Why drip irrigation is so good for your garden beds.

Watering your garden while saving your resources is the key here.

In summer, keeping a vegetable garden well watered means keeping the tap on near enough all day. But if you live in Queensland, the little rainfall we see in winter can make it seem like summer all year round.

That makes our finite resource ever more precious in spite of the few rainstorms that did pass through recently. In a conservation conscious area, this could mean a bit of creative planning, cutting back on raised beds or finding ways to reuse water.

However, if you irrigate your garden right, and your crops can continue to drink up without consuming too much of the city’s water supply. In fact, you’ll be able to tend your vegetable garden while saving water at the same time.

The beauty and basics of drip irrigation.

Most vegetables prefer soil that’s neither too soggy nor too dry. Overwater your plants and you could literally drown them in their own beds; underwater them and they’ll turn brown and brittle. But just how much is too much and how little is too little? How do you remember when and what to water, and what do you do when you’re away for a week?

Drip irrigation solves all of these dilemmas, even for people who live in climates with plenty of precipitation. Not only does drip irrigation supply the right amount of water necessary for your plants to thrive, it also delivers water right at the roots, where it’s most needed, and keeps water off the leaves, which helps prevent fungal diseases like powdery mildew and garlic rust.

Compared to sprinklers, which are only 65 percent efficient due to evaporation and runoff, drip irrigation is 90 percent efficient. You end up with fewer weeds, no wasteful runoff, and healthier plants, all with little to no maintenance once the system is fully set up for the season.

What’s even more valuable is the time you save by no longer hand watering. A drip system can be automated on a timer so that you simply set it and forget it. Schedule your drips to run early in the morning for a designated period of time, and your garden will be watered before you even get out of bed.

If you are interested in installing any kind of irrigation system then please feel free to get in touch. We'd be happy to pop over and discuss the options with you.