Whenever we talk about gardening, there’s always stress over watering your plants with adequacy; you can’t water too much, you can’t water too little, you need to water just right to let the plant flourish with beauty & joy! Although there are manual ways to hydrate one’s greenery, one can also seek automated watering methods, like easy garden irrigation. Here, we will understand the intricacies of India's top 10 drip irrigation systems!
What Is A Drip Irrigation System?
A drip irrigation system is a machine that allows a slow-paced watering system to pour water into the soil one drop at a time. This type of irrigation is also known as trickle irrigation due to its trickling technique of transferring water to the soil and the plant’s roots. It is a highly effective method of keeping the plants hydrated and moist at all times with total control and consideration of several plant’s preferences.
The Chinese people implemented something close to a drip irrigation system in ancient times, where they used to bury water-filled, unglazed clay pots under the soil surface. It was finally in the mid-eighteenth century when German researchers started discovering ways to adopt the age-old Chinese technique of sub-surface irrigation. These days, this technique has taken a modern turn, and we can even see the best automatic garden watering systems! The drip irrigation system benefits the world by conserving ample amounts of water every day!
What Are The Components Of Garden Drip Irrigation Systems?
Drip irrigation systems owe everything they are to the components placed inside the systems. Each of these parts has a huge role in the proper and smooth functioning of the watering systems. Here’s how tiny hands join together to make a magical whole:
➤ The first component is the water source from which the water will be carried on for the plants. It can be a well, city supply line, cisterns, and taps in our backyards.
➤ The water is carried from the water source using pumps which create enough pressure to suck the water out of the water source and distribute it evenly in the landscape. These pumps come in several sizes and types, depending on the requirements of the gardeners. They either need an electric supply or the sun’s power to operate.
➤ Filters are a really crucial part of a drip irrigation system due to their ability to filter out the waste particles that travel from the open water sources. Although one can choose from three types of filters, it is always better if the filter is easily cleanable.
➤ Backwash controllers are the ones that prevent the water from traveling back to the water source and contaminating that area.
➤ The water is taken from the source to the greenery through plastic tubes. These tubes come in several colors and lengths, but black is ideal for outdoor placement.
➤ Pressure control valves are required to adjudge the optimal pressure at all times to ensure the water is dripping in an effective manner.
➤ Other fitting accessories come into the picture when connecting two tubes and drippers are needed. These accessories include caps, couplers, elbows, etc.
➤ Without emitters or drippers, a drip irrigation system would be useless. As the name suggests, these emitters emit water to the crops and come in several sizes available per the crop’s size and requirements.
➤ One may install a chemical injector in the system to pour chemical fertilizers or organic fertilizers into the crop directly using the drip method.
➤ Smart devices like the meter and timer make for an important member of the drip irrigation system. The meter tells you the volume of water dispersed in the ground, and the timer helps manage the watering supply, including time intervals and water density based on the weather.
What Are The Types Of Popular Drip Irrigation Systems?
With the advent of technology, the gardening industry developed four broad categories of drip irrigation systems to ensure all sorts of plants get optimum hydration while we save water and are environmentally friendly! Read further to learn about the different types of drip irrigation system list:
➥ Surface Drip Irrigation
As the name implies, this type of drip irrigation requires layering tubes along the surface of crops to hydrate them from the surface level. This saves a lot of water and ensures the roots receive adequate hydration without the risk of soil erosion. It is well-suited for orchards and row-cropping gardeners.
➥ Subsurface Drip Irrigation
This subsurface irrigation system targets the surface under the propagated plants and layers tubes inside the soil with emitters. Alike the surface method, it is suitable for row crops and orchards, but the installation costs will be a bit higher than the former. Due to underground layering, there is no soil erosion or sprouting of unrequired growths called weeds.
➥ Inline Drip Irrigation
It is a modern take on the greenhouse irrigation method where the tubers carry the emitters, pouring water onto the plants. This system assists in conserving water and keeping the soil adequately moist. However, regular maintenance is required to clean and unclog the system. One may choose this system for backyard and home gardens.
➥ Micro Sprinkler Irrigation
Just as a spray bottle is used to mist the plants manually, the micro-sprinkler system does the same in an automated manner. Its tubes are attached to mini sprinklers that delicately throw the water droplets over the greenery. This micro irrigation system is extremely beneficial for vegetable gardens due to its excellent coverage. Unlike other systems, water evaporation is the most common in this one.
Top 10 Drip Irrigation Systems and Accessories in India:
Not everyone appreciates the technical aspects of gardening, as most of us take this habit for purely aesthetic and therapeutic reasons. We have tailored a list of the top 10 drip irrigation systems from Plantlane. Feel free to review the list of best drip irrigation systems and different type of drip irrigation systems:
1. Micro Drip Kit For Potted Plants
One of the best choices for home gardens and potted plants, this system can easily and quickly hydrate at least twenty potted plants accurately and precisely. It is also perfect to set up when leaving the town for a vacation or a wedding! The Premium Drip Irrigation system assists in setting the timer for your plants’ watering schedules and staying carefree for the rest of the day!
