo Assemblies are a rapidly growing segment of the drip irrigation industry. They were designed for optimal watering by surrounding the roots of an individual plant and provide gentle watering around the root ball.  Halo Assemblies can either be purchased as pre-formed Halo's (Netafim Netbow), or can be assembled from scratch using Drip Emitter Tubing with emitters built in at 6 or 12 inch intervals.

Advantages:

• Simple assembly.
• Uniform surface wetting for all round root development even at the surface.
• Can be used in conjunction with pressure compensating emitters at the header line for precision watering doses.
• Netafim Netbow employs superior Typhoon emitters with best in class anti-clogging.

Disadvantages:

• High water use, leading to increased zoning for the growing canopy.
• Higher overall cost than Single Drip Assembly set ups.

To see sample plans using halo irrigation click here.

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