Teeka,
If you live close to Orlando, go to Leu Gardens and ask the Director - Robert Bowden - to show you their drip system around the roses.
He's a delightful rosarian and loves to show off their really nice system.
Kate

Hi Teeka: I just recently installed a drip/micro system and still have some of the receipts.

Our home came with an inground sprinkler system but in the interest of saving water and selectively watering flowers, I just installed the drip system.

Initially I bought 1/2" poly with in line drippers. However, it's stiffer and I found I had gaps because the "bends" had to be large to make turns, etc. But, all is not lost. I've since bought regular 1/2" poly and drippers and misters to use with it. Where there's a gap that I want to remedy in the in-line dripper system, I've just added misters or extra in-line drippers and am happy.

I'm using components of the "Mister Landscaper" system available at Lowes because there is a Lowe's very near me and, as expected, I've had to run back there for "more" of various parts.

Ignoring the poly with inline drippers, let's say I started with just regular 1/2" poly (which is what I did convert to). I ran this from my water source around my house just laying it on top of the ground (my beds are along the house). I didn't want to blow out the drippers because of high pressure and wanted to keep the line clean so the drippers wouldn't clog, so at the head of the line I installed a filter (about $10) and a 25 PSI pressure regulator ($7.56). Whereever I wanted to water a plant I either installed an inline dripper ($7.56 for a package of 10) or a stake assembly ($3.13) with a small full circle spinning mister ($3.77 for 5).

The stake assemblies are above ground and come with a small amount of 1/4" poly so you can attach them to the 1/2" poly feeder line. There were places where I needed more 1/4" poly line than was provided on the stake assembly so I bought a small roll of 1/4" vinyl tubing (? price) and connectors (again, receipt gone) to extend the secondary line and place the stake where it was needed.

The stake assemblies do not come with any type of mister so you must buy these separately. There are various types (depending on the spray pattern you wish).

The one thing I did which I would advise against was being too quick to mulch so as to "finish" the job. It's easy to see where the elevated misters are watering because the mulch is wet. But the inline drippers and their wet area are covered by mulch so I've had to probe through the mulch to find the drippers and see where it's wet. I should have waited on the mulch, run the system and evaluated the water pattern, corrected whatever needed correcting, and then mulched.

I did not attach a timer to the system, thinking I would just turn it on when the plants needed it. However, now that I'm going to be away for several days I'm sorry. I'll revert to the regular in ground system to keep my garden alive. When I return from my trip, I think adding a timer will be in the cards.

Home Depot also has these type systems from DIG corporation. Their web site is

http://www.digcorp.com

I also read that irrigation supply stores have components for drip systems.

I didn't do comparison shopping. I hope that the gas money I saved by only having to go to the nearer store, compensated for whatever I may have saved elsewhere.

June

Here is a link that might be useful: Mister Landscaper

The Mister Landscaper setup what what I saw at Waterpalooza. I was impressed by all the options, and plan to start with a line for my potted plants, and see how well it holds up to chickens and dogs(G).

Lisa

Sorry, I meant "was what I saw" not what what(G).

Lisa

The Hillsborough County Extension offers a Waterwise workshop that focuses on micro/drip irrigation. You can take home a starter kit afterwards. I took the class a few years ago, so I don't know for sure that it is still run the same way.

I use the Mister Landscaper products too. Their web site has lots of good info. It sounds a bit intimidating to get the setup going, but once you get started it is not difficult at all...just takes time. My next project is to tie a new drip system into one of my inground zones. One thing I've learned is that no matter how much measuring and planning I did, I still had to go back to Lowes for more stuff. I'm still tweaking what I put in last year and I'm ever so grateful for the "goof" plugs. And I agree with June...wait to mulch.

I've taken the workshop mentioned above and it was helpful but it is still very intimadating getting started. I've put in several systems over a couple of years at three houses. I use Mr. Landscaper and Dig (home depot) both. I got a timer I like that hooks up at the spigot and you run the black 1.5 inch polytubing right off the timer.

I'm not much on inline drippers I like to use the micro irrigation heads...many options there.

Jump in that's the only way you'll get wet...pun intended.

If you need to buy a large quantity of drip system materials, I'd recommend The Drip Store (see the link below). Their prices are far better than the big box stores, they also have a vast selection of materials. I've ordered twice from them and have been very happy with what I received.