2. Micro Drip Kit With Timer
This drip irrigation kit will ensure you don’t need watering cans and an irrigation hose for garden! It contains everything that will be needed to hydrate your potted plants on a timely basis, especially with the watering timer. The Gardener's Micro Drip Kit is easy to install and use, plus it is built meticulously to aim at the plant’s thriving growth precisely.
3. DIY Micro Drip Kit
Are you up for a quick do-it-yourself gardening regime? This one will not nudge you to get your hands dirty as the vegetable growing kit would, but it would rather challenge your hardware skills. However, the good part is that you don't need any plumbing skills to complete this DIY irrigation system for garden! It is easy to put the Gardener’s Micro Drip Kit For 20 Pots (DIY Kit) into a single piece and operate afterward; plus, you can always customize this irrigation system per your plant’s changing needs!
4. Drip Irrigation Kit For Home Irrigation
The life savior of urban gardeners, this drip irrigation system will ensure your garden flows with love and laughter. This kit will cover a larger space, hydrating at least fifty plants together. The Drip Irrigation Kit For Home Irrigation is easy to put together and helps conserve a huge chunk of water on a daily basis. You can use it to hydrate the plants in your backyard, balcony, terrace, etc.
5. Automatic Drip Irrigation Kit
Growing a garden is all fun and games till the concern for adequate watering arises! This is where this irrigation system steps in to prevent unnecessary mess due to using a drip hose for garden and unrequired water loss due to manual watering of plants. The Automatic DIY Drip Irrigation Kit With Timer allows us to assemble and install our own drip irrigation system at home without hassle! It is perfect for hydrating the houseplants and flowering buddies!
6. Garden Watering Kit
This hydration kit allows one to conserve water while keeping the greenery well-hydrated with its unique watering system. It is suitable for home and office gardens for soil-based greenery and potted plants like bonsai, houseplants, etc. Keep the garden area neat & clean with this Garden Watering Kit, available at affordable prices! It is a valuable system for all working gardeners who can’t find enough time to remember strict watering schedules for plants!
7. Rain Pipe
The Rain Pipe with Cock, Joiner, End Cap, and Drill Bit is an amazing addition to any garden. It is incredibly useful for home gardeners as well as commercial gardeners who grow crops in a large landscape. One may customize the length of this system by joining more pipes into it. It uses less energy, saves a lot of energy, and conserves water simultaneously. This system is primarily used for spraying water on a large landscape.
8. Ball Valve Drip Irrigation Timer
With modernization stepping into the gardening world, we have several unique, super-valuable inventions. One such invention is the Ball Valve Drip Irrigation Timer (LCD Display and Rain Sensor Port), which allows one to set a particular watering time and frequency and change the credentials whenever required! Who knew that watering plants would one day depend on an electronic device?
9. Main Supply Line Pipe
What’s an irrigation system without the supply line pipe, right? This Agriculture Drip Irrigation Main Supply Line Pipe is here to have your back as you connect the main water source to the micro irrigation system. The material used is premium and safeguards itself from harmful UV radiation. It comes in several sizes, so one can use it according to the area and other external factors.
10. Tee Connector
One of the most useful components of a drip irrigation system, the tee connector, is used to channel the water in different directions. It comes in the shape of a T, so it will divert the water into three different tubes when connected with the tubes. The Tee Connector for Drip Irrigation - Barbed Type is a useful drip irrigation accessory for any gardener! It is a durable product built with premium material to last for ages!
Overall, the drip irrigation systems for outdoor plants will change how you water your plants and how they respond to that watering. This system allows one to relax in leisure while taking care of the meticulous hydration requirements of different plants. The top 10 drip irrigation tools come in several sizes; one can even DIY them alone!
FAQs About The Top 10 Drip Irrigation Systems
Ques: Which Soil Is Suitable For A Drip System?
Ans: A garden irrigation system is suitable for almost all types of soils, from sandy to clay-ey.
Ques: How Long Should I Keep The Drip Watering System On?
Ans: The timeframe for watering your plants will depend on various factors, from weather, crops, watering prerequisites, etc.
Ques: Which Material Is Best For A Plant Irrigation System?
Ans: Although all drip line irrigation systems are excellent, the ones made with polyethylene are the most flexible in their working and pretty durable.
Ques: Will I Need To Repair Or Maintain My Drip System For Garden?
Ans: These systems are designed to hydrate your plant on a timely basis with effective precision, but as with most machines, they will also need at least a yearly maintenance where you check the filters and any broken components.
Ques: Can I Remove The Drip Irrigation For Home Garden?
Ans: Yes, the best part of drip irrigation for garden is that you can remove the installed system and re-install it whenever and wherever required.