Do you want to grow your own vegetables but don’t have the time or inclination to water them every day? In this post, we will go over some of the best drip irrigation systems for a vegetable garden.
Some of these products are designed specifically for vegetable gardens while others can be used in all types of gardening scenarios. We’ll also provide links to more information about each product so that you can make an informed decision on which one is right for you.
Best Drip Irrigation System for Vegetable Garden
Best Drip Irrigation System for Vegetable Garden
Gardena 13015 Micro Drip Kit for Vegetable Gardens
The Gardena Micro Drip Kit for Vegetable Gardens (Buy Online) comes with everything you need to get started. This kit includes connecting pipes as well as drip nozzles and all of the necessary connectors. It also comes with spray nozzles and control valves so you can customize the watering pattern in your garden beds, depending on what type of vegetables you have planted.
The Gardena Micro Drip Kit is easy to use, and it requires minimal assembly time and no tools. All you need to do is simply connect the pipe sections together according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer and place them where they should go in your garden bed.
This drip kit comes complete with 25 meters of connecting pipe as well as all of the necessary connectors and nozzles needed for installation.
You’ll also receive 4 spray nozzles that are adjustable from 90 to 360 degrees so they’re versatile enough for use on any size plant in your home veggie patch.
You’ll also be able to water multiple plant rows at once using this micro-drip starter kit from Gardena. And this micro-drip starter kit is ideal for small to medium-sized vegetable gardens that measure up to 40 square meters (430 square feet)
Overall, we highly recommend the Gardena Micro-Drip Kit for Vegetable Gardens because it comes with everything you need to set up an efficient and cost-effective drip system in your vegetable garden.
Grower’s Solution Vegetable Garden Drip Kit – 20 Rows x 50 Ft– Watering Garden Drip Irrigation
The Grower’s Solution Vegetable Garden Drip Kit (Buy Online) has everything you need for a complete watering system that will keep your vegetables healthy and producing all season long. With this kit, there is no more lugging around heavy hoses and you won’t have to spend hours out in the hot summer sun watering your garden ever again.
This vegetable garden drip kit is designed to irrigate 20 rows that are each 50 feet long, which means it can fit most vegetable gardens without any problem at all. Plus, installation couldn’t be easier. You’ll have everything you need right out of the box so set up should take about 45 minutes max from start to finish.
This kit comes with everything that you need including 1000ft of drip tape (8mil), 100 ft of poly header tubing, 20 valves, 1 ¾” pressure regulator. 1 hose hookup, and 10 plugs for repairs. It also includes an instructional booklet on how to install the system so it’s easy enough to set up even if you’ve never done anything like this before.
Orbit 61014 Garden Box Drip Watering Hose Faucet Timer Sprinkler Kit
The Orbit Garden Box Drip Irrigation Kit (Buy Online) comes with everything you need for a complete drip irrigation project in one box, including a timer that allows you to program custom watering intervals from 6 hours up to every seven days. You also get soaker tubing which delivers water directly at the root base, saving both water and money over traditional sprinklers.
The kit comes with 50 feet of 1/2-inch distribution tubing, 50 feet of 1/4-inch soaker tubing, 3-in-1 Drip-Lock adapter, 20 self-piercing couplings, 4 Drip Lock elbows (3)and one T connector (1), a faucet timer with one port as well as a hose cutter.
Raindrip Garden Bed Kit
The Raindrip Garden Bed Kit (Buy Online) makes it easy for anyone to install an irrigation system in their garden beds without any special tools or experience needed. This drip irrigation kit comes with everything you need to water up to a 200 square foot vegetable garden.
With this beginner-friendly system, you’ll save money on your water bill, get more vegetables from each plant and reduce the time spent weeding by hand as well as eliminate the risk of spreading diseases between plants. And it’s so simple to install that even a kid can do it.
The Raindrip Garden Bed Kit includes 50 feet of 1/2″ Pre-assembled hose, a filter pressure regulator combo, timer, “Y” Valve, Feeder lines, 1/2” circle adjustable sprayers, T connectors, a universal end plug, 5 wire stakes, and 10 hole repair plugs.
Drip Depot Drip Tape Irrigation Kit for Small Farms Water up to 15 Rows
The Drip Depot Drip Tape Kit (Buy Online) comes with everything you need to set up an affordable drip system for your vegetable garden or small farm. It’s easy to install and maintain, so you can spend more time enjoying your vegetables instead of worrying about watering them.
This kit includes everything you need for a drip irrigation system including 1000 feet of drip tape, hose thread filter, heavy-duty wire ground anchor staples, all necessary fittings, tubing connectors, and easy-to-follow instructions for setting up this simple yet effective irrigation system.
Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Landscape & Garden Watering Kit
The Rain Bird Drip Irrigation System (Buy Online) is one of the best consumer drip irrigation systems on the market. This 108 piece kit comes with everything you need to efficiently water any size garden.
