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» Dripping with Joy
Dripping with Joy
 By June most gardeners are thinking about or already watering their homes landscaping. Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation, is easy on the budget both when it is installed and when the water bill arrives. Drip irrigation applies water slowly to the root zone of plants through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters, with the goal of minimizing water and fertilizer usage. Drip irrigation may also use devices called micro-spray heads, which spray water in a small area. Micro-spray heads are generally used on plants such as ground covers or annuals.
The advantages of drip irrigation are:
 Less water loss because water is applied to the roots. Efficient water distribution. Better maintains moisture in the root zone, discouraging weeds in the surrounding area. Helps prevent water-borne plant diseases. No soil erosion on slopes or loose soil. Distributes water uniformly through selected size emitters Water pressure and volume can be regulated by selection of valves and pressure-compensating emitters.
The disadvantages of drip irrigation are:
Clogging, if the water is not properly filtered and the equipment not properly maintained.
Does not wash off leaves of plants.
 The website www.dripirrigation.com includes everything needed to install a home micro-irrigation system.
Remember, you can save water while you share it with your garden!
Photos provided by www.dripirriation.com.
Contributed by Breanne Jones
Communication Director
Washington State Nursery and Landscaping Association
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