13 DIY Options for a Drip Irrigation System to Save You Time and Money (2024)

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Are you concerned about watering your garden this summer?

It can be difficult to keep plants watered on hot days, andit’s even more of a concern when you’re planning on being out of town.

Having a drip irrigation system can help keep your plants alive and thriving even when you aren’t around or aren’t able to water them as they need.

However, drip irrigation systems are costly if you buy them from a store. Instead, I’m going to share ideas with you on how you can build a DIY drip irrigation system.

Here is a selection of DIY systems you can choose from:

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1. DIY Drip Line Irrigation

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This system looks rather fancy for a DIY project. If you want something which appears quality made, this is a great system for you.

They decided to go with drip irrigation emitter tubing and connect them to an outdoor spigot on a timer. This takes a great deal of the work out of it for the gardener and should last for years to come.

2. PVC Drip Irrigation

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If you’re working on a limited budget and are new to the DIY scene, PVC pipe could be your best bet when creating your own drip irrigation system.

This tutorial walks you through each step of the creativeprocess. Plus, PVC works wonderfully whether you have a large or small garden.

3. $50 or Less Drip Irrigation System

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This irrigation system can be adapted for both large and small gardens. The idea is to have a rainwater barrel at the top of the garden.

Put netting over it to stop debris from getting in the waterand clogging the PVC pipe. From there, the PVC pipe is run from the barrel allthe way around the garden to water adequately.

4. The Drip Irrigation Bottle

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I love this idea because it works for small gardens, houseplants, and window boxes. If you travel during the warmer months, you may grow concerned about how your plants will survive under the heat.

You no longer must worry. Instead, place a 2-liter bottle in the ground upside-down next to your plants. Cut the bottom out and pour water into the bottle. It will drip and water your plants as needed.

5. Drip Irrigation for Potted Plants

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If you grow a container garden, you may have noticed the soil in the containers dries out faster than it does in a traditional garden.

What should you do? Consider this DIY irrigation system which is designed specifically for potted plants. It connects directly to the outdoor spigot and could be placed on a timer to make things even easier.

6. The Plastic Bottle and Rope Irrigation System

If you like to upcycle items you’d otherwise toss in thegarbage, you’ll love this DIY irrigation system. You utilize plastic waterbottles we’re all guilty of using at some point or another.

The video walks you through how to insert the rope into the bottles. The rope serves as a wicking system which will drip water onto the soil and keep your plants well-watered, whether indoors or out.

7. Watering Wick for Indoor Plants

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If you’re headed on vacation and need a simple irrigationsystem, consider purchasing 50 feet of rope or watering wick.

Place the wick in a large pot of water and the opposite end of the wick into potted plants. This will keep your plants well-watered while you’re away.

8. Milk Jug Drip Watering System

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This is a simple DIY drip irrigation system anyone cancreate even on the most meager of budgets. Save your leftover milk cartons andrinse when finished.

Use a drill to put multiple holes in the milk jug. Dig a hole and put the milk jug in the ground next to your plants. When finished, cover with dirt but leave space for the spout to be easily filled. It will secrete water as needed in the garden.

9. Balcony Drip Irrigation

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Do you use your balcony for a container or window box garden? It can be difficult to keep plants watered adequately when there are smaller quantities of soil in your gardening method of choice.

Instead, use this DIY drip irrigation system. It comes from a bucket, you can either fill or allow it to catch rainwater. From there, the hoses are hooked to the bucket and will gravity feed water to the plants when you turn the nozzle.

10. Olla Gardening

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If you haven’t heard of olla gardening before, prepare to have your mind blown. Ollas are basic clay pots. You place them in the ground next to your plants.

However, you must leave the spout sticking out of the groundto easily fill them with water. Water will secrete through the walls of theclay jar and water your crops.

11. Gravity Drip Irrigation for Potted Plants

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This is another inexpensive and easy DIY set-up for a drip irrigation system. It would work well for patio or balcony gardening.

They used plastic soda bottles and hung them on the wall oftheir balcony. The bottles are filled with water and run through plastic pipinginto the potted plants.

12. Dual Watering Irrigation System

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This is a unique and affordable DIY system. It’s a dual watering system because part of it is an irrigation system while the other is a soaker hose system.

It works well in raised garden beds. The tutorial gives you a list of what it takes to create it and offers pictures to help with the configuration.

13. DIY Soaker Hose System

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Soaker hoses are easy to use and do a fantastic job ofwatering, in my experience with them. This tutorial will walk you through howto utilize soaker hoses.

Plus, it shows you how to install them and how to water by different zones. If you need a DIY solution which will last for a while, this could be your set-up.

You now have 13 different DIY drip irrigation systems to choose from to water your garden when you aren’t around to do it or to take some of the load from your shoulders.

It also helps to water your plants from the bottom insteadof overhead because it keeps the foliage of the plants from becoming wet.

