Drip Irrigation for Fort Worth Flower Beds and Shrubs

Spray heads are built for lawns. In flower beds and shrub borders, they often do a poor job: leaves block the spray, water hits walls and windows, and much of it evaporates in the heat before it reaches the roots. Drip irrigation puts water right at the base of plants, slowly, where it can soak in. For Fort Worth beds, it is often a better fit than spray. This article explains how drip works and what to think about when adding it.

How Drip Irrigation Works

A drip zone uses low-pressure tubing laid on the soil surface, usually under mulch. Water leaves the tubing through small emitters at a slow rate. A drip zone typically includes:

• A zone valve, the same kind used for spray zones
• A filter to keep grit out of the small emitters
• A pressure regulator to lower pressure to the level drip tubing needs
• Drip tubing, either solid tubing with separate emitters or tubing with emitters built in at set spacing
• Emitters, small fittings that release water at a set rate
• Flush caps at the ends of lines so debris can be flushed out

Why Drip Suits Fort Worth Beds

• Clay soil absorbs water slowly. Drip applies water slowly enough for clay to take it in without runoff.
• Less evaporation. Water goes into the soil instead of into the air, which matters in Fort Worth summers.
• No overspray. Water stays off windows, siding, fences and walks.
• Healthier leaves. Keeping foliage dry can reduce some leaf diseases.
• Flexible watering. Fort Worth’s rules allow drip irrigation at any time and on any day. Our article on hand watering, drip and soaker hoses explains the rules.

Inline Drip vs. Point-Source Emitters

Inline drip tubing has emitters built in at regular spacing. It is good for dense plantings, ground covers and beds where plants are close together. It is laid in rows across the bed.

Point-source emitters are inserted into solid tubing right at each plant. They work well for shrubs, roses and larger perennials that are spaced apart. Larger plants can get more than one emitter.

Many beds use a mix: inline tubing for dense areas and point-source emitters for individual shrubs.

Planning a Drip Layout

1. Group plants by water needs. Plants that need similar amounts of water should share a zone.
2. Keep drip on its own zone. Do not mix drip with spray heads on the same valve. Drip runs much longer than spray.
3. Run tubing on the root zone, not right against stems. For shrubs, a ring of tubing or two emitters at the drip line works well.
4. Cover tubing with mulch to protect it from sun and hide it.
5. Add flush caps at the end of each line.
6. Plan for growth. Shrubs spread; leave room to add emitters later.

Converting an Existing Bed

Many beds already have spray heads. Converting them to drip usually means capping the spray heads, installing a filter and pressure regulator at the valve or first head, and running drip tubing from there. Our guide on converting a spray zone to drip walks through the process.

Run Times for Drip

Drip zones run much longer than spray zones, because the emitters put out water slowly. The right time depends on emitter flow, spacing, plants and weather. Start with a moderate run time, then check the soil a few hours after watering by digging a small hole near a plant. The soil should be moist several inches down but not soggy. Adjust from there.

Keep drip zones in their own controller program so their run times do not get mixed up with lawn zones. Our controller programming guide explains how programs work.

Drip Near the Foundation

On expansive clay, keeping soil moisture more even around the foundation is a common reason homeowners add drip lines near the house. Our article on foundation watering with drip lines covers this.

Mulch and Drip Work Together

A layer of mulch over drip tubing does several jobs. It shades the tubing from the sun, which helps it last. It slows evaporation from the soil surface. It keeps soil temperatures more even in summer heat. It also hides the tubing, so beds look clean. Keep mulch a few inches away from shrub stems and tree trunks, and refresh it as it breaks down.

Common Drip Problems

• Clogged emitters from missing or dirty filters
• Tubing chewed by animals or cut by shovels
• Pressure too high without a regulator, which pops fittings off
• Lines left unflushed, collecting sediment
• Emitters buried too deep in mulch or soil

Our guide to drip irrigation repair covers these in detail.

Maintaining a Drip System

• Clean the filter at least once or twice a year.
• Flush lines by opening end caps and running the zone for a minute.
• Walk beds while the zone runs to look for leaks and dry plants.
• Add or move emitters as plants grow.

Watering New Plantings

New shrubs and perennials need more frequent water than established ones, since their roots have not spread into the surrounding soil yet. During the first summer, check the soil around new plants a few times a week, especially in the heat. Drip makes this easier, and because Fort Worth allows drip at any time, you can add an extra short run for a bed of new plants without breaking the watering rules. Once plants settle in, usually after their first full growing season, cut back to a normal schedule.

When to Call a Technician

If you want to convert beds to drip, add a new drip zone or fix a drip system that is not working, our sprinkler repair service can design and install it. Adding new zones in Fort Worth requires a permit and a licensed irrigator.