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Unless you're a landscaping pro like we are at Southern Love, your yard is probably not the first thing you think about when you get up in the morning or your #1 priority throughout the day. But that doesn't mean it doesn't matter to you or that you won't be upset if you lose a plant you love. Forgetting to water your landscaping is a common problem. Drip irrigation solves it and provides many other benefits of which you may be unaware. So today, we're telling you how your Round Rock home can benefit from an irrigation system and answer some common questions people have when irrigation comes up.
Irrigation Defined
You probably have some idea about what irrigation is. Merriam-Webster defines it as "the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth," though that may bring to mind chemicals rather than water. In this case, artificial means through the help of man instead of relying solely on nature.
The culture that first developed irrigation techniques is somewhat disputed, but in many ways, irrigation allowed society as we know it to begin developing. Without the ability to grow our crops, humans would have been unable to settle in one place and specialize in different career paths.
By its definition, irrigation could even include transporting water by bucket though more typically, ancient cultures used a series of canals, and today we use plumbing.
What is Drip Irrigation?
While you may already have had a passing knowledge of irrigation and been aware of sprinklers, drip irrigation systems may be less familiar. It's a system that uses underground piping to water plants directly at their roots. It's the other primary irrigation option beyond sprinkler systems.Irrigation Benefits
If you have yet to irrigate your land, you are missing out on the many advantages it offers your landscape, environment, and you, yourself, the homeowner. While you may know that watering your plants matters, how irrigation improves the process may surprise you.Economic
Irrigation systems save you money, but why? People have difficulty watering the correct amount for each area of their lawn. Most homeowners, when watering manually, eyeball it, and as a result, we tend to overdo it. Unfortunately, that means that we waste water and potentially damage our plants. Irrigation systems water the perfect amount, and drip irrigation, in particular, takes even less water because it avoids much of the evaporation that can occur when watering the surface. Saving water means a lower water bill.Ecologic
The most surprising benefit of irrigation (especially to those whose first image of it is an 18-hole luxury golf course with sprinkler blazing) is that it's better for the environment. Again, the reason is it eliminates human error. It also prevents plant death and requires less fertilizer and weed killer.Convenience
Finally, having an irrigation system means you no longer have to think about watering. You won't forget or have to get someone to do it for you when you leave town. Plus, you never have to go out on a blazing hot day or when you don't feel like getting off the couch.When is Drip Irrigation Appropriate?
There's not really a wrong place to use drip irrigation. It's suitable for most landscaping. A better question might be, "when can you use sprinklers?"
Sprinklers are less efficient than drip systems but can be more economical. The best time you can get by with sprinklers is when you have a large amount of level land. Water can pool in the wrong places when the land isn't level.
It's also vital all the plants are the same or similar enough that they need the same amount of water.