Mockturtle, I have done what you are proposing (if I understand your post correctly), in garden beds (in ground) and in large tubs (75L or so capacity), in order to deal with our seemingly perpetual drought and the water restrictions. Sometimes the only water available for the garden is water collected in the house while waiting for the hot water to come through, so I need to make sure it gets where it's needed. I've used plastic bottles and make a lot of holes with a heavy darning needle around the bottom third, then I buried the bottles with the neck sticking just above the mulch (keep the lid on when not watering if you want to stop snails from moving in or mulch/soil falling in. I would water about twice a week, or as needed. Obviously this would be a pain to do on a large scale. On a small scale it worked for me very well. The spacing of the containers depends on the plant's water needs - tender veggies vs mediterranean herbs, for example. And of course newly planted seedlings/seeds need different treatment! As far as the rate of flow from the container to the soil, it will obviously be way faster than an olla! It will depend partly on hole size and number, and over time I found it slowed a bit as dirt clogged some of the holes. A fast rate is not necessarily a problem, unless your soil is super-sandy. Provided there is organic matter there to hold onto the water and keep it in general the vicinity of the plants, I don't think it matters whether the water is released over 5 minutes or over a few hours. In fact, although I still use this method in the large pots, I have modified it for the current garden that I have - For the in-ground beds I have cut the bottom out of my plastic bottles and use them basically like a short pipe going through the mulch and into the soil. This type of subsurface watering works perfectly for me. I have a clay soil which I am progressively amending with organic matter, so I'm not worried about excessive drainage. For me the buried container was simply a convenient delivery system for the water, and also a handy way of knowing exactly how much water I was giving at each watering. Carrying water to 3 raised beds twice a week or so wouldn't be too much work for me, but then all my watering is manual because of water restrictions and the fact that I don't own the property and don't want to invest in an irrigation system that might not be appropriate for the next location. YMMV

Hi, I can't deny that a drip system has to be checked periodically, but the water savings are well worth it. In my own system, I have begun to use the drip bubblers that are adjustable from 0 to 6 gallons. While I haven't had a problem with one yet, all you have to do is to unscrew the top, let it flush out, and reinstall. The adjustable feature was a plant life-saver last year in our (usual) summertime drought. These bubblers are on a stake, are available in 180 or 360 degree models and put out little streams of water instead of a spray. I get them at a local irrigation supply firm. I've been lucky enough so far to get them at a contractor's price (a 25 pc bag for $13.00). I don't think DIG has this kind of bubbler, and anyway, my local Home Depot has sharply reduced the shelf-space (and selection) of DIG products. SHame on them. Be sure that your filter is of sufficient capacity (I use a DIG model from Home Depot) and that it is cleaned frequently. My water supply is city water and haven't really had a buildup of crud in the filter. When making new connections or splices, take xtra caution that nothing touches the dirt when working and that the line is flushed before adding drippers/sprayers/bubblers.

We have tried a number of watering systems. First - we tried 1/4" perforated tubing where there is a drip hole every 8" or so. We laid them down the sides and middle of each bed. We thought they did they worked the first year. Afterwards, we had dry spots. When I picked out the 1/4" tubing, we found the holes plugged with salts. Because I could not SEE the water, we decided to change the watering system to something on the top. Second - we plumbed 3/4" pvc for each bed. Risers every 24" or so. To flood the beds. We could see the water, but didn't get coverage as we wanted. Also, the flooding seemed too much water in such a short time, we had lots of water leakage. BUT, we can see when the water comes out of the risers and know that the plants are getting water. NOW - we are still using the above configuration but creating growing areas around each riser. Making a sort of bowl that fills with water slowly and gives the plants in each square plenty of water. This winter and spring this system has worked well. I can see the water. I can turn each bed on/off. I have control. Peace.

In my opinion, the best strategy is to drip only 2 to 3 times a weeks to the point that the soil gets entirely saturated. And only try to give the plant additional supplemental water in the Summer season, when it is especially hot and dry. If used in the proper way, a drip system can help make sure the lower soil levels get saturated, since the water is applied at a very slow rate that gives it time to seep down into the lower soil levels. If you just dry to use the hose, the top soil will get very wet (possibly muddy) but then all the rest of the water will just run off the surface.