Drip Irrigation versus Overhead Sprinkler Systems

When I was younger, my father installed a sprinkler system which was set to go on and off by a timer. Our yard was very lush and pretty, not to mention the plants grew large and plentiful. I’m new to gardening, but I would love to have a system that would work like the one my father designed and installed, but maybe perhaps be a little more eco-friendly. I think I found the kind of system I am talking about on DIY network’s show Desperate Landscapes. The landscaper installed drip irrigation. There are advantages and disadvantages of drip irrigation versus overhead watering. I think drip is supposed to be more expensive because it only lasts 1-2 years because of the wear of the materials. I would think that overhead watering would be more expensive. I’m going to have to look into this more, because I really would like to try the drip irrigation system. Supposedly it is harder to install properly because you have to take into consideration the soil type and how much water it needs not to mention what will be planted there. So hiring a landscape contractor is highly recommended. Also, for those who want to utilize gray water, the drip irrigation is great for this. If you read my blog about the earthships, they utilize gray water, so drip irrigation is probably the method of choice there.
This article written by Amy Smith compares the benefits of drip irrigation to overhead watering http://web.mit.edu/d-lab/resources/nciia_files/tb-di.pdf.
Below is a very helpful video about what you need to install drip irrigation including what kind of timers are available you can view it here:


Here is the direct link in case there is a problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSHimq_J33I