Pick the set-up which would work best for your gardeningmethod and make it yourself to save both time and money.

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13 DIY Options for a Drip Irrigation System to Save You Time and Money (2024)

FAQs

How to make a cheap drip irrigation system? ›

Step-by-Step Instructions
  1. Attach 2-Way Garden Hose Connector to Outdoor Water Faucet. Attach the two-way garden hose connecter to the outside faucet. ...
  2. Attach Poly Main Line Tubing to Hose Fitting. Push the tubing onto the hose fitting. ...
  3. Design Tubing Layout. ...
  4. Install the Irrigation Tubing. ...
  5. Install Irrigation Drippers.
Mar 28, 2023

What is the best alternative to drip irrigation? ›

Soaker hoses are less useful for large gardens, slopes, and plants grown in containers, but they're fine picks for small space gardens and watering specimen trees and other ornamentals. If cost is a concern or you don't want to tangle with elaborate drip lines, soaker hoses may be your best option.

What are the cheap irrigation methods? ›

A low cost irrigation system can be as simple as a series of troughs or gutters moving water by gravity, or it can involve a pump and pipelines to move water to sprinklers or a drip system.

What is a major downside to drip irrigation? ›

Disadvantages — Drip Irrigation Can Be High-Maintenance

Primarily, these systems require more regular maintenance than conventional irrigation systems.

What is the simplest and cheapest source of irrigation? ›

Merits: Well is simplest, cheapest and independent source of irrigation and can be used as and when the necessity arises. Several chemicals such as nitrate, chloride, sulphate, etc. found in well water add to the fertility of soil. More reliable during periods of drought when surface water dries up.

What is low cost drip irrigation? ›

Drip irrigation is a water-efficient irrigation system. It essentially entails dripping water to individual plant root zones at low rates (2.25l/hr) from emitters embedded in small-diameter plastic pipes.

Are ollas better than drip irrigation? ›

Now you can get all the conveniences of an automatic watering system with all the benefits of using ollas in your garden beds. It gets even better! Through strict testing we've discovered the Thirsty Earth olla watering system uses 61% less water than typically drip lines and 80% less water if you're hand watering.

What is the most wasteful irrigation method? ›

In terms of farming on the global stage, agriculture accounts for 70% of the Earth's freshwater resources. Of this 70%, 95% of farmers turn to flood or surface irrigation. Unfortunately, flood or surface irrigation is the least efficient method. It's because it delivers more water than the plants need.

What are three disadvantages of drip irrigation? ›

Disadvantages
  • Expensive initial cost can be more than overhead systems (commercial system)
  • The sun can affect the tubes used for drip irrigation, shortening their usable life.
  • If the water is not properly filtered and the equipment not properly maintained, it can result in clogging.

Can I make my own drip irrigation system? ›

Flexible parts make it simple to construct

Drip-irrigation parts snap together like modular toys and can be adjusted as your garden changes. You'll need a filter, water-pressure reducer, emitters, and 1/2- or 5/8-inch-diameter flexible polyethylene tubing—also known as the submain.

What is the least wasteful irrigation system? ›

Drip irrigation is the most water-efficient way to irrigate many different plantings. It is an ideal way to water in clay soils because the water is applied slowly, allowing the soil to absorb the water and avoid runoff. Drip devices use a fraction of the water that overhead spray devices use.

How do you make a homemade water drip system? ›

DIY Gravity Drip Irrigation

Run the tubing through the bottom of the bucket (make sure to caulk around the tubing to keep things watertight), attach the dripper, elevate the bucket, and place the dripper end in the spot where you want the water to be released.

What is the life expectancy of a drip irrigation system? ›

Typically, the life span of these poly-drip irrigation lines is about 10-15 years before the irrigation system should be replaced. A longer span than that can lead to excessively high water bills as frequent leaks and water damage may become an issue.

What is a downside of the drippers emitters on the drip system? ›

These are cheap and will work on very low-pressure systems such as gravity flow drip systems fed by water from rainwater harvesting. Their primary disadvantage is that they easily clog especially if the water has a lot of minerals in it.

What is sprinkle irrigation system? ›

Sprinkler irrigation is a method of applying irrigation water which is similar to natural rainfall. Water is distributed through a system of pipes usually by pumping. It is then sprayed into the air through sprinklers so that it breaks up into small water drops which fall to the ground.

How do you make a homemade drip system? ›

DIY Gravity Drip Irrigation

Run the tubing through the bottom of the bucket (make sure to caulk around the tubing to keep things watertight), attach the dripper, elevate the bucket, and place the dripper end in the spot where you want the water to be released.

What is the easiest drip irrigation system to use? ›

Soaker hoses are the simplest way to create drip irrigation. These garden hoses have tiny holes along their length to allow water to drip out.

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