But if you are taking on a small area (say up to 100 sq. feet), I'd stick with the what you find at the big box stores.

Here is a link that might be useful: Drip Store

I have an average size lot and use this for the vegetable garden and container citrus trees. I use the dig system with timers and LOVE it. I can't say enough good things about this type of system. I highly recommend the Adjustable Micro Sprayer Kit, plug $40 in extra fittings.

The kit contains a few 360 micro sprayers. You'll want more. They cost $2.50 for a bag of two. It also has an adequate amount of 1/2" poly tubing and 1/4" micro tubing. You need a back-flow device, pressure regulator, and punch, which all come with the kit.

You can get a cheap timer for $20 from Wmart which will save you $10-20. HD has a 20 page booklet on how to set up the dig system. I carefully read it 4 times before installing everything.

Hints and tips...
Use the micro sprayers instead of the drip emitters. Reason: emitters don't dispers water. You want the water to spread over the root ball which is NOT always at the base of the stem. Think citrus.

Always make the 1/4" runs 6-10 inches longer than you think you'll need. Reason: You want flexibililty. Plant stems grow, so you want to be able to move the water source. Plus, from year to year, you'll have different plants in different places.

I tend to favor the accessories that are adjustable.

The $10 trigger punch rusts, but the $2 does not rust.

Don't burry the emitters, they will get clogged if they are under the dirt.

Get extra 1/4" Barbed Tees and goof plugs.

Let the hose sit in the hot sun for 30 mins so it's more pliable. Your fingers WILL hurt putting together all those little barbed connectors.

The Orbit 62032 outdoor irrigation controller is simple, works well, and can run up to four separate watering zones from a single outdoor spigot. I bought mine at Home Depot. The basic system comes with two valves. Seems to me additional valves cost around $20 each a few years back.

You can control the water pressure to each zone by adjusting the manual valve on each of the four outlets of the brass plenum that comes with the controller. The trick is to set each valve so that the water pressure is high enough that all the drippers and minisprinklers on a circuit operate and low enough that no connections are blown apart. You can always use a pressure regulator but, in my experience, these are noisy, unreliable, and wasteful of water. They also limit your design options. (A backflow preventer, however, remains useful and probably required by law.)

If you have a traditional in-ground sprinkler system, you can get t- and other types of connectors in the drip-irrigation section of Lowes and elsewhere that will let you connect one or more 1/4" drip lines to your system. This is handy for irrigating foundation plantings and borders that your lawn system doesn't cover well. Winding a length of laser-drilled, 1/4" line through some shrubs is the simplest way to go. With enough water pressure you can splice a few mini-sprinklers onto a single length of 1/4" line. Quarter-inch drip lines are easy to bury in a lawn by cutting shallow trenches with an edger or a flat spade. Alternatively, you could probably just stick them down with ground staples and let the lawn grow over them. Running a 1/4" line from a traditional sprinkler system is an easy and effective way to automate the process of getting extra water to a newly planted tree during its first year in the ground.

I agree with all the advice above. Last summer I put in a system, all DIG from HD. Their book is worth picking up (it's free) before planning--they really lay out all the options. I went with HD because it is relatively close and familiar, but I am sure the Lowe's system or any other could be just as serviceable.

I spent about $250 and ran two zones down the sides and front of my 1.25 acre lot, running 1/4" lines out from there. I also converted two of my regular 4 zone system. I also ran drip lines throughout my veggie garden.

I have timers on the two peripheral zones, and for large areas they are invaluable! I put a filter ahead of the four-zone hose multiplier which cut down seriously on clogged micro-sprayers. This summer I will probably put a timer on the veggie run since it is all too easy to forget you have the system on! Not only does it waste water, but waking up at 2 a.m. with the "Doh! The drip line is still on!" panic is not fun.

Whoever said to jump in is right on. I set the system up in about two weekends, left it aboveground for about 4 months while testing and tweaking, then buried with a straight shovel (one width at a time) when I was happy with the set-up. I regularly dig down for the main line to add an outlet, but it is no problem at all.

Good luck.

I looked at videos first on website, then purchased Mister Landscaper products. I read their history and liked that they are Citrus Growers. I figured it works for them it would work for me. Love it! its inexpensive and does so much. I like the micro spray heads more than the drip. But I have drip going to my potted plants. I find it addictive! Well worth the investment and time.