To understand how drip irrigation works, you need to know how your garden’s soil affects the flow of water from the emitters, how roots absorb moisture and nutrients, and how plants respond to wet and dry cycles.

• Get to know your soil p. 13
• Where roots drink and eat p. 14
• The wet and dry cycles of root growth p. 15
• Soils often aren’t very deep p. 16
• Frequent, shallow watering is best p. 16
• Drip irrigation improves yields and growth – everywhere p. 16

Kourik discusses the basic elements of a drip irrigation system – the ‘stuff’ as he calls it.

• The main assembly p. 19
• The backflow preventer p. 19
• The filter p. 22
• The pressure regulator p. 23
• Different ways to drip you landscape p. 24
• Porous hose p. 25
• Laser tubing p. 27
• In-line emitters p. 29
• Flow rates compared p. 31
• Miscellaneous stuff p. 32

Kourik provides an example of how to design a basic irrigation system for a single home residential property using the components discussed in the previous chapters.

• Checking your water supply p. 35
• Controlling your drip system p. 37
• Putting the assembly together p. 39
• Laying out the drip irrigation hose p. 41

Kourik reveals the science around irrigation specifically how to adequately water vegetation plant types, size of the vegetated area under irrigation, soil profiles and climate evapo-transpiration rates (abbreviated as ET).

• Deep roots doesn’t mean deep watering p. 49
• Soils aren’t always deep p. 50
• Irrigate frequently p. 50
• Frequent irrigation can use less water p. 50
• How long to water p. 51
• ET-based irrigation p. 51
• Refining ET-based irrigation rates p. 54
• ET facts for trivia buffs p. 56

Much of the drip irrigation system is installed below ground to keep unsightly hoses and assembly parts from view.

• Now you can begin p. 60
• Plumbing the main assembly at ground level
• Attaching the main assembly to the hose
• Using one main assembly for several sections of your landscape

Kourik discusses the ins and outs of providing drip irrigation for plants ground in containers.

• Trickle your pot’s fancy p. 71
• Small pots p. 72
• Medium pots p. 72
• Installing drip in small and medium pots p. 73
• Large pots p. 76
• Hanging up drip emitters p. 76
• Segregating your drip system p. 77

Kourik discusses the specific needs of established trees and shrubs including orchards.

• Drip irrigation for good and healthy root growth p. 79
• Evaluating drip-irrigation emitters p. 80
• Drip irrigation for landscape trees p. 80
• Irrigating all the tree’s feeder roots p. 81
• How much water? p. 82
• Drip irrigation of shrubs p. 84

Kourik discusses the specific needs when irrigating vegetable beds in particular adapting a system to meet the planting/harvesting cycle.

• The spaghetti nightmare p. 88
• In-line emitter tubing with raised vegetable beds p. 89
• Drip for vegetable beds without wooden boxes p. 93
• Small-gauge drip tubing p. 94
• Row crops and drip irrigation p. 95
• How often and how long to water your vegatable beds p. 95

Kourik discusses the use of grey water, the household water from dishwashing or taking a shower, in the garden. Note: Using grey water for irrigation is subject to the norms and regulations within your governmental jurisdiction.

• Is grey water a health risk? p. 97
• The reality to exposure to cooties p. 98
• Safe cleaners and soaps for a GWS p. 98
• Grey water and drip irrigation p. 99
• The basics of grey water use in landscape p. 99
• The basic components of a GWS p. 99
• Grey water collection pipes p. 100
• The surge tank p. 101
• Switching valve p. 102
• The distribution valves p. 104
• Sump pumps p. 104
• Sump pump specifications p. 105
• The drip hardware p. 106

Kourik discusses the collection and storage of rainwater for irrigation. Rainwater tanks provide free water for irrigation. Although the discussion is basic compared to the Australian context where water collection and storage is big business, it is worth thinking how simple water collection can be implemented in general for the residential garden.

• Modern reasons for a cistern p. 109
• Drought-proof you garden with a cistern? Maybe yes, maybe not p. 110
• Rain barrels p. 111
• The cost of storing ‘free’ rainfall p. 111
• Delivery p. 112
• How much water can your roof collect? Plenty! p. 113
• Caring for your tank p. 114
• How to experiment with drip irrigation p. 114

You can control irrigation using manual timers but when managing the irrigation of multiple locations with different watering requirments, automated solutions may achieve better efficiencies.

• Your first digital timer p. 117
• A twist of a wrist p. 117
• Manual-on, Automatic-off timers p. 118
• Computerized, digital irrigation timers p. 119
• Faucet-mounted, microchip timers p. 119
• Multistation, Truly ‘digital’ timers p. 120
• Multistation digital timer p. 122
• Controlling the flow of water p. 124
• The future of controllers and timers is heare and coming p. 125
• Weather-based controllers p. 127
• New vistas in drip tubing, perhaps p. 129
• UniRam p. 129

Maintenance of the irrigation system is paramount to ensure that it continues to operate satisfactorily. Local climactic conditions can effect a maintenance schedule particularly where winters are extended and below freezing.

• Flush your troubles away p. 131
• A filthy filter is a terrible waste p. 132
• Give your system some acid p. 133
• Winterize your drip system p. 135
• Tidy tips for your drip system p. 136
• Keeping your drip stuff together p. 136