The simple design of this kit makes it easy for anyone with basic DIY skills to install this system on their own in a weekend without any special tools or professional help required.
And the included micro-sprayers are perfect for watering delicate plants without damaging them like sprinklers do, while the micro-bubblers are great at keeping plants green during long dry spells when you don’t have time or energy for hand watering.
And the Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Watering Kit features pressure compensating technology, which means that no matter how uneven your garden is every drip line will deliver an equal amount of water. No more fussing over sprinklers or timers. With this system, every plant gets exactly what it needs when it needs it.
Best of all you can even add more drip lines to this system with the Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Expansion Kit, so it can grow to meet the needs of any size vegetable garden.
DripWorks Drip Tape Row Crop Kit
The DripWorks Drip Tape Row Crop Kit (Buy Online) has everything you need to get started growing your own food this year. This kit includes 200 feet of 1/2″ mainline tubing (enough to water ten 20 foot rows), 50′ of 1/2″ Microline tubing, filter, and pressure regulator, punch down stakes, 12 end caps for Microline fittings so they don’t leak once installed in the ground or when stored between growing seasons.
Flantor Garden Irrigation System
The Flantor Garden Irrigation System (Buy Online) is the best budget irrigation system for a vegetable garden. This drip irrigation kit comes with everything you need to water your garden automatically, including tubing, connectors, and nozzles. You can even adjust the flow of each nozzle individually so it will meet the needs of different plants at one time.
MIXC 226FT Greenhouse Micro Drip Irrigation Kit Automatic Patio Misting Plant Watering System
The MIXC Greenhouse Micro Drip Irrigation Kit (Buy Online) is a high-quality system that will work for you for years to come. It’s easy to install and it comes with everything you need in one box so there’s no need to go out looking for additional parts or supplies.
This kit includes everything you need for an area of 160 square feet. And there’s no digging or plumbing required.
This micro drip irrigation kit comes with 3 types of sprayers, and every water spray nozzle could be adjusted from fine mist to strong jet stream, which allows plant roots to absorb water effectively so that they will grow faster and healthier than ever before.
Drip Irrigation Pros and Cons
Drip Irrigation Benefits
Saves Water
One of the best ways to save water when gardening is with drip irrigation. This system uses a timer and emitters that release small amounts of water at regular intervals. Drip irrigation uses an average of 50% less water, and up to 80% in some areas.
Prevents Weeds
Weeds are a bane of gardeners everywhere. And while weeding is an important part of gardening, getting rid of weeds can be difficult to do effectively. Drip irrigation helps limit the amount of weeding you’ll need to do since it allows you to water your plants without providing any excess water to nearby weeds.
Reduces Runoff
Drip irrigation reduces runoff, which means cleaner rivers and streams and fewer chemicals going into our groundwater. Want to learn more about how you can help reduce water pollution and save money on your household utility bills? Cllick Here.
Preserves Soil Structure
Drip irrigation is an efficient way to water your garden because it delivers water directly where it is needed without affecting the permeability of your soil. This ensures that your plants will have access to moisture while preserving soil structure, so your garden will be able to thrive longer than other gardens using different watering methods.
Drip Irrigation Cons
Clogs Easily
Drip irrigation systems are a great way to save water, but they can easily become clogged with debris. The most common cause of this is that the nozzle becomes blocked by dirt and small particles.
This blockage can reduce the pressure at the end of each line and it can even cause leaks and damage to your dropper system over time.
To help avoid this you can change out your old drippers for newer models that have larger nozzles which can push more water through them before getting clogged.
Low Water Flow Rate
The carrying capacity of your drip irrigation system may result in not enough water being delivered to irrigate the entire row or area of plants. What this means is that gardeners may need to spend a lot more time adjusting their system so each plant gets enough water even if they are towards the end of a drip systems lines.
Shallow Root Development
In some cases, drip irrigation can lead to shallow root development, which can lead to problems with your plants down the line. Shallow roots are more likely to be damaged when walking in the garden and they can’t spread deep enough into the soil for nutrients or water during dry spells.
Drip or Spray Irrigation for Vegetable Garden
Drip and spray irrigation systems are both effective ways of watering a vegetable garden. Drip systems have a number of advantages, such as reduced water runoff, lower costs, and higher quality produce.
Spray systems on the other hand can be more time-efficient for large gardens or gardens with long rows because you don’t need to worry about plants at the end of the rows not getting enough water.
So which is better? Well, it really depends on what your needs are but in general, most people will find that drip irrigation produces better results in most cases and saves more water than spray irrigation.
How Often to Water a Vegetable Garden with Drip Irrigation
The optimum frequency for watering with a drip system is usually 3 to 4 hours of irrigation every 2-3 days. However, this also depends on the soil type, temperature, and time of year.
And in higher elevation areas with a shallow water table or sandy soil, it might be necessary to water more frequently to maintain adequate soil moisture
NOTE: For medium-low flow drip irrigation systems it can take about 5 to 12 hours to deliver 1-inch of water.
