Shopping checklist
Set up drip irrigation
Half day · Easy · 9 steps
Materials
| Done | Item | Quantity | SKU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip irrigation starter kit | 1 | Ask | ||
| Electronic water timer | 1 | 018171675002 | $51.99 | |
| Hose-bib backflow preventerIf your kit or timer doesn't include one | 1 | Ask | ||
| Pressure regulator and filterCheck the kit first | 1 each | Ask | ||
| Extra 1/2 in tubing, emitters, and stakes | As needed | Ask | ||
| Goof plugs | 1 bag | Ask | ||
| Mulch or decorative rock | To cover 2 to 3 in deep | Ask |
Tools
- Drip hole punch (often in the kit)
- Pruning shears or tubing cutter
- Tape measure
- Long screwdriver or soil probe
Before you start
- Call Arizona 811 (dial 811) at least two full working days before you dig. Buried gas, electric, water, and communication lines are marked for free, and it's required by state law.
- Do outdoor work in the early morning in summer. Drink water before you're thirsty, and know the signs of heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea.
- Black tubing and metal fittings left in the sun get hot enough to burn. Wear gloves.
- Always install a backflow preventer so irrigation water can't siphon back into your home's water supply.
Prices are current as of printing and may change. Bring this list to the counter, or call (928) 669-9254. If we don't have it, we can order it.
Set up drip irrigation
Run a hose-bib drip system with a timer so every plant gets slow, deep water at the roots. Uses a fraction of the water a sprinkler does in desert heat.
- Time
- Half day
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Category
- Garden
- Steps
- 9
Before you start
- Call Arizona 811 (dial 811) at least two full working days before you dig. Buried gas, electric, water, and communication lines are marked for free, and it's required by state law.
- Do outdoor work in the early morning in summer. Drink water before you're thirsty, and know the signs of heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea.
- Black tubing and metal fittings left in the sun get hot enough to burn. Wear gloves.
- Always install a backflow preventer so irrigation water can't siphon back into your home's water supply.
Step by step
- 1
Plan your zone
Sketch the bed and every plant you want to water, and measure the distance back to the faucet. Group plants with similar water needs on the same line; a cactus and a tomato shouldn't share a schedule.
- 2
Call 811 if you'll bury anything
Most hose-bib drip runs on the surface under mulch. If you plan to trench the main line, call 811 two full working days before you dig.
- 3
Build the head assembly
At the faucet, connect in this order: timer, backflow preventer, filter, pressure regulator, then the tubing adapter. The backflow preventer keeps garden water out of your drinking water, and the regulator drops house pressure to the 25 psi or so drip parts are made for. Check what your kit includes.
- 4
Lay the main line
Let the 1/2 inch tubing warm in the sun so it uncoils and lies flat. Run it along the bed near the plants and pin it down with stakes every 3 to 4 feet. Keep a single run under about 200 feet.
- 5
Add emitters at the roots
Punch holes in the main line with the hole punch and press in emitters, or run 1/4 inch tubing to plants farther away. Place emitters over the root zone, not against the stem. Give small shrubs one or two 1 GPH emitters; trees need several, and you'll move them outward as the tree grows.
- 6
Flush and cap the line
Turn the water on with the end open for a minute to flush out dirt, then fold the end and slip on the end closure. Plug any mistaken holes with goof plugs.
- 7
Test every emitter
Run the system and walk the line. Every emitter should drip steadily. Fix leaks at fittings and re-seat any emitter that's spraying.
- 8
Set the timer for deep, infrequent watering
Water long and less often so moisture reaches the full root zone: about 1 to 2 feet deep for shrubs and 2 to 3 feet for trees. Push a long screwdriver into the soil after a cycle to check. Established desert plants often need water every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter; new plantings need more for their first year.
- 9
Mulch and maintain
Cover the tubing with 2 to 3 inches of mulch or rock to slow evaporation and protect it from UV. Clean the filter monthly, change the timer batteries each spring and fall, and adjust the schedule with the seasons.
Pro tip
Set the timer to run before sunrise. Less water is lost to evaporation, pressure is steadier, and you can walk the line with a coffee in hand to catch a popped emitter before the heat does any damage.