Our nation’s landscapes are growing smarter and greener using less water. For years, water efficiency has played a key role in landscape design in the desert southwest and other dry climates of the United States. But today landscape professionals, educators, and homeowners in even our most luxuriant climates are recognizing water as a limited commodity that demands protection and conservation. Waterwise gardening is a permanent addition to our landscaping vocabulary, and micro irrigation is taking center stage.

Originally developed to serve the agriculture industry, micro irrigation is now becoming a staple in commercial landscaping. Whether you’re talking micro sprays, mini sprinklers, misters, bubblers, or dripper tube, all low-volume irrigation systems have one thing in common: they deliver water slowly under low pressure. Flow rates are measured in gallons per hour (gph) instead of gallons per minute (gpm). They also deliver water at or near the root zone and direct it to desired plants instead of to surrounding weeds, sidewalks, and structures.

“There’s an increased awareness throughout the country that drip irrigation can save tremendous amounts of water,” says Janet Reilly, landscape drip marketing manager for Rain Bird. “There’s also a growing tendency toward legislation that would regulate irrigation.” Municipalities are stepping in and regulating everything from the times people can irrigate to the types of irrigation systems they can install to the actual plant material they can choose.

Photo courtesy: Aquarius Brands

Mike Jacobson, Florida sales manager for Aquarius Brands, agrees. “Here in Florida, a number of counties are mandating that a certain percentage of irrigation be devoted to drip irrigation.” Even in areas where micro-irrigation is not mandated, these systems are typically exempt from watering restrictions and can continue to operate when other systems are put on hold.

In light of legislation and increased environmental awareness, it’s no wonder that drip irrigation is growing by leaps and bounds. But David Levy, president of DIG Irrigation Products in Vista, California, points out that there’s more to micro irrigation than water conservation. “The use of micro irrigation is growing throughout the country, not just in areas with water restrictions or shortages. This is partly because low-volume irrigation has other benefits besides just saving water. Experienced gardeners and growers know that the heavy clay soils found in many parts of the country simply cannot absorb water as fast as sprinkler systems deliver it, which can result in shallow root zones, lack of oxygen in the soil, and run-off or pounding problems. By applying water at a lower, slower rate, drip or low-volume irrigation systems are better suited to irrigate most plants in heavier, denser soils.”

Low-volume irrigation contributes to plant health in other ways too, says Levy. “There are many plants and trees (i.e., roses and vegetables) that actually do better when water is kept off the foliage and applied slowly and directly to the soil surface and root zone.”
Micro irrigation systems also offer a tremendous level of design flexibility. Low-flow systems can easily follow the contours of narrow and irregular beds and they can meet the moisture needs of several different kinds of plants in one area.

Getting smarter about water
Landscape professionals who are fluent in the language of micro irrigation are playing an important role in bringing waterwise gardening to their community…and bringing more customers to their business.

Photo courtesy: Maxijet

There are several types of low-volume irrigation systems from which to choose. Micro sprinklers and micro sprayers, like those manufactured by Maxijet in Dundee Florida, are like low-volume, low-profile versions of an overhead system. Water is delivered at a slower rate and closer to the ground through several small spray jets connected by flexible tubing. The slow rate allows for deeper watering than overhead systems with minimal runoff. The flexibility of the system and variable diameter and shape of spray allows for more precise watering. Micro sprays are a good choice in dense planting areas.

In-line drip tubing or drip tape is also used in dense planting beds. It includes emitters that are molded directly into the walls of the tubing at regular intervals. Tubing is buried under mulch or just below the soil. Like overhead watering, it is designed to provide uniform coverage, but it is more efficient because it delivers water at a slower rate directly to the root zone, reducing runoff and evaporation.

For sparse plantings, drip emitters offer point source irrigation. This practice delivers water directly to the root zone of each plant or small group of plants without watering any soil in between. Using a variety of emission devices with different flow rates allows for the delivery of different volumes of water to each plant in the same run time.

“One way contractors can differentiate themselves from others is by gaining a greater understanding of point source irrigation,” says Reilly. “By delivering water directly to each plant, you’re meeting the exact watering requirement of each species.” Following this practice, designers must learn the needs of each plant and then build a system around those needs. “This takes a little more work on the design side,” says Reilly, “but it really plays into water efficiency and plant health.” Contractors who develop expertise in point source irrigation are in a much better position to market a project that emphasizes plant health, environmental conservation, and cost-savings for the client.

Whatever type of system you choose, low-volume irrigation has clear advantages: water conservation and cost savings are the most obvious benefits, but it doesn’t stop there. With micro irrigation plants grow much more quickly, weed growth and disease are discouraged, maintenance is easier and liability is reduced.

