I have drip irrigation for my flower beds and like it because it
delivers water precisely where I want it, but doesn't get the foliage wet.

For my vegetable garden, however, I went with pop-up sprinkler heads
along the edge. They deliver more water in less time, and my vegetables
don't care if their foliage gets wet. The main reason, however, is that
I want the flexibility to rotate my "crops", and I frequently add
organic material and till it in; with a drip system, I would have to
remove all the lines to till, or risk cutting them.

I see a lot of drip systems in the catalogues I get, but none of them is
automated enough for me. I like to have the irrigation done very early
in the morning so the water soaks in rather than being evaporated by the
sun, and a controller is very useful for this. Mine has a device that
is supposed to prevent sprinkling when it is raining, but it looks
pretty unsophisticated and I'm not sure it works since I'm never up that
early.

For the best equipment, go to the web sites of the manufacturers like
rainbird, toro, or hunter (I'm sure there are more; I'm only familiar
with rainbird) and review their tutorials on planning a system. Then
decide whether you want to do it yourself, or hire it done. The web
sites usually have references to irrigation supply centers near you,
where you can get a better grade of equipment, and good advice, than you
will find in the home centers. They should also be able to recommend an
installer if you want one.

Setting up a system may involve quite a lot, including some modification
of your plumbing, so unless you are handy, I think an installer is a
good option. I watched the installer put in my system in the back, then
put in the one in the front myself, using the knowledge I gained from
watching the pro. Two suggestions I have are to keep a good map showing
where everything is buried, and have drains build into your system, so
you don't have to pay someone to blow it out before freezing weather
sets in.

higgledy wrote:
I am thinking of installing a drip irrigation system for my vegetable
garden. Can anyone recommend an online source or a brand name I can
find locally?