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Drip Irrigation
and Soaker Hoses
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by Anne Moss, HCMG |
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Now that sprinklers are
banned under Kerrville’s
Stage 3 watering
restrictions, home
gardeners need to be
thinking about other
watering options.
Drip irrigation and
soaker hoses are
two low-volume watering
methods, both
recommended under the
Texas Agrilife Extension
Service’s Earth-Kind
Landscaping program. The
advantages to these
irrigation systems is
that water soaks into
the ground slowly, and
is much less likely to
run off or evaporate, as
is the usual case with
sprinklers. An
additional benefit is
that the plant foliage
does not get wet, which
helps avoid fungal
diseases. |
 A
drip irrigation
system normally consists
of tubing with emitters
laid on top of the
ground. An emitter is a
smaller tube attached to
the main tube, allowing
the water to drip out
slowly. A typical
arrangement would be to
have one or sometimes
two emitters per plant.
The cost of a drip
irrigation system varies
widely, depending on the
area to be covered and
whether you set it up
yourself or have it
professionally
installed. Drip
irrigation systems that
come in kits are useful
for smaller areas or
container plants, and
can be attached to your
outdoor faucet. The kit
will usually include a
backflow preventer,
pressure valve, filter,
tubing and drip
emitters. Larger systems
that are professionally
installed will connect
directly to your water
system and may be laid
out in separate “zones”
to help even out the
water pressure and to
give you the choice of
watering all or only
part of the yard at a
time.
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A soaker hose is a porous
hose — often made from
recycled tires — that
allows the water to leak
out of tiny holes that
cover the entire hose.
Soaker hoses are usually
better suited to smaller
areas where there are
many plants close
together. The hoses come
in lengths of 10, 25, 50
feet and more, and can
attach to the end of a
regular hose. Soaker
hoses are generally run
for a shorter time than
drip irrigation because
the water runs out more
quickly. Soaker hoses
are cheaper and easier
to install yourself.
Make sure that the hose
is running on ground
that is lower than the
water source. |
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I use drip irrigation
for more permanent
plantings and soaker
hoses for temporary
plants such as
vegetables and my
“experimental” perennial
beds. The hoses are
easily moved from bed to
bed, if desired. I snake
the hose from one plant
to the next or wrap it
in concentric circles
around shrubs using
small rocks to keep the
hoses in place. |
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Both drip irrigation
tubes and soaker hoses
may be covered by 2-3
inches of mulch. |
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During Stage 3,
Kerrville prohibits
automatic irrigation
systems and hose-end
sprinklers, but permits
drip irrigation (along
with hand-held hoses,
buckets and watering
cans), from 6 - 9 am and
7 - 11 pm on any day.
See press release.
The watering
restrictions do not
mention soaker hoses at
all as being allowed or
prohibited. |
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Current water
restrictions in other
local communities: |
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City of Fredericksburg,
under Stage 2, allows
automatic irrigation
systems, sprinklers,
soaker hoses and drip
irrigation to be used on
3 specified days of the
week, and only during
certain morning and
evening hours. |
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San Antonio Water System
(SAWS), Stage
2, allows automatic
irrigation systems,
hose-end sprinklers and
soaker hoses on one
specified day of the
week, but drip
irrigation on any day,
with all watering to be
done only during certain
morning and evening
hours. Hand-held hose
watering may be done
anytime. |
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City of Austin,
Stage 2, allows all
types of landscape
watering, including
sprinklers, drip and
soaker systems, but only
on one specified day of
the week, and only
during certain morning
and evening hours. |
More watering options:
The
Treegator ® and the
Treegator ® Jr. Pro are
heavy-duty plastic bags
that are filled up with
your garden hose. The
water then drips from
two emitters underneath
the bag over a period of
several hours. The
Treegator® holds up to
20 gallons of water and
can be used on trees up
to 4 inches in diameter,
or two bags can be
zipped together for
trees up to 8“ diameter.
The Treegator® Jr. Pro
holds up to 15 gallons
of water and can be used
on a tree or shrub with
a trunk up to 6 inches
across. These work best
where there is a level,
mulched surface. See
www.TREEGATOR.com for
more information. |
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Treegator ®
Treegator ® Jr Pro
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