Photo courtesy: Aquarius Brands

Linda Sires, owner of Ridgeway Gardens, a design-build landscape firm in Renton, Washington, has been a strong advocate of waterwise landscaping since she started her business in 1993. While the words “Pacific Northwest” often conjure up images of lush emerald forests dripping with moss and moisture, drought is a reality even in this land of temperate rainforests. The summer of 2005 brought one of the worst droughts in the region’s history. Needless to say, water conservation is a hot topic even there, but for Sires, micro-irrigation has always been the right thing to do.

“I’m very big into water conservation and lowering my liability,” says Sires. “There’s liability associated with trenching in areas with buried utility lines and cable.” Micro irrigation systems help contractors avoid these risks because they lie above traditional systems. Sires combines systems to get maximum efficiency with less risk. “You can bring water to the area using a traditional buried system, then couple it with a drip system in the zone where you’re likely to run into lines and cables.” Low-volume systems also reduce liability by directing water to only the plants, eliminating the problem of water on sidewalks and buildings.

Concern for liability is just one factor that compels Sires to use low-volume systems. Her passion for water conservation and environmental responsibility is another. She promotes the use of ground cover over turf in many lawns, and finds that low-volume systems are perfect for these applications. She uses either Netafim dripperline or Rain Bird pop-up low-volume spray systems. “The drip line is buried and the micro spray drops down to ground level when it’s not in use so you can walk right over it,” Sires notes.

Sires points out that micro irrigation is especially helpful for conserving water in areas with poor soils. “If you have an impervious sub-soil, an in-ground system will discharge far too much water. You’ll have standing water or water running off in very little time. This is water that the homeowner is paying for. It’s a huge waste of money for the family.”

“Seattle presents this type of soil frequently,” says Sires. “People are building on very poor soils with impervious conditions. One alternative is to bring in new soil. Another alternative is to simply put in a conventional system and let the homeowner deal with the problem. Some contractors simply don’t care what happens down the line. I can’t do that.”

Sires says that her expertise enables her to educate her clients and help them make the best choice. “Ultimately it’s the client’s decision, but we feel it’s important to make them aware of these issues and their options for solving them. We tell them, why put in an overhead system when most of the water is going to run off. Instead you can put in a drip system that will save seventy percent on the water bill.”

Spreading the word
Jennifer Waxman-Loyd, marketing analyst for Antelco, agrees that adequate education is one of the most important factors in the successful marketing of drip irrigation. “Contractors and dealers must be educated enough to demonstrate the benefits of drip irrigation to consumers…not only the cost savings but about how much healthier their plants will be, how much faster they’ll grow, how beneficial this is for the environment. It goes far beyond the water savings. The amount of education they have in this area can really make them stand out among their peers.”

Sprinkler conversion kit. Photo courtesy: Antelco

To help spread the word, Antelco and other manufacturers hold workshops and seminars in cooperation with distributors and public agencies. “We work closely with extension agencies to educate the educators who then pass the information along to contractors and homeowners.” Contractors can also become involved in raising awareness of the benefits of micro irrigation by volunteering to participate in public education workshops. This can give their company some free public exposure while helping to boost the market for low-volume irrigation in their community.

Muhamed Becovic, owner of Creative Landscaping & Design in Chicago, has made educating clients about smart water usage a priority for his business. Becovic got his own education in drip irrigation in Arizona, where he owns a second home and where low-volume irrigation methods have been practiced successfully for years. He brought his expertise back to Chicago and now uses drip irrigation in most of his installations.

He stresses the need to educate clients in order to successfully market projects. “They’re like pupils. They really want this information. From the information I give them and the questions they ask, I can gauge which issues are most important to them. Are they concerned about water conservation? Is cost savings a big factor? Is maintenance an issue?” By providing clients with options and listening to their feedback he can better guide them to choices they’ll be happy with.

Education plays another role in marketing. Becovic’s company relies a great deal on word-of-mouth advertising. Making sure his clients have a good understanding of the advantages of drip has paid off in referrals.

He finds it easy to market in the Chicago area due to the growing awareness of conservation issues in general and water conservation in particular. “With drip, you’re not watering a wide area. You’re giving plants exactly what they want and not wasting the rest. Water is a commodity like everything else, and it’s moving up in price. Even here in Chicago we’re experiencing restrictions on when we can water and when we can wash our cars.”

Customers choose drip primarily for the water savings, but installation also costs slightly less. “In a normal project, we finish a complete installation in one day,” says Becovic. He still installs conventional systems in some applications but most of his customers opt for a drip system when they learn the advantages. Having two options to work with gives Becovic’s business an important advantage. “When you can offer more options it gives you more to bargain with in this highly competitive market,” he says.

In order to speak intelligently about the benefits of low-volume irrigation to their clients, contractors must first educate themselves. Fortunately, manufacturers are making it much easier to do this. Companies are spending more time and effort on educating dealers, contractors, and consumers on drip irrigation principles and methods. Contractors who develop their own expertise in drip irrigation will take a big step in making their community and their company greener.