What is the Best Irrigation System? Ask Lan-Con.

Drip irrigation is all about delivering the correct amount of water to a specified area in your yard or garden in an efficient manner. Drip irrigation works by slowly dripping water slowly onto the soil, one drip of moisture at a time.

The effectiveness of drip irrigation comes from two key factors. The most important is that before the water can evaporate or run off, it soaks into the soil. The other factor is that unlike traditional spraying techniques, you can put the water precisely where it is needed one drop at a time. Although a drip system is simple to design and install, to maximize its efficiency decisions need to be made related to the types of plants in the landscape design, developing an ideal watering frequency for them, including deciding on the types of emitters needed, as well as working with the plot elevations and overall design, all factors that would best be assessed by Lan-Con's experts.

While sprinkler systems can be as much as 75-85% efficient, drip systems typically are 90% or higher and can reduce water usage by up to 50%. As indicated above this means much less wasted water and, for this reason, a drip system is the preferred method of irrigation in our Valley of the Sun. It is easy to design, easy to install (although the soil in our area makes it hard work), can be relatively inexpensive, and can reduce disease problems associated with high levels of moisture on some plants.

The most common drip system used in the Valley utilizes a thin plastic tube that runs through the garden or yard and from it are attached thinner tubes that terminate in emitters. These emitters are plastic nozzles that allow the water to escape as a trickle. Usually there is at least one emitter for each plant.

Drip irrigation systems are commonly installed with timers, which allow our clients to deliver water at specific times. They, also, adapt easily to variations in the landscape and can be used in containers. As well, drip systems can be configured to mist and provide humidity.